Quite oxidized, darker brass-amber color; on the palate was actually quite nice with good acidity with a tangy finish. Take away: CA Chards are not aging well after more than 10 years. The sweet spot seems to be 6 to 7 yrs. Blind at the Dirty Dozen CA Chards Grand Harbor Seafood.
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opened and decanted 1 hour and 45 minutes before serving. Lots of big toasty oak, flinty, and nice acidity on the palate. In very good condition and very lively.
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As good a bottle Kingsgaard Chardonnay as I can remember. Golden color with a telltale nose of buttered popcorn and scuppernong fruit. Mature, round and deep, the palate folllows the flavors on the nose. There is a wonderful skeleton that holds everything together beautifully. This is terrific. (94)
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In good shape! rich, fruit mellowed out somewhat, but aging well. Slightly rich, slightly oily, but age has attenuated it somewhat, in a good way. Faded Peach, fish oil, pineapple core, unctuous, lovely, but I think I prefer the boldness and freshness of a newer bottle. Bri's compared with '06 Pillot Chassagne -St. Jean
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This was never their best effort. And I understand those with the opinion that these wines were not built to age but this wine is 10 years old and this is premox and flawed.
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At home, pre-dinner. Previous bottles of the vintage from Kongsgaard have been disappointing, opened nonetheless.
Color has evolved to a deep gold/honey. None of the funk/petrol I got from prior bottles. Nose was tropical fruits, pineapple, baking spice. Palate repeats with some orchard fruit and peach. Medium finish.
Much better (at least from notes and memory) than prior bottles. Would drink up now, this bottle was decent, but past its prime
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Unfortnately, a number of the Kongsgaard Chardonnays (both the Judge and estate) from 2006 and 2007 have been oxidized. We had a 2006 Chardonnay this evening that was completely flat and tasted oxidized. This is particularly frustrating in view of the fact that a couple of the others from the same vintagesn have been outstanding wines. Has anyone else had a similar experienece?
Big Fat Chard on it's way out. A bit of oxidation in the nose but after some breathing is seemed to dissipate. Honey color to go along with the honey and ripe pear, pineapple on the palate. All of it ripe / overripe fruit. Still a good wine but clearly no longer a youngster. Drink soon. There isn't much of the former glory left.
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Galoots Lunch (Double Zero Napoletano- Sandy Springs): Very golden color; lots of ripe apple and pear with copious amounts of honey, aged, poached pear, butter, pineapple, spice, palate was broad with less focus than needed to keep it balanced, seemingly really ripe vintage, very interesting to taste but I probably would have liked it more a couple years earlier; drink now.
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Drank blind and I thought it might have been Roussane. It is still very thick and did not show well until we had some food to go along with it. It is a very big chardonnay. Was enjoyed by the group. Not sure that I would want to take down an entire bottle of this by myself.
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My second bottle of 06' that has been oxidized. Not sure what happened to Kongsgaard in 06' with their Chardonnay but even the bottles that have not been oxidized have been showing very poorly.
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Drank with Zuckmans at Eastchester Fish. Deep golden color. Very aromatic nose of tropical fruit, some wood and pears. Viscous, big bodies chard, as usual. Gobs of tart pineapple, very good acidity mixed with pleasant minerality--if you look hard enough through all the dense fruit. Went great with my salmon and soft shell crab dishes. Much better than the 2007, which I've had a few of lately
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After disappointing last bottle, we drank this cold pop and pour. It faired much better. Pretty gold color. Pineapple with allspice/asian spice notes on the nose. Full-bodied, viscous with concentrated tropical fruit, crispness and oak on the palate. Not a good QPR.
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opened 30 min, not decanted. Color honey gold; initial nose ripe pineapple, subtle cardamom and allspice; tasted of ripe pineapple, with undertones of peach and mild spice, nice full mouth feel; good balance although on the ripe unctuous side, enough acid to keep it from being cloying; after 1 hr at dinner the fruit is fading, more oxidized flavors and wood showing through. At 90 minutes reminds me of too many pre-oxed burgs for my liking. Best drunk ASAP as a pop and pour
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This wine wasn't as bad as some people say here. This was my last bottle. Same as the previous bottle, this wine really didn't seem to start working until it had been open for a while and got closer to room temp.
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Very disappointed. This looked and tasted like a 30 year old California chardonnay. I enjoy older chardonnays, but this has already declined to the point where it is getting close to being undrinkable.
I have had $10 Chard's that have lasted 10+ years, many improving. But at this price point, to fade so quickly is reason never to purchase from this winemaker again. Anyone interested in a 2006 Judge which I purchased at $175?
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This has taken a downhill turn. Very dark gold color, petrol nose. Flavors were similar. Acidity has seemed to fade and the wine was more full bodied than a few years ago but the flavor was off. Bottle was not corked. Very worried about the remaining bottles of this one.
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Slightly better than the last bottle. still not what you expect from Kongsgaard, may have been better in its youth. picked up more of the oily character on this bottle that others noted
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I wont be as harsh as some of the other tasters, but definitely below the Kongsgaard standards. I have had other vintages of the Chards and the Judge is one of the finest whites you will ever drink from Calif.
Out of the bottle the nose is very tight, has a Riesling like petrol nose that blows off after a bit, not something I have experienced with Calif Chards. Color was medium to deep gold. I did get some fruit after about 20 minutes; caramel, citrus, mango. No real upside with this wine, below average for this producer
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Beautiful wines with good wine friends (@ PZ): Dark yellow. In the bouquet very ripe fruits, almost botrytis-like with honey, yellow fruits and a firm dose of oak. There is a lot of good acidity and minerality. The acidity keeps the wine in a good balance with all the other flavors. Complex wine.
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Strogeel. In de neus een eikenbos, boter en rijp fruit. Romig in de mond, veel tropisch fruit, caramel, een hoog "snoepjes-gehalte". Mooie onderliggende zuren, maar voor mij is deze wijn van alles té.
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Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Oily mouthfeel, bordering on fat. Big and oaky, huge concentration, but kinda shallow, lacking personality. Somehow this has an artificial, ester-like feel to it, although I really dug the tasty banana and pine-apple flavors. There's also beeswax, butterscotch, mango/peach-chutney and tropical flowers. The wine is kept on track by its acidity, which is refreshing and strong enough to carry the massive structure and baroque personality. Technically this is a great wine. But it didn't ring my bell. Too much. 17.5/20
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This wine never fails to impress. Loads of tropical fruit on the intense nose. As always, a deep golden color and very thick, heavy bodied wine. I detected lots of honey, pineapple and fig, but still lots of acidity to counterbalance the weight of this wine. Very nicely balanced, as always, and even a bit more tart or citrus than I recall from past drinkings of K. A consistent winner and I'm so glad to be on their list. For $75 for the 2010 version, I consider it well worth it given the prices of Burgs and some California chards today.
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Very intense bouquet with almost botrytis and caramel impressions, but not sweet. On the palate a basket full of concentrated tropical fruits, tart citrus and a firm dose of good oak. Also good minerals, especially in the finish. Something special.
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Atlanta Wine School Reserve Tasting (Atlanta Wine School): Slightly oxidized. Caramel / petrol / lemon rind on nose. Full body with nice acids / buttery (not over the top) and some minerality on palate with similar fruit profile. Medium length finish. 91+
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I hope it was the bottle and not the wine, because this bottle was starting to fall apart. It was oxidized and close to undrinkable. Interesting to see all the poor reviews on this wine. Something is possibly wrong with the 2006 Kongsgaard Chardonnay. Approach with caution.
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ha! per kstoddard, undrinkable. he obviously doesn't appreciate the fine vinification skills or grasp the ethos of the winemaker, who once famously posted on ebob that if you don't like his wines (duh!) then don't drink something you are incapable of understanding. i forget the exact details, but it was a classic public flame out by big bad jon, who really came off looking like an ass. double blind. i guessed an older chablis that was past prime. it just tasted...weird. we kept it around to see if some air could give it life, but we never found a pulse. it takes me longer to say the same thing kevin does. undrinkable.
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Had at k pauls in no it just couldn't break thru with much of a taste maybe 6 years killed the taste but not enough left here for a super primium chard.
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Medium yellow in color with a good nose of citrus fruit. Lemon notes combined with pear and melon. Good balance with some oak and acid. Just a slight hint of mineral also.
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Outstanding bottle of wine. It needed 20 minutes or so of air to really hit it's stride. This is very Burgundian with minerality, acid, a hint of oak, pear as well as lemon. This is not for those who like the buttery, oaky Chardonnays. This is the best bottle of CA Chardonnay I have had to date.
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Lemon tart on the nose. A lot of viscosity in the mouth and round tasting in my mind. No Fabio butter in this wine. But also not very acidic like some non butter tasting chards. A great wine.
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What a nice experience. Had at dinner along with some wonderful Cabernets and found myself more interested in this than the cabernet (very rare for me). It amazes me what a jump there is from Cakebread to this wine. Flavors of caramel, oak, touch of butter, and citrus, swirled into a wonderful wine.
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This is so much better than previous bottles. Nose of green fuits, citrus, lemon and just a small amout of toasty oak.. Great mouth feel, big but not overbearing. The oak is much better intigrated then I remember. Will be interesting to follow my remaining bottles over the next few years. EDIT: This wine began to fall apart on day 2 and was worse on day 3, (recorked and put in the frig.). I would now say, "drink 'em if you got 'em."
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Quite closed nose but the taste is big and wonderful with burned candy, fudge and very concentrated fruit. It is very much like a Grand Cru from Bourgogne but without the minerality that you can find in the great Bourgogne wines. Even though, this is a top class act and is together with the best Peter Michaels probably as good as a Californian Chard can be.
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My prior tasting note was overly cautious as several bottles since then have all been 92-94 point wines with the last being the best. There is no doubt that this case has had quite a bit of bottle variation - This last bottle had the best acidic balance right on through a long and persistant finish.I hope the next case is better.
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I am disappointed. Faint sherry notes, I think I would drink it all now. Lots of tartaric acid, too much for balance with the fruit. Not an elegant harmonic product I would expect from K.
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Golden in color already, but certainly not over the hill. Rich style with abundant oak that was better on its own (or maybe with comparably rich/buttery food). Enjoyed by all.
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Again somewhat closed on the nose to begin with until the oak makes itself know. Possibly just an awkward showing, but this bottle was lacking entirely the complexity of the previous. Oak totally dominating the aromatics, with citrus and perhaps a honeyed kind of mineral tone to the palate. Nowhere near the layered quality of the first experience -- really kind of a one-note showing. Perhaps closed down, perhaps shedding its baby-fat and coming out the worse for it. Flat and unimpressive -- quite a disappointment given the tariff.
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dark, rich, caramel, very good. same honeyed popcorn as before by more mature/ a little more subtle. consumed over half a day. drank half and put a cork back in and finished a few hours later.
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A mouth full. Tropical fruits, a firm amount of good citrus and well integrated oak. A great wine, which could use at least another 2 - 4 years of cellaring.
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Still very enjoyable but it is fading fast - Don't cork a partially full bottle as what is left won't survive.A basic problem with most chardonnays in this style --- cest la vie !!!!
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Upon opening it was pretty bright so I let it sit opened for about 2 hours on ice hoping that a little air time would meld some of the oak, spice and fruit. That was apparently too long. It had surprisingly lost a lot of character and was flat and boring. Pop and pour next time.
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Rich core of lemon sugar, oak stil prominent, full body make for a delicious drink, but with a little air time some madierized notes began to emerge - made it taste like a wine 10 years older. Very good and rewarding, but will drink up the rest of my '06s soon.
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10-2-09 My first bottle of the 06. Caramel apple, buttered popcorn and some mineral undertones on the nose and palate with perhaps some hints of orange blossom. While this is still a full bodied chard, the 06 vintage doesn't seem to have the depth that the 05's had and seems to be abit lighter bodied, but is a big, rich california Chard none the less. An excellent bottle of wine. 10-16-09 Again, not as big as the 05's and on opening I thought it was lacking abit of depth and richness, but when I tasted it again on day 2, it seemed to have picked up quite abit of depth and complexity while still maintaining a slightly acidic, mineraly core, which kept it from demonstrating that overly buttery characteristic that so many big CA chards seem to have.
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Smooth with a slight glycerin feel in the mouth. Very well integrated flavors of citrus and honey. Beautiful pale straw color with enticing nose. Great expression of CA chardonnay.
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I noticed right off the bat that this wine has weighted up a bit since the last time I had a bottle. It had a nice golden yellow color. The bouquet has intensified a bit, but the pineapple scent has tamed down. I would recommend serving at cellar temperature (55) and taste the range as it rises. EG
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Absolutely spectacular. Golden apple delicious with layers of depth and richness. It just got better and better the longer it was out of the bottle. Served with a chicken, garlic and olive dish which brought the best out of the wine. It's a sumptuous chardonnay that sparkles with endless flavor
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Impressive nose with melon, coconut, gummibears and a lot of vanilla. All of these carries into the palate which has a very potent acidity but also a bit too much alcohol coming through. Perhaps lacks a little bit of body and for me not as good as the 2005.
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Dinner with friends (My place): Medium dark yellow. Concentrated and intense nose with multiple layers of ripe pineapple, other exotic fruits, wine gums and oaky vanilla. On the palate it is a bit more refined with yellow plums and mirabelles, but also packing the pineapples and exotic fruits from the nose. The oaky sweet vanilla shows up on the finish as well. The great part is a striking acidity that balances this wine very well, making it intense, yet inviting. Seems to be lacking a bit of nuances and maybe length at the moment, which might improve with additional cellaring.
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Stronger showing than a bottle from the same case about 6 months ago. Nose pure and strong, like lemon-scented creme patisserie. Fruit and wood balance well, with a crystaline character to the wine overall that makes this just delicious right now. Had been worried about the '06s based on 2 previous tastings, but this is in a good spot now
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Popped and poured, enjoyed over two hours. Very interesting nose, nothing discernable yet very inviting. Honeysuckle, brown butter, pineapple, citric acid. Nice bottle of wine.
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This is certainly made in a big, rich style with nice balancing acidity and a small note of minerality on the finish...but lacking any real complexity or nuance.
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Notes of charred oak, vanilla and honey suckle on the nose. IN the mouth, well balanced and buttered popcorn on the finish. This has improved since my last bottle. Not an over done cali chard, but definitely in a bigger style - while still maintaining balance.
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Robustly nutty with strong hints of stone. Almost overripe chardonnay fruit. No, not really, just nutty and stone. Unique. That seems a safe better. Rather smoking acidity (and I mean that in a good way -- I like acid) but almost as if it has been acidified to this point. Maybe I am searching for faults. If this wasn't aciditified it has a rather amazing balance considering the fruit profile. Definately one to explore.
Drank alongside a Jermann Were Dreams which I found to be more lith, wild and mineral.
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DRank a 375 at Cafe Boloud in NYC. Temperature was just right at about 50. Great crisp acidity. Light straw color. Peaches and citrus fruit interwoven into a nice long finish.
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A disappointing showing: a good complex flavor profile and a nice mineral expression but a weird tinny metallic element on the finish. Not sure what that was.
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Light on color and while reasonable full bodied, a lighter mouthfeel than I am used to with Kongsgaard Chardonnay. Seashells, great citrus/acid balance of fruit , and a great very lithe for its size textural appeal. Some white flowers, tropical fruits and a touch of coconut. Really beautiful stuff. 93 pts
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just outrageous...shared with jenn and jean on a lazy sunday on my moms porch...rich but not overbearing, tropical notes with great underlying acidity...just epic
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Delicious, elegant, and restrained citrus fruit with slight oak, fig, and vanillin flavors, expected a fuller and more forward wine, finish a little short
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Smells like you salted a slice of cantaloupe and squeezed half of a lemon all over it. Strong acid throughout on the palate, like a cool summer's breeze blowing through your mouth. Lemons and melons early on with the buttered oak making a short-lived appearance on the mid-palate transition. Strong acid takes over the finish, while initially grating it turns light and is extremely pleasant. 25-30 second long finish of citrus-like acids. While delicious this is off-balance right now with it's acid and the mid-palate ends quickly. Will re-visit tomorrow and edit my notes.
Day 2: At room temp, coming off boozy today. More tart and less concentrated then yesterday, still has that nice finish that keeps you coming back for another sip. Did not improve on the second day, would say it actually got a step worse. Still good stuff though. Will not be buying another bottle.
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My second bottle. Slightly deeper golden color than the 2005. Aromas of straw and caramel. Flavors of lemon and caramel with a finish of alcahol. Seems a bit odd for such a young bottle to taste as "aged" in the mouth. I will decant and re-taste in a while. Stay tuned.
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Leftovers (Kongsgaard, Marcassin, Araujo, Bond, Merus, QC): Notes of lemon, fig, tropical fruits and oak. Flavors of figs, lemon zest and slate slathered in oak. Zippy acidity keeps this wine interesting - midpalate has some flashes of tropical fruits and flint - bright finish driven by the acidity with ripe fruit, oak and some buttery hints.
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Always a big, unctous Chard. Aromas of spice, pear and fig. Flavors of lemon peel, pear, citrus, and mineral. This is sleek and elegant, but is missing the marshmellow and creamy texture that I loved with the 2003.
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Every year when I fill out my NCAA bracket I call a friend of mine who is a Wall Street Quant by profession and as a hobby a basketball sabermatrician. The conversation generally goes on a lot longer than I want with discussions of regression analysis, Sagarin, kenpom, bell curve fat tails, match ups, etc. Since he always wins which ever basketball pool he enters, I endure the discussions with grace while slowly getting his picks. One of the statistics that he follows is what he calls the Big Boy Comparison. It is a lot like the Sagarin version of how a team plays against the top 50. His premise is that a true judgment of a team can only be made against quality competition. That strikes me as true for wine also and is the best arguement I can think of for drinking quality wines. Until you have drunk a great expression of grape and place it is very hard to establish the quality and artistic continuum to judge other wines. At least that is the excuse I am making to myself to justify the better wines I have been drinking since joining CellarTracker.
This is one of the few times where I have had a white wine that I thought I drank way too soon. This wine seems to have all the stuff and the right balance to get better with time. Lemon aromas and the clotted cream nose that I always associate with fine Burgundies. After about an hour the nose shifted to a very strong cinnamon toast with butter smell that had me inhaling deeply. Lemon marmalade and spice flavors both sweet and sour. Other flavors of pie crust, apricots, and figs. Somehow the wine pulls off being big and delicate at the same time. Crisp acidic finish that turned soft and lingering with a lemon glow. After two hours of drinking over a lingering dinner the wine was still just as enjoyable as when it was opened.
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Nutmeg, toasted oak on the nose, traces of lemon peel. This is pretty tight at the moment, at least at first. A focus is apparent, and there is a tight band of lemon custard running through, very good length, and structure. It finishes strong, and tartly, with the fruit themes lingering on the palate. Zesty aftershocks. There is oak, yes, but it absobs the abundant acidity. I've never had American chardonnay this good. This is not my area of expertise, but this tastes to me like a wine that could benefit from further bottle age. This is primary and dense.
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Golden clear color with a bit of viscosity(legs). Aromas of lemons and peaches with hints of licorice and marmalade. This is the first bottle of my collection and I am very pleased with it's direction. One can taste hints of what age will bring out. A couple of years will make a big difference in this wine!
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A bit offputting at first. Strong flavors that don't integrate well. One pundit's description of "marmalade" seems accurate - both sweet and bitter, nice to put on your crumpet, but a bit off kilter in a wine. However, it settled down a bit after some air, and grew on me as the meal (crabcakes) went on. Very concentrated, and the sweetness (and bitterness) complemented the richness of the crabcakes nicely. By the end I had gained respect for the wine, and was left with the impression of a wine with a very distinct personality. Not my favorite Chard at this price point (I'll take a Kistler or a DuMOL), but not a waste of time or money either.
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Big rich style of Chard. Lots of butterscotch and aromas of cinammon toast crunch. Decent acid which really helps the texture which borders on over-rich.
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In the glass a reticent nose that with coaxing yields faint oak,mango?and popcorn? - In the mouth a very elegant and seamless wine with good concentration that hints of better things in the future but like a coy woman isn't going to divulge much now - My rating now is optimistic as I hope that coy woman turns out to be a real hussy.
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initially didn't show much at all but some oak and a tinsy bit of citrus....but after a few hours it developed a honeyed popcorn and ctirus hard-candy type of flavor which we really enjoyed.
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Birthday dinner (My place): Clear yellow color. Potent yellow plum and more exotic fruits on the nose, which is otherwise dominated by layers upon layers of butter and notes from the oak. Striking acidity, hurtfully young and at the moment sticking out, but drawing mouth water and framing the fat fruit. The fruit is fat yellow plums and pineapple. A super potent and intense taste of fat butter, popcorn, French toast, freshly grinded cocoa beans, and powerful oak and vanilla. Hangs long on the palate with a big potential for future development.
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My first Kongsgaard and the wine did not disappoint, but as my wife said, not a Peter Michael level quality. Nice flinty finish with little oak and butter, very refreshing, light amount of green apples and hints of some tropical fruit.
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Light yellow with a slight brownish shade. Deliciously sharp nose of lemon, gunpowder, caramel and apricot. In the mouth it is very focused with good balance between fruit and acidity. Initially I would have rated it a lot higher (94-95), but with time and air it seemed to get less sharp and powerfull and more bland.
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A contemplative wine with lots going on. Needs a few years to settle down, but still showing its apricot, red apple, and subtle oak all backed by nice acidity and a round mouthfeel.
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Initially somewhat reticent on the nose showing buttered popcorn and dill. Honey, melon and fig emerging. Great focus and acidity and length on the palate. Touch of fennel. Massive finish. Crushed stone, vanilla, cantaloupe and lemon on the nose. Concentrated and rich but still nuanced and balanced. Pineapple and honey. Oily lemon and a touch of egg custard.
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1/30/2022 - peternelson Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Quite oxidized, darker brass-amber color; on the palate was actually quite nice with good acidity with a tangy finish. Take away: CA Chards are not aging well after more than 10 years. The sweet spot seems to be 6 to 7 yrs. Blind at the Dirty Dozen CA Chards Grand Harbor Seafood.
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1/2/2021 - Gcole42 wrote: flawed
Oxidized, Madeirized although there was still some fruit left. Likely a class effect and not just a bad bottle.
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9/30/2019 - Peech Likes this wine: 92 Points
nice and ripe on the palate without being over-ripe. Sweet nose that was almost like sugar cane. Not bad at all.
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8/12/2019 - Peech Likes this wine: 94 Points
opened and decanted 1 hour and 45 minutes before serving. Lots of big toasty oak, flinty, and nice acidity on the palate. In very good condition and very lively.
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8/8/2019 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
As good a bottle Kingsgaard Chardonnay as I can remember. Golden color with a telltale nose of buttered popcorn and scuppernong fruit. Mature, round and deep, the palate folllows the flavors on the nose. There is a wonderful skeleton that holds everything together beautifully. This is terrific. (94)
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4/21/2019 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
In good shape! rich, fruit mellowed out somewhat, but aging well. Slightly rich, slightly oily, but age has attenuated it somewhat, in a good way. Faded Peach, fish oil, pineapple core, unctuous, lovely, but I think I prefer the boldness and freshness of a newer bottle. Bri's compared with '06 Pillot Chassagne -St. Jean
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4/29/2018 - Mich7 Likes this wine:
Still has a fresh lively side with smooth creme brule
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4/20/2018 - Zweder wrote:
A nice evening with good friends (@ PZ): Caramel, citrus and ok acidity, but overall not a perfect bottle. No score.
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4/20/2018 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Suboptimal bottle, showing early signs of oxidation...
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4/7/2018 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
oxidized
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3/31/2018 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
oxidized
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3/31/2018 - Naplesgolfer wrote:
oxidized
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3/30/2018 - Naplesgolfer Does not like this wine: flawed
Flawed
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9/24/2017 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep golden colour. Tropical fruits, woodsmoke, gunpowder and early hints of oxidation. Not too much yet; rich, balanced, lovely wine!
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5/11/2017 - otessler Does not like this wine:
Bottle bad.
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4/30/2017 - Mike V wrote:
This was never their best effort. And I understand those with the opinion that these wines were not built to age but this wine is 10 years old and this is premox and flawed.
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12/21/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: flawed
Oxidized...
last bottle from this batch. 06 vintage was not the best work from Kongsgaard. I am a big fan of their wines but the 2006 were all off their game
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11/24/2016 - vanpe003 wrote:
Well past its prime. Drinkable, but more oxidization than I like.
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9/16/2016 - Herb K wrote:
Lovely wine. I still think THE JUDGE is worth every penny more!
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12/19/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 88 Points
At home, pre-dinner. Previous bottles of the vintage from Kongsgaard have been disappointing, opened nonetheless.
Color has evolved to a deep gold/honey. None of the funk/petrol I got from prior bottles. Nose was tropical fruits, pineapple, baking spice. Palate repeats with some orchard fruit and peach. Medium finish.
Much better (at least from notes and memory) than prior bottles. Would drink up now, this bottle was decent, but past its prime
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7/11/2015 - Meneley wrote:
Moved to Drink now section. Slightly oxidative with a bitter lemon finish. LO
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7/3/2015 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 89 Points
Past its prime. Drink now
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2/21/2015 - MikeATL wrote: 86 Points
Death by Lobster (Four Seasons Hotel, Atlanta): Strangely dilute, and while it opens some with air, it never fully fills in.
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2/21/2015 - RKatzDO wrote:
The last bottle was dead, but this was perfect! Wood well integrated, fresh and lively. Hope the rest hold up!
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2/21/2015 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
another bad 2006 Kongsgaard
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1/15/2015 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle
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1/4/2015 - pickguru55 wrote: flawed
Unfortnately, a number of the Kongsgaard Chardonnays (both the Judge and estate) from 2006 and 2007 have been oxidized. We had a 2006 Chardonnay this evening that was completely flat and tasted oxidized. This is particularly frustrating in view of the fact that a couple of the others from the same vintagesn have been outstanding wines. Has anyone else had a similar experienece?
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12/28/2014 - HDW55 wrote: 88 Points
Big Fat Chard on it's way out. A bit of oxidation in the nose but after some breathing is seemed to dissipate. Honey color to go along with the honey and ripe pear, pineapple on the palate. All of it ripe / overripe fruit. Still a good wine but clearly no longer a youngster. Drink soon. There isn't much of the former glory left.
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12/22/2014 - RKatzDO Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Rich, but oxidized. No residual acid to hold it together.
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12/12/2014 - Rezy13 wrote: 89 Points
Galoots Lunch (Double Zero Napoletano- Sandy Springs): Very golden color; lots of ripe apple and pear with copious amounts of honey, aged, poached pear, butter, pineapple, spice, palate was broad with less focus than needed to keep it balanced, seemingly really ripe vintage, very interesting to taste but I probably would have liked it more a couple years earlier; drink now.
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9/19/2014 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 85 Points
Deep golden color, syrupy. Slight pears, fruits. Should have been consumed by 2012.
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3/27/2014 - sayward wrote: 92 Points
Drank blind and I thought it might have been Roussane. It is still very thick and did not show well until we had some food to go along with it. It is a very big chardonnay. Was enjoyed by the group. Not sure that I would want to take down an entire bottle of this by myself.
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2/16/2014 - dougie wrote:
Very simple at beginning. A bit awkward after two hours. Waited too long for this one.
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9/16/2013 - Cody Short wrote: flawed
My second bottle of 06' that has been oxidized. Not sure what happened to Kongsgaard in 06' with their Chardonnay but even the bottles that have not been oxidized have been showing very poorly.
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9/7/2013 - RobertB321 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice wine that goes well with cheese or by itself. Near end of life, but still good.
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6/1/2013 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank with Zuckmans at Eastchester Fish. Deep golden color. Very aromatic nose of tropical fruit, some wood and pears. Viscous, big bodies chard, as usual. Gobs of tart pineapple, very good acidity mixed with pleasant minerality--if you look hard enough through all the dense fruit. Went great with my salmon and soft shell crab dishes. Much better than the 2007, which I've had a few of lately
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4/22/2013 - Topper wrote:
I'm afraid this is now thoroughly over the hill. All's that left is oak and no more fruit. Was good while it lasted. rip
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3/18/2013 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Excellent - well balanced, bright yet full flavored.
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3/14/2013 - mfrome wrote: 88 Points
Tired. You really don't want a wine this pricey to go downhill so quickly. Enjoyable if you like older whites.
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2/16/2013 - jdbcolumbus wrote: 90 Points
After disappointing last bottle, we drank this cold pop and pour. It faired much better. Pretty gold color. Pineapple with allspice/asian spice notes on the nose. Full-bodied, viscous with concentrated tropical fruit, crispness and oak on the palate. Not a good QPR.
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1/31/2013 - vinojones wrote: 89 Points
opened 30 min, not decanted. Color honey gold; initial nose ripe pineapple, subtle cardamom and allspice; tasted of ripe pineapple, with undertones of peach and mild spice, nice full mouth feel; good balance although on the ripe unctuous side, enough acid to keep it from being cloying; after 1 hr at dinner the fruit is fading, more oxidized flavors and wood showing through. At 90 minutes reminds me of too many pre-oxed burgs for my liking.
Best drunk ASAP as a pop and pour
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1/1/2013 - sayward wrote: 92 Points
This wine wasn't as bad as some people say here. This was my last bottle. Same as the previous bottle, this wine really didn't seem to start working until it had been open for a while and got closer to room temp.
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12/25/2012 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 82 Points
Very disappointed. This looked and tasted like a 30 year old California chardonnay. I enjoy older chardonnays, but this has already declined to the point where it is getting close to being undrinkable.
I have had $10 Chard's that have lasted 10+ years, many improving. But at this price point, to fade so quickly is reason never to purchase from this winemaker again. Anyone interested in a 2006 Judge which I purchased at $175?
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12/13/2012 - nicu2001 wrote: 84 Points
This has taken a downhill turn. Very dark gold color, petrol nose. Flavors were similar. Acidity has seemed to fade and the wine was more full bodied than a few years ago but the flavor was off. Bottle was not corked. Very worried about the remaining bottles of this one.
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12/2/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 85 Points
Slightly better than the last bottle. still not what you expect from Kongsgaard, may have been better in its youth. picked up more of the oily character on this bottle that others noted
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12/2/2012 - sumshark wrote: 90 Points
Some bottle variation must exist with the 2006 vintage, these two bottles were a vast improvement over previous bottles from the same vintage.
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11/25/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 82 Points
I wont be as harsh as some of the other tasters, but definitely below the Kongsgaard standards. I have had other vintages of the Chards and the Judge is one of the finest whites you will ever drink from Calif.
Out of the bottle the nose is very tight, has a Riesling like petrol nose that blows off after a bit, not something I have experienced with Calif Chards. Color was medium to deep gold. I did get some fruit after about 20 minutes; caramel, citrus, mango. No real upside with this wine, below average for this producer
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11/19/2012 - sumshark wrote: 87 Points
Not much going on with this tonight, 2006 not a stellar year for Kongsgaard.
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10/19/2012 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful wines with good wine friends (@ PZ): Dark yellow. In the bouquet very ripe fruits, almost botrytis-like with honey, yellow fruits and a firm dose of oak. There is a lot of good acidity and minerality. The acidity keeps the wine in a good balance with all the other flavors. Complex wine.
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10/19/2012 - Strikermax wrote: 90 Points
Strogeel. In de neus een eikenbos, boter en rijp fruit. Romig in de mond, veel tropisch fruit, caramel, een hoog "snoepjes-gehalte". Mooie onderliggende zuren, maar voor mij is deze wijn van alles té.
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10/19/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Oily mouthfeel, bordering on fat. Big and oaky, huge concentration, but kinda shallow, lacking personality. Somehow this has an artificial, ester-like feel to it, although I really dug the tasty banana and pine-apple flavors. There's also beeswax, butterscotch, mango/peach-chutney and tropical flowers. The wine is kept on track by its acidity, which is refreshing and strong enough to carry the massive structure and baroque personality. Technically this is a great wine. But it didn't ring my bell. Too much. 17.5/20
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10/1/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 88 Points
I think past its prime.
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9/2/2012 - cephomer wrote: 93 Points
This wine never fails to impress. Loads of tropical fruit on the intense nose. As always, a deep golden color and very thick, heavy bodied wine. I detected lots of honey, pineapple and fig, but still lots of acidity to counterbalance the weight of this wine. Very nicely balanced, as always, and even a bit more tart or citrus than I recall from past drinkings of K. A consistent winner and I'm so glad to be on their list. For $75 for the 2010 version, I consider it well worth it given the prices of Burgs and some California chards today.
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5/18/2012 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Very intense bouquet with almost botrytis and caramel impressions, but not sweet. On the palate a basket full of concentrated tropical fruits, tart citrus and a firm dose of good oak. Also good minerals, especially in the finish. Something special.
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3/31/2012 - KristianT wrote: 93 Points
Very dense crisp fruit and lots of well integrated oak. Great Chardonnay!
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3/9/2012 - scamhi wrote:
the only thing left in this bottle was oak...nada mas
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3/8/2012 - CWilliam wrote: 91 Points
Atlanta Wine School Reserve Tasting (Atlanta Wine School): Slightly oxidized. Caramel / petrol / lemon rind on nose. Full body with nice acids / buttery (not over the top) and some minerality on palate with similar fruit profile. Medium length finish. 91+
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3/6/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 80 Points
I hope it was the bottle and not the wine, because this bottle was starting to fall apart. It was oxidized and close to undrinkable. Interesting to see all the poor reviews on this wine. Something is possibly wrong with the 2006 Kongsgaard Chardonnay. Approach with caution.
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3/4/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 89 Points
Over the hill
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2/23/2012 - cpeddy wrote:
Disappointing Chard. Bad year?
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1/21/2012 - winelovr2001 wrote: 90 Points
Ripe in style (which I typically don't like), but still very well done and great texture.
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10/26/2011 - rpenn77 wrote: 84 Points
This one seemed a little stale. If you have this one drink up
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9/28/2011 - jeff nowak wrote:
ha! per kstoddard, undrinkable. he obviously doesn't appreciate the fine vinification skills or grasp the ethos of the winemaker, who once famously posted on ebob that if you don't like his wines (duh!) then don't drink something you are incapable of understanding. i forget the exact details, but it was a classic public flame out by big bad jon, who really came off looking like an ass. double blind. i guessed an older chablis that was past prime. it just tasted...weird. we kept it around to see if some air could give it life, but we never found a pulse. it takes me longer to say the same thing kevin does. undrinkable.
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9/28/2011 - kstoddard Does not like this wine:
Undrinkable
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9/11/2011 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Reminded me of Aubert. Good stuff!!
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9/9/2011 - cookie7 wrote: flawed
Cooked bananas, caramel and butterscotch on the nose. Almost a bit sour, some oak and citrus on the palate. This is entering the down slope. Drink up.
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9/8/2011 - Porchino wrote: 89 Points
Had at k pauls in no it just couldn't break thru with much of a taste maybe 6 years killed the taste but not enough left here for a super primium chard.
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8/17/2011 - Topper wrote: 91 Points
Big, oaky, long and pleasant. Just slightly over the top but still pleasurable.
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8/14/2011 - rpenn77 wrote: 92 Points
Medium golden, slight caramel notes with a touch of peaches in this delightful chardonnay
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8/6/2011 - jdbcolumbus wrote: 89 Points
Great nose. Fruit overpowered by oak on the palate.
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8/5/2011 - Dale B. wrote: flawed
Definately flawed.
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7/22/2011 - imbibe wrote:
two different wines from night one to night two. Very austere on day one to exotic and unctuous on day two. pale on day one, golden on day two
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7/20/2011 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 90 Points
i] Color: [/ i] Medium golden Aroma / bouquet: [/ i] mature and expressive. Aromas of peach, apricot, wax, smoke, overripe banana and popcorn. Taste / Finish: [/ i] fresh start, sufficient acid, concentrated juice and thick, bitter. Long finish. General / potential: [/ i] Wonderful Chardonnay. Can not be compared with Chardonnay from Côte d'Or. Wine class. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / Potential: 8 = 90/100
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7/16/2011 - WineDoctors wrote: 90 Points
an oak bomb
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7/10/2011 - mcneil7 wrote: 92 Points
Medium yellow in color with a good nose of citrus fruit. Lemon notes combined with pear and melon. Good balance with some oak and acid. Just a slight hint of mineral also.
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7/5/2011 - MWes wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding bottle of wine. It needed 20 minutes or so of air to really hit it's stride. This is very Burgundian with minerality, acid, a hint of oak, pear as well as lemon. This is not for those who like the buttery, oaky Chardonnays. This is the best bottle of CA Chardonnay I have had to date.
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6/20/2011 - sayward wrote: 93 Points
Lemon tart on the nose. A lot of viscosity in the mouth and round tasting in my mind. No Fabio butter in this wine. But also not very acidic like some non butter tasting chards. A great wine.
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5/2/2011 - plitton wrote:
Over aged. Darker in the glass tasting stale.
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5/1/2011 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Big pineapple nose and palatte; Clean; Plenty of life remaining
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3/28/2011 - jaxpaj wrote: 94 Points
What a nice experience. Had at dinner along with some wonderful Cabernets and found myself more interested in this than the cabernet (very rare for me). It amazes me what a jump there is from Cakebread to this wine. Flavors of caramel, oak, touch of butter, and citrus, swirled into a wonderful wine.
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3/14/2011 - NY Wino wrote: 95 Points
Excellent fruit and citrus flavors on the nose, this is a full bodied wine that was beautifully balanced with a long finish
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2/23/2011 - Dale B. wrote: 94 Points
This is so much better than previous bottles. Nose of green fuits, citrus, lemon and just a small amout of toasty oak.. Great mouth feel, big but not overbearing. The oak is much better intigrated then I remember. Will be interesting to follow my remaining bottles over the next few years. EDIT: This wine began to fall apart on day 2 and was worse on day 3, (recorked and put in the frig.). I would now say, "drink 'em if you got 'em."
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1/26/2011 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
Quite closed nose but the taste is big and wonderful with burned candy, fudge and very concentrated fruit. It is very much like a Grand Cru from Bourgogne but without the minerality that you can find in the great Bourgogne wines. Even though, this is a top class act and is together with the best Peter Michaels probably as good as a Californian Chard can be.
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12/9/2010 - elliotgl wrote: 94 Points
My prior tasting note was overly cautious as several bottles since then have all been 92-94 point wines with the last being the best. There is no doubt that this case has had quite a bit of bottle variation - This last bottle had the best acidic balance right on through a long and persistant finish.I hope the next case is better.
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11/6/2010 - cookie7 wrote:
Carmel on the nose. Big and buttery - could use a bit more acidity. Better than the last time.
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10/23/2010 - mmcdds wrote: 93 Points
Rich pear, candied apple, buttered popcorn with hints of lemon zest and orange along with a minerally core. Big rich California chardonnay.
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9/19/2010 - plitton wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was rich, viscous and heavy. Perhaps bottle variation but seems to be declining.
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9/17/2010 - oncocyte wrote: 91 Points
I am disappointed. Faint sherry notes, I think I would drink it all now. Lots of tartaric acid, too much for balance with the fruit. Not an elegant harmonic product I would expect from K.
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8/13/2010 - 2loyal wrote: 91 Points
Golden in color already, but certainly not over the hill. Rich style with abundant oak that was better on its own (or maybe with comparably rich/buttery food). Enjoyed by all.
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8/3/2010 - W.Simons wrote:
Again somewhat closed on the nose to begin with until the oak makes itself know. Possibly just an awkward showing, but this bottle was lacking entirely the complexity of the previous. Oak totally dominating the aromatics, with citrus and perhaps a honeyed kind of mineral tone to the palate. Nowhere near the layered quality of the first experience -- really kind of a one-note showing. Perhaps closed down, perhaps shedding its baby-fat and coming out the worse for it. Flat and unimpressive -- quite a disappointment given the tariff.
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8/2/2010 - AlexRed wrote: 94 Points
dark, rich, caramel, very good. same honeyed popcorn as before by more mature/ a little more subtle. consumed over half a day. drank half and put a cork back in and finished a few hours later.
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7/25/2010 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Beautifully rich, citrus fruit with vanilln and oak flavors, long finish, obviously well-aged
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7/9/2010 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
A mouth full. Tropical fruits, a firm amount of good citrus and well integrated oak. A great wine, which could use at least another 2 - 4 years of cellaring.
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7/6/2010 - elliotgl wrote: 89 Points
Still very enjoyable but it is fading fast - Don't cork a partially full bottle as what is left won't survive.A basic problem with most chardonnays in this style --- cest la vie !!!!
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7/4/2010 - plitton wrote: 88 Points
Upon opening it was pretty bright so I let it sit opened for about 2 hours on ice hoping that a little air time would meld some of the oak, spice and fruit. That was apparently too long. It had surprisingly lost a lot of character and was flat and boring. Pop and pour next time.
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7/3/2010 - Richard M wrote: 90 Points
Rich core of lemon sugar, oak stil prominent, full body make for a delicious drink, but with a little air time some madierized notes began to emerge - made it taste like a wine 10 years older. Very good and rewarding, but will drink up the rest of my '06s soon.
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6/22/2010 - mmcdds wrote:
10-2-09 My first bottle of the 06. Caramel apple, buttered popcorn and some mineral undertones on the nose and palate with perhaps some hints of orange blossom. While this is still a full bodied chard, the 06 vintage doesn't seem to have the depth that the 05's had and seems to be abit lighter bodied, but is a big, rich california Chard none the less. An excellent bottle of wine.
10-16-09 Again, not as big as the 05's and on opening I thought it was lacking abit of depth and richness, but when I tasted it again on day 2, it seemed to have picked up quite abit of depth and complexity while still maintaining a slightly acidic, mineraly core, which kept it from demonstrating that overly buttery characteristic that so many big CA chards seem to have.
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5/28/2010 - RMundell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine. One of the best chardonnay's in my opinion.
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5/26/2010 - H.W. Crabb wrote: 94 Points
A rich chardonnay with honey, pineapple, and vanilla on the nose. Rich and mineral-like in the mouth. A complex wine that keeps you thinking.
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5/18/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 89 Points
2006 Kongsgaard Chardonnay () Kleur: Vol strogeel Aroma / bouquet: Halfgesloten, rijpe tonen, botertje, vooral boterbabbelaars, vleug tropisch fruit, appeltjes, Smaak / Afdronk: Vol, prachtige frisheid, vol en filmend, mooie balans, enorme lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Weelderige nieuwe-wereld Chardonnay. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 89/100
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5/12/2010 - eschuldt wrote: 92 Points
Best chardonnay I've had, deep yellow color and a wonderful complexity.
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4/12/2010 - mellison wrote: 94 Points
Smooth with a slight glycerin feel in the mouth. Very well integrated flavors of citrus and honey. Beautiful pale straw color with enticing nose. Great expression of CA chardonnay.
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4/11/2010 - jdlee1232 wrote: 90 Points
Very nice nose -- almost Burgundian. Not a show stopper but a nice bottle. Might be a little young yet.
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4/6/2010 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 92 Points
I noticed right off the bat that this wine has weighted up a bit since the last time I had a bottle. It had a nice golden yellow color. The bouquet has intensified a bit, but the pineapple scent has tamed down. I would recommend serving at cellar temperature (55) and taste the range as it rises. EG
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1/14/2010 - PJVineyards wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely spectacular. Golden apple delicious with layers of depth and richness. It just got better and better the longer it was out of the bottle. Served with a chicken, garlic and olive dish which brought the best out of the wine. It's a sumptuous chardonnay that sparkles with endless flavor
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12/28/2009 - canan wrote:
Impressive nose with melon, coconut, gummibears and a lot of vanilla. All of these carries into the palate which has a very potent acidity but also a bit too much alcohol coming through. Perhaps lacks a little bit of body and for me not as good as the 2005.
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12/28/2009 - Terkel wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with friends (My place): Medium dark yellow. Concentrated and intense nose with multiple layers of ripe pineapple, other exotic fruits, wine gums and oaky vanilla. On the palate it is a bit more refined with yellow plums and mirabelles, but also packing the pineapples and exotic fruits from the nose. The oaky sweet vanilla shows up on the finish as well. The great part is a striking acidity that balances this wine very well, making it intense, yet inviting. Seems to be lacking a bit of nuances and maybe length at the moment, which might improve with additional cellaring.
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12/25/2009 - Richard M wrote: 93 Points
Stronger showing than a bottle from the same case about 6 months ago. Nose pure and strong, like lemon-scented creme patisserie. Fruit and wood balance well, with a crystaline character to the wine overall that makes this just delicious right now. Had been worried about the '06s based on 2 previous tastings, but this is in a good spot now
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11/28/2009 - blondon wrote:
Popped and poured, enjoyed over two hours. Very interesting nose, nothing discernable yet very inviting. Honeysuckle, brown butter, pineapple, citric acid. Nice bottle of wine.
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11/16/2009 - ebrown35 wrote: 90 Points
This is certainly made in a big, rich style with nice balancing acidity and a small note of minerality on the finish...but lacking any real complexity or nuance.
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11/15/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Notes of charred oak, vanilla and honey suckle on the nose. IN the mouth, well balanced and buttered popcorn on the finish. This has improved since my last bottle. Not an over done cali chard, but definitely in a bigger style - while still maintaining balance.
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10/31/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Robustly nutty with strong hints of stone. Almost overripe chardonnay fruit. No, not really, just nutty and stone. Unique. That seems a safe better. Rather smoking acidity (and I mean that in a good way -- I like acid) but almost as if it has been acidified to this point. Maybe I am searching for faults. If this wasn't aciditified it has a rather amazing balance considering the fruit profile. Definately one to explore.
Drank alongside a Jermann Were Dreams which I found to be more lith, wild and mineral.
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10/30/2009 - rdsboca wrote: 95 Points
DRank a 375 at Cafe Boloud in NYC. Temperature was just right at about 50. Great crisp acidity. Light straw color. Peaches and citrus fruit interwoven into a nice long finish.
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9/29/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 91 Points
EG
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9/16/2009 - plitton wrote: 92 Points
For the oak and butter crowd. Nice minerality and easy to drink.
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9/11/2009 - rsepulve wrote:
A disappointing showing: a good complex flavor profile and a nice mineral expression but a weird tinny metallic element on the finish. Not sure what that was.
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8/29/2009 - Thralow wrote: 96 Points
Coming into its own now. Fantastic.
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8/28/2009 - cct wrote: 93 Points
Light on color and while reasonable full bodied, a lighter mouthfeel than I am used to with Kongsgaard Chardonnay. Seashells, great citrus/acid balance of fruit , and a great very lithe for its size textural appeal. Some white flowers, tropical fruits and a touch of coconut. Really beautiful stuff. 93 pts
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8/10/2009 - xpensivewino wrote: 98 Points
just outrageous...shared with jenn and jean on a lazy sunday on my moms porch...rich but not overbearing, tropical notes with great underlying acidity...just epic
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7/13/2009 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Delicious, elegant, and restrained citrus fruit with slight oak, fig, and vanillin flavors, expected a fuller and more forward wine, finish a little short
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7/4/2009 - gorm wrote: 94 Points
Consistent note. Bottle was gone in no time. Too bad it was my last.
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6/20/2009 - Mike V wrote: 91 Points
By Kongsgaard standards just good. Still with a beautiful golden color. Nice but reticent nose. and medium tropical fruit. Less intense than 04 or 05.
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5/23/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes, though this bottle had a more mineral expression especially on the finish than previous bottles.
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5/17/2009 - gorm wrote: 94 Points
Even better. Doesn't seem to get tired this time.
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5/1/2009 - gripNsip wrote: 91 Points
Smells like you salted a slice of cantaloupe and squeezed half of a lemon all over it. Strong acid throughout on the palate, like a cool summer's breeze blowing through your mouth. Lemons and melons early on with the buttered oak making a short-lived appearance on the mid-palate transition. Strong acid takes over the finish, while initially grating it turns light and is extremely pleasant. 25-30 second long finish of citrus-like acids. While delicious this is off-balance right now with it's acid and the mid-palate ends quickly. Will re-visit tomorrow and edit my notes.
Day 2: At room temp, coming off boozy today. More tart and less concentrated then yesterday, still has that nice finish that keeps you coming back for another sip. Did not improve on the second day, would say it actually got a step worse. Still good stuff though. Will not be buying another bottle.
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4/28/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 90 Points
My second bottle. Slightly deeper golden color than the 2005. Aromas of straw and caramel. Flavors of lemon and caramel with a finish of alcahol. Seems a bit odd for such a young bottle to taste as "aged" in the mouth. I will decant and re-taste in a while. Stay tuned.
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4/25/2009 - dwmcubed wrote:
Leftovers (Kongsgaard, Marcassin, Araujo, Bond, Merus, QC): Notes of lemon, fig, tropical fruits and oak. Flavors of figs, lemon zest and slate slathered in oak. Zippy acidity keeps this wine interesting - midpalate has some flashes of tropical fruits and flint - bright finish driven by the acidity with ripe fruit, oak and some buttery hints.
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4/2/2009 - Russ wrote: 92 Points
Light golden in color. Citrus nose. The first taste showed a light lemon, stone, and peach flavor. Mild finish.
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3/21/2009 - matthen wrote: 93 Points
Always a big, unctous Chard. Aromas of spice, pear and fig. Flavors of lemon peel, pear, citrus, and mineral. This is sleek and elegant, but is missing the marshmellow and creamy texture that I loved with the 2003.
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3/19/2009 - NPWolfe wrote: 90 Points
Every year when I fill out my NCAA bracket I call a friend of mine who is a Wall Street Quant by profession and as a hobby a basketball sabermatrician. The conversation generally goes on a lot longer than I want with discussions of regression analysis, Sagarin, kenpom, bell curve fat tails, match ups, etc. Since he always wins which ever basketball pool he enters, I endure the discussions with grace while slowly getting his picks. One of the statistics that he follows is what he calls the Big Boy Comparison. It is a lot like the Sagarin version of how a team plays against the top 50. His premise is that a true judgment of a team can only be made against quality competition. That strikes me as true for wine also and is the best arguement I can think of for drinking quality wines. Until you have drunk a great expression of grape and place it is very hard to establish the quality and artistic continuum to judge other wines. At least that is the excuse I am making to myself to justify the better wines I have been drinking since joining CellarTracker.
This is one of the few times where I have had a white wine that I thought I drank way too soon. This wine seems to have all the stuff and the right balance to get better with time. Lemon aromas and the clotted cream nose that I always associate with fine Burgundies. After about an hour the nose shifted to a very strong cinnamon toast with butter smell that had me inhaling deeply. Lemon marmalade and spice flavors both sweet and sour. Other flavors of pie crust, apricots, and figs. Somehow the wine pulls off being big and delicate at the same time. Crisp acidic finish that turned soft and lingering with a lemon glow. After two hours of drinking over a lingering dinner the wine was still just as enjoyable as when it was opened.
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3/18/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 93 Points
Consistent notes. Needs 30 minutes or so of air.
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3/17/2009 - cookie7 wrote:
Really opened up after 45 minutes in the glass.
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3/11/2009 - FieldingYost wrote: 93 Points
Nutmeg, toasted oak on the nose, traces of lemon peel. This is pretty tight at the moment, at least at first. A focus is apparent, and there is a tight band of lemon custard running through, very good length, and structure. It finishes strong, and tartly, with the fruit themes lingering on the palate. Zesty aftershocks. There is oak, yes, but it absobs the abundant acidity. I've never had American chardonnay this good. This is not my area of expertise, but this tastes to me like a wine that could benefit from further bottle age. This is primary and dense.
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2/22/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 93 Points
Consistent notes.
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2/10/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 91 Points
Golden clear color with a bit of viscosity(legs). Aromas of lemons and peaches with hints of licorice and marmalade. This is the first bottle of my collection and I am very pleased with it's direction. One can taste hints of what age will bring out. A couple of years will make a big difference in this wine!
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2/4/2009 - mtennenbaum wrote: 93 Points
Continues to really impress me with its concentration, pinpoint balance and layared flavors. A real joy to drink.
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1/14/2009 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
A bit offputting at first. Strong flavors that don't integrate well. One pundit's description of "marmalade" seems accurate - both sweet and bitter, nice to put on your crumpet, but a bit off kilter in a wine. However, it settled down a bit after some air, and grew on me as the meal (crabcakes) went on. Very concentrated, and the sweetness (and bitterness) complemented the richness of the crabcakes nicely. By the end I had gained respect for the wine, and was left with the impression of a wine with a very distinct personality. Not my favorite Chard at this price point (I'll take a Kistler or a DuMOL), but not a waste of time or money either.
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1/12/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Large scaled chardonnay thats ready to drink now. Notes of toasty peach, vanilla and tropical fruits. Notes from memory, did not take detailed notes.
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1/10/2009 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 93 Points
Big rich style of Chard. Lots of butterscotch and aromas of cinammon toast crunch. Decent acid which really helps the texture which borders on over-rich.
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1/1/2009 - elliotgl wrote: 92 Points
In the glass a reticent nose that with coaxing yields faint oak,mango?and popcorn? - In the mouth a very elegant and seamless wine with good concentration that hints of better things in the future but like a coy woman isn't going to divulge much now - My rating now is optimistic as I hope that coy woman turns out to be a real hussy.
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12/31/2008 - sawira wrote: 94 Points
Young. Blossomed at 2 hour mark. Very well made, bright, medium complex chard. Best 2010 to 2012
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12/24/2008 - AlexRed wrote: 94 Points
initially didn't show much at all but some oak and a tinsy bit of citrus....but after a few hours it developed a honeyed popcorn and ctirus hard-candy type of flavor which we really enjoyed.
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12/15/2008 - rsepulve wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. The usual mineral laden tropical and citrus fruits, stone, and vanilla. Excellent balance with crisp acidity. An excellent chardonnay.
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12/12/2008 - Terkel wrote: 92 Points
Birthday dinner (My place): Clear yellow color. Potent yellow plum and more exotic fruits on the nose, which is otherwise dominated by layers upon layers of butter and notes from the oak. Striking acidity, hurtfully young and at the moment sticking out, but drawing mouth water and framing the fat fruit. The fruit is fat yellow plums and pineapple. A super potent and intense taste of fat butter, popcorn, French toast, freshly grinded cocoa beans, and powerful oak and vanilla. Hangs long on the palate with a big potential for future development.
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12/8/2008 - Bunski wrote: 92 Points
My first Kongsgaard and the wine did not disappoint, but as my wife said, not a Peter Michael level quality. Nice flinty finish with little oak and butter, very refreshing, light amount of green apples and hints of some tropical fruit.
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11/29/2008 - gorm wrote: 92 Points
Light yellow with a slight brownish shade. Deliciously sharp nose of lemon, gunpowder, caramel and apricot. In the mouth it is very focused with good balance between fruit and acidity. Initially I would have rated it a lot higher (94-95), but with time and air it seemed to get less sharp and powerfull and more bland.
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11/16/2008 - winelovr2001 wrote: 95 Points
A contemplative wine with lots going on. Needs a few years to settle down, but still showing its apricot, red apple, and subtle oak all backed by nice acidity and a round mouthfeel.
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11/9/2008 - W.Simons wrote:
Initially somewhat reticent on the nose showing buttered popcorn and dill. Honey, melon and fig emerging. Great focus and acidity and length on the palate. Touch of fennel. Massive finish. Crushed stone, vanilla, cantaloupe and lemon on the nose. Concentrated and rich but still nuanced and balanced. Pineapple and honey. Oily lemon and a touch of egg custard.
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10/10/2008 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
Had this side by side with "The Judge" liked this one better. Must be an anomaly.
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