The Art
Polish-born Tamara de Lempicka took up art to earn a living, studying in Paris at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere and privately with André Lhote and Maurice Denis. She quickly earned a reputation as a portrait painter, whose subjects were from the elite social circles in which she moved. Apart from portraits, her favorite subjects were erotic nudes and still lifes of calla lilies. Her art is distinctive in its linearity, streamlined elegance and chic decadence, yet owes something to the ‘cubism’ of Léger. More than any artist, she represents the Art Deco style in painting, a quintessential expression of which is “Femme Bleue à la Guitare.”

The Wine
The 2001 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, concentrated wine with aromas of dried cherries, black currants and figs followed by aromatic notes of spices and French oak. It exhibits excellent structure that is characterized by its full-bodied mouth feel, smooth tannins and lingering finish. This Artist Series release is very drinkable now but should continue to improve with further bottle aging for at least another decade.

The 2001 vintage is the 27th Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon from Kenwood. The finest lots of Cabernet Sauvignon were selected from our hillside vineyards located in the Sonoma and Dry Creek Valleys. This intense mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with a small percentage of Malbec from the rich soil of the Sonoma Valley floor to add body and ripe fruit qualities to the wine.

After harvest in October, the grapes were fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. After pressing and settling they were placed in small French oak barrels for a total of 29 months. After barrel aging was complete the best lots were blended and bottled before an additional year of aging in the bottle.

Composition: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec
Aging: 29 months in French oak
Alcohol: 14.2%