Kongsgaard, Grenache/Syrah, Napa Valley

What a difference 19 years have made! Respected critic Robert Parker gave this Rhône blend (50%Grenache - 50% Syrah) an 89. Gorgeous perfumed nose, blue and black fruit, lavender, crushed rock. Integrated tannins, drinking perfectly. I’d love to see how Parker’s successors at WA, and Jeb, and Antonio, would rate this beauty now. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to find. I bought my bottles at $75 years ago. One outlet had a few bottles at $599. If you’ve hidden this away …

2006 vintage

Excellent California Rhône blend , spices , spine, not so much fruit on the nose. Keeps giving.

2006 vintage

Impromptu dinner and evening in the cellar - Eileen, Karen, Xander, Kaitllyn (Chez Walker - Princeton, NJ) : An inspired pull from the cellar during dinner. Was looking for another full red to complement the dinner, following a 98 D'Ampuls Cote Rotie, starting with "interesting" Rhone varietals. Splash decanted. Dark ruby color, no real signs of separation. Nose showing more of a Grenache signature with currant and spice. Palate of blackberry liqueur, brambly/tart red fruits, herbs and mineral notes. Red …

2006 vintage

Well done again , secondary pleasantness was very evident upon opening , was a bit sharp on the tongue initially , the wine really was better a few hours in , nice juice.

2006 vintage

started to open after 30 minutes, with very ripe fruit, lots of sweetness, still a little sharp, lots of forest and potpourri, tons of woodsy notes, cedar. Almost showing coffee 4 hours later.

2006 vintage

served after more than 45 minutes in decanter. Nose was very sweet and jammy, with nice leather and animal notes.

2006 vintage

Smooth and easy drinking , fruit was in a good place , well put together , I don't score #'s these days but I would guess the majority of these scores on the site are too low. Wouldn't kick this out of a glass ;)

2006 vintage

The last time we had this wine was exactly three years ago to the day - and if this bottle is representative, time hasn't been kind. For the first 45 minutes or so, the notes of currant, grenache liqueur, and herbs were present, if not at the same level that they were three years ago. After that, however, the wine fell apart, to a less aromatic, reductive state. Given the previous performance and this one, if you have this wine …

2006 vintage

Popped and poured. Outstanding wine. Texture is excellent. Delicious fruit, big bodied but somewhat weightless. Great balance and certainly in its prime and will continue to be enjoyable for at least a decade.

2006 vintage

This was, for all intents and purposes, a different wine than the one I wrote about three years ago. Decanted 90 minutes before service. In the glass, dark red with shades of auburn. On the nose, a hypothetical mix of crushed currants and grenache liqueur. On the palate, still tannic, but with a pleasing blend of fruit, minerality, and herbal notes, with a moderately long finish. I haven't been drinking any of the Kongsgaards until they have at least 5-7 …

2006 vintage

Enjoyable but not sure this is going anywhere further than it is right now. Drank this after a 2 hour decant. Dark fruits but somewhat muted/muddled. It suffered due to comparison to the bottle of 2003 Alban Pandora also consumed that night.

2006 vintage

Elegant and balanced. Nicely straddles old and new world as there is pleasant ripeness yet not overly concentrated nor a 'bomb'. Juicy dark fruit from the grenache and a smoother, linear tone with a classic Cote Rotie element from the Syrah. Borderline too much 'heat' showing. Drinking well now.

2006 vintage

Decanted two hours before service. In the bottle, opaque dark maroon. On the nose, a mix of crushed currants and black pepper. The palate is dominated by blackberry liqueur, with secondary notes of wet slate, beef blood, and a very subtle hint of honeysuckle. I want to say that this is the dumb phase for the wine, but it's not clear to me whether it will ever climb out of this phase and show off the good stuff lurking underneath. …

2006 vintage

big-ness , blue berrys ,nice,not fully complete for some reason felt it was missing something on the backend ,really nice bottle of wine in any case , gave it an hour of airtime before drinking , i like this wine...... had a glass left over for next night , fruit wasn't nearly what it was last night.... smokey-ness set in......hmmmmm , was expecting something else 24 hours later ........it was very nice last night

2006 vintage

One More Time : Tasted blind. I thought this was a Syrah with 6 or 7 years of age on it when tasting it blind. At least there was 50% Syrah in this... This was my 3rd favorite wine of the night behind the Hourglass and the Booker Fracture. I loved the cherry flavors and the sikly mouthfeel was just wonderful. I'm not a huge Grenache fan, but I would sure enjoy drinking more examples of a Grenache blend like …

2006 vintage

Not at all pleasurable. Out of balance and disjointed -- at various times it seemed like I was drinking a grenache or a syrah not a singular wine; it was more like taking a sip of syrah, followed by a sip of grenache and trying to mix it in my mouth but never getting it right. It was bizarre. Perhaps it's just too young and needs time in the bottle to come together but the flavor profile didn't appeal to …

2006 vintage

Five years from now it could be a 94 or 96.

2006 vintage

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Kongsgaard, Grenache/Syrah, Napa Valley

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