04 Kosta Browne Amber Ridge Syrah

WINE TALK
#1
  • 2004 Kosta Browne Syrah Amber Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (5/31/2009)
    Hot, hotter, hottest. Reduced, reduceder, reducedest. Ripe, riper, ripest. Bleh. Only thing going for this right now is that I have had a cold for three weeks, edging into bronchitis, and this worked better than any other medicine at breaking up that crap that I have “produced” from my lungs. One more bottle in the cellar. Drink now, or wait until next year when I come down with what has become my annual case of bronchitis?

Posted from CellarTracker

#2

Before anyone says anything. I know, it must have been a bad bottle, or my palate was off. Hey, earlier bottles were better, not great but better than this one. Maybe it was my mood, altogether.

#3

I keep waiting for this to improve, but so far, not much. [beg.gif]

#4

I have had this wine three times. First was a carbon copy of your review. So bad that I sold the rest of mine to a buddy in town. He then promptly brings it to a blind syrah tasting and it was a 180 from the first bottle as it beat out some serious contenders. The third experience was somewhere in the middle down in Houston…not served blind.

I think that there is some serious bottle variation with this wine.

#5

Bummer about the cold! There’s some nasty sh*t going around lately. I was toast (er pain grille) for about a week & a half recently.

Sorry to hear about the KB Amber Ridge too.

#6

Jeff;

Had this a few months ago. Your TN just reflects the KB style. Some love it, others not.

My impression was that the wine was as good as it would get. Which to me was about a 85 if I remember correctly.

A friend commented recently the wine paired with his dry rub (which are pretty spicy) baby backs ribs. That may be a suggestion on how to dispose of the last bottle. [shrug.gif]

#7

Ed, thanks. I’ll be hacking tonight, so best nbot to sit across the table from me, although I cannot possibly be contagious at this point.

Gordon, I had this with a pretty spicy hanger steak, since I used a very spice dry rub on that.

I’ll just put that last bottle in the line-up and hope that it was a case of bottle variation. I have not been a fan of the '04s, however.

#8

it’s been a long time since I have opened any KB Syrah…I’ll have to change that soon and report back. I remember this wine being pretty big but not hot but it’s probably been a year and a half since I’ve opened one.

#9

I sold all of mine too but for one bottle which I am keeping for that odd tasting.

#10

2004s were the pinnacle of that wine making style for KB. Never really liked any of them and sold them all.

#11

Opened one of these upon release and it was tasty, but very primary . . . tannin and big but with the ‘ingredients’ to age nicely . . . not hot at all.

Have not tried one since but will need to break one out - hey Tony, what about up at Pinot Days?!?!??!

Cheers!

#12

Yeah, this one never really grabbed me from the bottle, either … although, I must say it was better than the pretty terrible, green, hot bottle of 2005 I had last month. Oh man. I’m going to pass on the Syrah from now on.