Kongsgaard Syrah, Napa Valley, USA

康斯卡德酒莊西拉紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：7927

The 2006 Syrah Hudson Vineyard jumps out of the glass with its notes of scorched earth, beef blood, blackberries, black olives, spring flowers, coffee, and roasted meats. Incredibly textured, rich, full-bodied, and long, this beauty must be tasted to be believed. It should evolve for 15 or more years, although few purchasers will be able to defer their gratification.The idiosyncratic, but brilliant producer of Chardonnay, Roussanne/Viognier, Syrah, and more recently, Cabernet Sauvignon, John Kongsgaard, and his low-tech, artisinal winemaking style have had an enormous influence on many top northern California winemakers. It’s always a treat to taste with him. All his wines are limited in quantity as the family’s vineyard in Coombsville is only 9 acres, so he draws fruit from special plots in the Hudson Vineyard for his Syrah, and more recently from some of David Abreu’s vineyards for his 350-case cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2006 Chardonnays were underperforming compared to my notes from last year. This trend is apparent in many producers’ Chardonnays in this vintage. The exuberant fruit that was noticeable out of barrel seems to have become more reserved. Nevertheless, these are still top-notch Chardonnays, just not as brilliant as I first thought. Normally, Kongsgaard’s Chardonnays are better from bottle than from barrel. Kongsgaard employs no additives, proteins, or enzymes, ferments his Syrah in pungeons with indigenous yeasts, and does not sulphur the wine until long after malolactic is completed. In the huge Hudson Vineyard, he has an unusual block of vines planted totally in volcanic soils and shale. This is the source for his Syrah, one of the most provocative and individualistic Syrahs made in CaliforniaFax (707) 963-4512