1999 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(15.5% alcohol, but with firm acidity): Bright ruby-red. At once riper and more evolved than the 1998, and far more expressive on the musky nose, offering bacon fat and smoked sausage, a whiff of caramel and exotic flowers. A distinct step up in texture and ripeness too, displaying terrific energy to the sappy flavors of raspberry and dried herbs. A wonderfully sweet, fine-grained midweight with considerably more stuffing than the 1998.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1999 Syrah Hudson Vineyard is even better out of bottle than it was from cask. Its opaque black/blue/purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of barbecue spices intermixed with creosote, violets, blackberry and creme de cassis liqueur, explosive, full-bodied flavors of cassis, and an amazingly thick, juicy yet vibrant and well-defined personality. There is plenty of tannin, but the wealth of fruit and intensity is mind-boggling. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Kongsgaard is crop-thinning down to one grape cluster per shoot in an effort to obtain Syrah at its most intense. There are 125 cases of the 1999 Syrah Hudson Vineyard. The wine is 100% Syrah fermented and aged in wood for 18 months, and then bottled without fining or filtration. The result is one of California's most awesome as well as singular expressions of Syrah. These wines are primarily available via Kongsgaard's mailing list. Fax (707) 963-4512
Deep bright ruby. Very primary aromas of black fruits, bitter chocolate, licorice, eucalyptus and smoked meats; shows a port-like ripeness. Then high-pitched, spicy and intensely flavored, with a penetrating quality. Quite laid-back and unevolved; more Rhone-like in style than California-fruity. This is adamantly dry but still comes across as sweeter than the '98 bottling.