Wine of the week: Carnivor cabernet ideal for a Labor Day barbecue

Scott Kozel is the winemaker behind our wine-of-the-week winner, the Carnivor, 2014 California Cabernet Sauvignon at $15. It got high marks among our Labor Day line-up of wines intended to appeal to meat-eaters, vegans and everyone in between.

The Carnivor is a heady, full-bodied cab with a big personality. It has full throttle blackberry fruit, with notes of toast and a hint of caramel. It makes a good grilling companion because it mirrors the big, hearty flavors in meats.

The Carnivor is a bit surprising because it’s dense and robust, yet has a merlot-like seamless texture.

“There are many styles possible with cab,” Kozel said.

“We capitalize on this opportunity with Carnivor, creating the best of both worlds with the intense flavors and soft, silky mouth feel.”

Labor Day weekend and Carnivor cabernet are in sync, according to Kozel.

“Labor Day marks the end of summer and usually the last chance to have a barbecue, while standing as the inauguration of fall and winter.

All are occasions where the bold, smooth taste of Carnivor Cabernet is a perfect match,” he said.

Kozel, 48, is vice president of coastal winemaking for E. & J. Gallo Winery, and he said he’s well suited to produce cabernet.

“Cabernet sauvignon is the wine I drink,” he said.

“I make several different types of wine, but I always go back to cabernet. If you poked your head into my cellar, you’d see it has lots of cabs from around the world, from Bordeaux and Napa Valley to Australia and Chile.”

Tasting a Caymus Special Selection, a three-digit cabernet made from Napa Valley grapes at the Rutherford winery, convinced Kozel realize there could be magic in a wine bottle.

“It was phenomenal,” Kozel said. “It was at this moment I realized wine could be more than a beverage and could transcend a moment in time.”

The winemaker earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and later pursued a Master’s degree in Enology from UC Davis.

“As we were crafting Carnivor, we knew it needed a name that stood up to the wine style and made a statement,” Kozel said.

“We chose the name Carnivor for its boldness, which represented both the label and the wine.”