The debut vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005, has turned out beautifully. Made from fruit grown in David Abreu’s vineyards, this Cabernet Sauvignon (which includes tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) comes from three distinct vineyards, one above Dalla Valle, and two on the back streets of St. Helena. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of espresso roast, fudge, forest floor, creme de cassis, and smoked meats. The wine is layered, full-bodied, and rich. A tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon, it can be consumed over the next 15-20 years. 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 California Fax (707) 963-4512