2008 Kongsgaard Viorous
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Tasting notes
(60% roussanne and 40% viognier) Nose dominated by peach nectar, flowers and spices from the viognier, with a complicating element of wild herbs. Dense and tactile yet with terrific bright fruit character and lovely brisk acidity to lift and frame the wine's intense peach and stone flavors. Finishes chewy and very long. The roussanne here is "as thick as potato soup," notes Kongsgaard, adding that its job is to "take the viognier down off its floral pedestal." Both of these are high-pH varieties, and yet the net impression is of an energetic wine.
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Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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A white wine hussy, the blend of 60% Roussanne and 40% Viognier is now called VioRous. Along with those that come from Elaine and Manfred Krankl’s Sine Qua Non winery, Kongsgaard’s 2008 is the finest white Rhone Ranger blend I have tasted. Exotic, exuberant notes of honeyed lychee nuts, ripe peaches, pineapples, and subtle smoke soar from the glass of this easy to appreciate and drink wine. Big, fleshy, hedonistic, rich, and fruit-driven, I’m not sure how long it will last, but it is irresistible at present. From a top vintage for proprietor/winemaker John Kongsgaard, the 2007 Chardonnays are among the finest he has made to date. They combine great richness and bold flavor profiles with extraordinary minerality and definition. One-hundred percent whole clusters are used for the Syrahs, and Kongsgaard’s Syrahs have a very distinctive style. Fax: (707) 963-4512