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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 107 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by cpl100n on 12/29/2023 & rated 91 points: My favorite of all California Chardonnay (203 views) | | | Tasted by Peech on 7/17/2023 & rated 89 points: although the palate was very ripe as expected, there was still good amount of acidity on the palate. Initially some pineapple on the nose, but after 1 hour this became dehydrated pineapple and we also got lots of vanilla oak. Really sweet and oxidized now. (337 views) | | | Tasted by TWSA on 12/21/2022 flawed bottle: Kongsgaard The Judge 2006
Nose: lemon tart, nail polish, coconut water
Notes: this wine is certainly on the oxidative side and unfortunately I would say this falls into the premox category. It is a little sad to be in this situation as I was told that other bottles in the same batch were fine.
Drink: now+
Rating: N/A (703 views) | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 5/1/2022 flawed bottle: Oxidised, as were the last couple of bottles of this that I tried (1094 views) | | | Tasted by Shay.Aldriedge on 12/14/2021 & rated 95 points: This was opened for my good friend, and winemaker for Montagu & Silver Ghost, Weston’s birthday. Our local group has long had many opinions on if Kongsgaard’s Judge is worth the up-charge due to expected lifespan. With Kongsgaard’s “death and resurrection” winemaking style, we’ve come across more overly oxidized bottles of Judge within 10yrs than we’d expect. And the regular Chardonnay bottling at less than half the price drinks just as good, if not better, at all stages. That being said, when the Judge is in that magical spot, it is simply spectacular.
My hopes here were fairly low in terms of vibrancy, but at first pour, I knew I was in for something special. Had that green tinge I come across ever so often (which normally leads to young wine and/or wine not exposed to oxygen…neither of those apply here). Steely and tart initially before turning quickly to a more powdered lemon bar, exotic tropical ripe fruits like nutmeg dusted white peach and juicy stone fruit (a bit Peter Michael Point Rouge like on the nose). Salted honey roasted cashews, pineapple, rich honeycomb and a lanolin type twang on the mid palate. Finish here is astoundingly lengthy. While this was likely profound 2-3yrs ago, it’s fantastic today (assuming you don’t experience bottle variation)! Drink up! (1447 views) | | | Tasted by edwardochu on 8/7/2021 & rated 95 points: This taste better than the first btl opened a few years back, The group through its old world Rhone. Very oily but with excellent balance, alcohol and oak are both in check. The btl countinued to evolve and improve as the night progress. Sadly its my last btl. I think this can age for another 15-20 years easy. (1364 views) | | | Tasted by Peech on 5/21/2021 & rated 91 points: I thought it was premoxed after popping the cork, but after 2 hours and serving very chilled, the wine got much better. Still ripe on the palate, but not too bad. A little lean and there was some acidity there. Flinty notes and some ripeness on the nose, with caramelized vanilla 3 hours after opening. (68 views) | | | Tasted by Peech on 5/21/2021 & rated 92 points: I thought it was premoxed after popping the cork, but after 2 hours and serving very chilled, the wine got much better. Still ripe on the palate, but not too bad. A little lean and there was some acidity there. Flinty notes and some ripeness on the nose, with caramelized vanilla 3 hours after opening. (1131 views) | | | Tasted by Peech on 11/14/2020 & rated 91 points: definitely too ripe, but improved significantly with chilling down to a lower serving temperature. Showed a good amount of mineral and flint, with a big toasty nose. Still ripe on the palate and the finish was kinda short, with a little bitterness. (928 views) | | | Tasted by RayOB on 10/10/2020 & rated 90 points: Drank at Noble Rot
Huge amount of debate at the table about this wine. Some oxidise notes on the nose but beautiful rich palate. Not to everybody's taste (1162 views) | | | Tasted by nebbiol-ho on 9/25/2020 & rated 90 points: Showy and exotic nose. Pineapple juice, overripe yellow apple, meyer lemon preserves, butterscotch, kettle corn, meringue. Starting to show some oxi nuttiness and tertiary button mushroom.
On the palate, a touch of phenolic bitterness, presumably from the oak aging. Lush and Cali-malo'd but not overly so. Big alcohol, big acid, still not quite in balance. Like a Disneyland Dole Whip all boozed up and ready to put you to bed. (905 views) | | | Tasted by peternelson on 8/6/2020 & rated 94 points: Pretty stunning wine, big and powerful but not the monster I was afraid of and surprisingly aged very well; lovely ripe yellow orchard fruits with a little tropical notes of pineapple, coconut; some well integrated vanilla oak, very aromatic, silky smooth, creamy with good lift still, clocked in at only 14.1%; long, concentrated, seamless finish. Went particularly well with lobster mac n cheese, deep fried shrimp, the mexican corn dish, lobster roll. Perfect with rich America- style seafood dishes. The Corton Charlie was better with the mussels and ceviche. The Anchor, Venice Beach. (1170 views) | | | Tasted by Peech on 5/23/2019 & rated 89 points: initially served too warm so the nose was muted. Lots of sugar cane, more oxidized nose, very ripe, and a little bitter on the palate. (442 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 12/2/2018 & rated 95 points: Kleur: Licht goudgeel Aroma / bouquet: Indrukwekkend bouquet.Prachtige rijpheid maar nog volop jeudigheid en vitaliteit. Geconcentreerd en tegelijkertijd verfijnd. Napa-Chardonnay met een mate van verfijning van de allerhoogste witte Bourgognes. Was, sinaasappelschil, venkel, boerenboter. Verfijnd en chique hout. Prachtige, aristrocratische neus. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullend en verfijnd. Zeer indrukwekkende wijn, briljante vulling. Complex en gelaagd. Sappig en verrassend fris met retronasale indrukken van boterbabbelaars en boerenboter. Indrukwekkend lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: In 2009 dronk ik deze wijn in een duidelijk moeilijke fase, destijds maakte de wijn een 'opgeblazen' indruk. Op dit moment is Kongsgaard The Judge in een optimaal stadium. Zeer grootse wijn die probleemloos de concurrentie aankan met de grootste witte Bourgognes. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 95/100
Google Translate:
Color: Light golden yellow Aroma / bouquet: Impressive bouquet.Beautiful ripeness but still plenty of youthfulness and vitality. Concentrated and refined at the same time. Napa-Chardonnay with a degree of refinement of the highest white Burgundies. Wax, orange peel, fennel, farm butter. Sophisticated and chic wood. Beautiful, aristocratic nose. Taste / Finish: Mouthfilling and refined. Very impressive wine, brilliant filling. Complex and layered. Juicy and surprisingly fresh with retronasal impressions of butter babblers and farmers' butter. Impressively long aftertaste. General / potential: In 2009 I drank this wine in a clearly difficult phase, at the time the wine made a 'bloated' impression. At the moment, Kongsgaard The Judge is at an optimal stage. Very great wine that can easily compete with the biggest white Burgundies. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 95/100 (1905 views) | | | Tasted by Naplesgolfer on 4/7/2018 flawed bottle: oxidized bottle (2172 views) | | | Tasted by Naplesgolfer on 4/7/2018 flawed bottle: oxidized (1801 views) | | | Tasted by Naplesgolfer on 3/31/2018 flawed bottle: oxidized (1791 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 9/30/2017 & rated 93 points: Honey and ripe tropical fruits in the bouquet and on the palate. Creamy, good acidity and length, a bit fat and good bitterness. Excellent wine, but I was less impressed than on previous occasions. (2126 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 6/16/2017 & rated 91 points: In the bouquet butter and a lot of very ripe tropical fruits. Same on the palate, some bitterness and slightly oxidized. Not really refined. A bit disappointing this time. (1388 views) | | | Tasted by canan on 3/17/2017 & rated 95 points: Misc Tasting - Terkel Style (Birkerød): Sligthly mature fruit and also some sweetness dominating. It is however also showing some minerality and is very pure in its flavors.
The acidity is tense and overall the wine has an exciting touch. Loved it, but had perhaps expected more. (1045 views) | | | Tasted by phenricsson on 12/17/2016 & rated 95 points: Great texture in the mouth. Not as much exotic fruit as normal but great salinity and a touch of bitterness in the end. Very classy wine, great with food. In texture it is almost like a Cabernet. Impressive but not delicious. (1847 views) | | | Tasted by Mascarello59 on 9/9/2016 & rated 95 points: Quick taste at Hedonism wines.
Nutty, buttery and sweet nose with complexity. A mouthful of rich but perfectly balanced wine with some soft leathery notes. Long lingering finish . I can see that this wine get people divided, either you like it or you don't. To me it's one of the very best Cali Chardonnays I have tasted, if not the best. 94-96p (1866 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 9/6/2016 & rated 95 points: Creamy, rich and generous on the nose; notes of tropical fruit, flowers, oak. Rich but lifted and vibrant, not fat. On the palate quite precise and again not too broad at all, lots of ripe fruit, herbal notes, very layered and complex. Very good acidity. Nice mineral backbone. Powerful finish - very persistent. Drink or keep. 94-96 (2069 views) | | | Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 8/10/2016 & rated 90 points: Ett fullt moget vin med massor av tropisk frukt, honung, hasselnötter och lång eftersmak. Men är lite för mycket av allt för att ta sig upp till högre nivå. (1855 views) | | | Tasted by edwardochu on 6/2/2016 & rated 94 points: Its atypical of a Cali Chardonnay in that it is neither over oaked or over extracted. It has great acidity, mid to full body, and long length. It is ready to drink now but in no hurry. Reminds me a bit of Rhone style from the tropical notes, honey and butterscotch... but the acidity profile is different. (1821 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Terroir Matters - Updated (Nov 2013)
(Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2008, IWC Issue #138
(Kongsgaard Wines Chardonnay The Judge Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/20/2013)
(Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge) Bright light lemon yellow color; intense, ripe pineapple, vanilla, poached pear, lilies nose; tasty, very rich, tart pear, poached pear, bright lemon, tart pineapple palate; with good acidity; long finish 94+ points 94 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Kongsgaard Producer website | Kongsgaard discussion at calwineries.com
John and Maggie Kongsgaard own one of California’s few cult wine labels. Along with their estate vineyard east of the town of Napa, they also buy grapes from Carneros and St Helena. Human intervention is kept to a minimum at every step of the winemaking process. Owners John and Maggie Kongsgaard recently built a new winemaking facility in a cave east of the town of St Helena. They made their first vintage there in 2006.
“The Judge” is one of the most sought after Chardonnays in California. It is made with grapes from hillside vines grown east of the town of Napa. Amazingly, only one-half of a bottle is made from each vine. The wine is named after John Kongsgaard’s father, who was a judge in Napa for many years.
The Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay is made with grapes from the same estate vineyard as The Judge. It was fermented and aged in new French oak barrels with gentle lees stirring. It was not fined or filtered before bottling.
The Kongsgaard Napa Valley Syrah is made with grapes purchased from Hudson Vineyard in the Carneros AVA. The 2.7 acres of Syrah on Lee Hudson’s property are thinned to once cluster grape cluster per shoot, making yields very low. It is aged in 50% new French oak barrels for 2 years and is not fined or filtered.
Kongsgaard also makes a very small amount of a Viognier and Roussanne blend. It is fermented with its natural yeast and is aged in French oak for 10 months.Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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