2011 Kongsgaard The Fimasaurus

(a 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, co-fermented; made from the smallest berries in the same Atlas Peak vineyard from which Kongsgaard makes his varietal cabernet sauvignon bottling): Deep red-ruby. Dark berries, flowers, fresh herbs, licorice and exotic spices plus a hint of leather on the aromatic nose. Intensely flavored and suave, with considerable power to its crushed dark berry and graphite flavors. Lovely integrated acidity gives grip to the mid-palate of this rather muscular blend (Kongsgaard maintains that the merlot is as brooding and structured as the cabernet). Finishes classically dry, saline and firmly tannic, in need of several years in bottle to harmonize. Kongsgaard named this wine after his friend, the Uzbek pianist Yefim ("Fima") Bronfman.

The 2011 The Fimasaurus is going to require serious time to fully come together. Intensely mineral and saline, today the 2011 is also quite marked by its searing tannins. Graphite, pencil shavings, ferrous notes, smoke, sage and menthol all take shape in a dark, brooding wine endowed with serious personality to match an air of mystery. My sense is that the 2011 will be absolutely fabulous in a few years.

The 2009 The Fimasaurus cuts a larger swath across the palate and seems to have more spice, clove, and wood seasonings than the other cuvees, while the 2011 is very up-front, charming, medium-bodied, aromatic, spicy and round. These all look like impressive wines, but they are so limited in availability, I’ve kept my tasting notes short. The brilliant John Kongsgaard – part winemaker, part opera devotee, and part mystic – has a few new items up his sleeve for release. Of course, he is still offering his Chardonnays and Syrahs, which are among the very best made in California. Over recent years Kongsgaard has branched out to produce Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak. He has two cuvees now that come from these volcanic soils, cropped at very tiny yields of one ton of fruit per acre. The wines come from relatively old vines for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 years of age as of 2012. Kongsgaard’s newest baby, which he started making in 2009, is only two to four barrels of co-fermented Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in a 50/50 blend from the Atlas Peak site. Fax (707) 226-2936