2005 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(16% alcohol, 3.95 pH; 6.7 TA): Full medium ruby. Classic, multidimensional nose offers scents of black raspberry, smoked sausage, clove and truffle; tangy and still youthful. The palate delivers an exhilarating blend of sweet and savory elements and more of a primary fruit character than the 2004. A wine of outstanding texture and depth, not to mention balance. More treble than the 2004, with its dark berry fruit accented by Christmas spices and herbs. Begins with a powerfully sweet attack, then displays its firm acidity in the middle. The fruit here is bulletproof. This may ultimately surpass the 2004 in complexity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Quite a bit more youthful than the '04, the 2005 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard is in that adolescent stage where it shows mostly a youthful profile, yet hints at greater complexity and maturity. Fairly bright and perfumed, with gorgeous notes of plum, cassis, blood, violets, and meaty nuances, the wine is full-bodied and impeccably put together on the palate, featuring the hallmark seamlessness of the estate, perfect balance, beautiful ripeness, and a thrilling and decadent finish. At this point, I would give bottles anther 2-3 years of bottle age, and then plan on drinking over the following decade.
Saturated dark ruby to the rim. Utterly compelling, ethereal nose combines black raspberry, white pepper, bacon fat, mocha and dark chocolate. Thick, dense and wonderfully sweet but with terrific acidity giving energy to this remarkably full wine. Finishes with unreal palate-saturating length and verve. Kongsgaard has hit the ball out of the park with his collection of 2005s.
The fabulous 2005 Syrah Hudson Vineyard is even better than it was last year. An incredible dark purple color offers up notes of creosote, subtle charcoal embers, aged beef, fresh beef blood, black currants, sweet cherries, pepper, and tapenade. An incredibly complex, deep, full-bodied Syrah with expressive chocolatey notes in the mouth, this intense Syrah challenges just about every ounce of grey matter between the ears. It should evolve for 10-15+ years. John Kongsgaard’s Chardonnays come from the family’s 9-acre, high elevation, cool climate, Coombsville vineyard in southern Napa. His Syrah’s emerge from the Hudson Vineyard, a special block that was planted to his specifications. Previously recommended: 2004 Chardonnay (94), 2004 Chardonnay The Judge (98), 2004 Syrah Hudson Vineyard (90). Fax (707) 963-4512