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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Belated 50th Birthday Dinner w/Wendy and Joe (Princeton, NJ): First wine of the evening with cheeses and pesto. Chilled and decanted for about an hour prior to drinking, makes a big difference with this wine. Last bottle from a batch bought from the winery
Deep gold color in the glass. Nose ws tropical fruits, nuts/almonds, petrol, honey. Palate was tropical fruits, peach, pineapple, orange zest, butterscotch, integrated oak, stone/mineral.
Given mixed experiences with the regular 06 Chardonnay from Kongsgaard, this held up well. Would drink this soon, will not improve and may be moving to a tertiary phase. A well made California Chardonnay that has aged gracefully. This bottle not worth the premium price
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Exclusive dinner with eight friends and 22 special wines.: The color of the wine is still young with still an almost green hue. In the bouquet beautiful and ripe yellow tropical fruits, honey and a good dose of beautiful oak. On the palate ripe yellow and white tropical fruits, butterscotch and minerals. Beautiful and well integrated oak. Good and fresh acidity. Full bodied and also elegant. Enormous length. Great wine. Still enough future left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Small Athens wine event (Spondi , Athens): Tasted blind. Was decanted and served. This felt more of a Rhone white, light oxidative, waxy, ripe citrus, than a Chardonnay . The oak was present and on the forefront but not obstructive. Class y well made wine, good weight but really would have never guessed its Chardonnay . 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monster Chardonnay. Will never be confused with Chablis, that's for sure. Extracted, toasty, viscous. Not usually my style of Chardonnay, but we enjoyed it regardless to celebrate the end of a week's worth of jury duty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golden color in the glass. Really takes 1 hour plus to open in the glass. Toasted nuts, almonds, and marizpan on the nose. The palate still shows great freshness. Lemons and orange peel. Great depth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golden color, bouquet of almonds and lemon peel. The wine is smooth and easy drinking but definitely starting to fade. Time to drink up all these '06s!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not as much of a disaster as the regular 2006 Chardonnay, but nothing great either. Medicinal nose, acidic, and slight petrol. Short finish. Avoid 2006 Kongsgaard Chards. Very disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was adored buy some and detested by others; I liked it; yes, there`s some oakiness, but not overwhelming; it had lots of acidity, and gave up a bounty of stone and tropical fruit along with some minerals delivered in a creamy lush texture and long palate coating finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some floral notes along with wet concrete on the nose. Prominent oak on initial taste giving way to some vanilla and grapefruit. Very balanced with perfect amount of acidity. Stellar undertaking from the best Chard maker in Napa
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
After this bottle, I'm wondering if I made a mistake by falling off the list. Noticeably better than the bottle we had a few months ago, and in a completely different league than the first bottle we had three years ago. In the glass, rich, saturated gold. On the nose, floral notes, wet stone, smoke, and pear. On the palate, an unctuous texture, with minerals, citrus, a touch of smoky oak, and a note of cognac, and let me be clear: I don't mean the alcoholic burn of cognac. I mean the complex, multilayered flavor of cognac, balanced perfectly with the rest of the flavor profile. This may have been the most complex chard I've had, and this bottle was worth the tariff. A great match with pan seared scallops in a vermouth reduction.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
14.1% alcohol. A profoundly good Chardonnay. Medium yellow color. Stunning nose of crisp apple, pear, light fig, citrus zest, and minerals on the nose. The wine is aromatically powerful and alluring. In the mouth, this has one of the best, most refined mouth feels I've ever tasted in a California Chardonnay. Elegant and balanced, without the overoaked, syrupy nature that befalls too many wines. The layers of fruit are supported by terrific and delicious minerality and spice notes. Vibrant acidity doesn't show any sharp edges, and the finish is outstanding. A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour, enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. Similar to the last bottle we had a couple of years ago, except that more fruit has emerged, so while the minerality is very much present, there is now more balance. The acidity in the finish has been largely tempered by a silky mouthfeel. Noticeably better performance than the last bottle, although I'm still unconvinced this is worth the tariff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second time I get this wine blind. My guess the first time was Montrachet (before I even had tryed it!). Now hat I've tastedw a few and many other white top burgundies my guess was Napa chard. So you learn from the wine school. Only problem is that it's more expensive than an Ivy League school!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Like the regular cuvee from this vintage, this is fading prematurely. Oxidative nose gives way to pleasant flavors and an integrated structure, but a shadow of this wine's former self. For whatever reason, their 2006s have simply fallen off of a cliff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nick Wittman visits San Diego (Quarter Kitchen - San Diego, CA): Tasted blind. A very poor showing for this wine. Industrial notes of petrol, melted plastic, and nail polish remover, offset only by notions of lemon rind and crushed rocks on the otherwise insipid and attenuated palate. I want to give this wine a score somewhere in the low 80s, but based upon the vintage dating and other notes on CT, I can only conclude that it was somehow flawed. Interestingly, some in the group really liked this wine. My #4 wine; the group's #4 as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
White Icons @ my place (Netherlands): Whoa, this is heavy sh*t. To me, it's over the top. Nose is dominated by oak, amaretto, vanilla and butterscotch. Also a lot of thick, sweet floral notes like honeysuckle, lilac and hyacinth. Felt priviliged to be able to savour The Judge again, but it was clearly outclassed by the Leeuwin Art Series today. 17.5/20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose is very odd out of the bottle very strong minerality that blew off after 30 minutes. It took another 30 minuters to develope whicg revieled pine apple, peach and oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero): A delicious but very young wine so much so that the oak really dominates this one. On the palate there is lots going on and I pick up a taste of carrot cake and cinnamon spice. Back to the nose and there is a hint of it there to. Kevin and I wondered if we detected a little botrytis as well that was providing this very interesting spice to the wine?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Starts out tight with some cognac notes and (atypical for the vintage) acidity prominent, but quickly unwinds with oxygen through papaya/mango/peach through allspice to a perfect lemon cream. A pleasant surprise given the uneveness of many '06s, and should be wonderful in 6-18 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pale yellow in color. After the appearance, this bottle was like Jekyll & Hyde, immediately out of the bottle, really nice banana, lemon and creamy oak notes, with a smooth mouthfeel. After time in the glass however, it became bitter and had a certain bourbon-ish quality to it. I didn't find the wine "hot" or overly alcoholic, more that the oak (do they use american????) had imparted the flavor. No score as this is completely inconsistent with my two prior experiences with this wine, one of which I believe was the 2006.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On day 1 this seemed not quite like last time I tasted it... sure there was the banana note and it was intense, but it seemed disjointed and somewhat bitter. On day 2 it had become itself again, so this is in a phase where decanting is adviced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Disappointing showing from what once was one of (if not) the top California Chardonnays. Different from past Judges was the lack of balance displayed by the 2006. High levels of heat/alcohol were obvious upon opening the bottle. The first few initial tastes were tough to muscle down due to unusually high heat. I tried to calm the wine down by decanting it for an hour before serving with dinner. While some of the alcohol had burned off, enough was still present to leave the wine disjointed. Deep yellow color. Layered flavors of lemon, pineapple, mineral, marshmallow and buttered popcorn with a slight oakiness on the finish. Unfortunately, the 2006 Judge does not stand in the same class as the 2002-05 Judges.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A romantic evening at Melisse in Los Angeles, the wine was very smooth with a deeply fruited/mineral nose right out of the bottle. After 20 minutes, the structure emerged. It was as though I were eating an intense fruit enveloped in wet stones. This wine's minerality is unlike any other California Chardonnay I've tasted.
Coming back to the glass over the 4 hour dinner, the Judge paired with a wide variety of flavors without overpowering the meal. A tour de force that any serious wine drinker should experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Occasional tasting group: Just training our blind tasting skills. (@ PVa): Not a crisp and elegant Chardonnay. This is a beast. The concentration and the oak are enormous. The fruit can handle the oak, but at this moment the oak is not integrated yet. This is much too young. Give it at least 3 - 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour, a modest amount of fine, silty sediment in the bottle. In the glass, clear, pale to medium gold. On the nose, floral notes intermingled with wet stone. On the palate, an unctuous, oily texture, some peach and lemon, and equal (and dominant) parts of mineral and oak, with a long and acidic finish. Change the texture and remove the oak, and you have something that could pass for a Chablis. Makes me wonder what this would be like with oysters.
A nice and interesting wine, but at this price point, I'm expecting more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Comparing this with the 'regular' chardonnay and find this a bit soft. Light lemon and mineral at first. Better finish. Everyone picked the'regular' chardonnay as the best of the two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great showing for this wine and much better than the last bottle. Very Coche like. Lots of toasty aromatic with a melange of exotic flavors and very well balanced and smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very closed. Not much on the nose, but a faint reminder of past glory. Can this wine already be on its way down? It was sooo impressive when I first got it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
super tight with hard mineral upon opening. with more time, rounded out and added some butter and plushness. Last sip was really humming with lemon curd, oak, and crushed stone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Starts off with a super-hard, lemon and mineral profile not too different from a ripe Chablis. Characteristic fat, but restrained flavors with a bit of air: butter, lemon, chalk, all held together by a juicy, firm acidic core. Very enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/29/2023 - cpl100n wrote: 91 Points
My favorite of all California Chardonnay
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2023 - Peech wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2022 - TWSA wrote: flawed
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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2022 - Philip67 wrote: flawed
Oxidised, as were the last couple of bottles of this that I tried
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2021 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 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!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2021 - edwardochu Likes this wine: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/21/2021 - Peech wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2021 - Peech Likes this wine: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2020 - Peech wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2020 - RayOB wrote: 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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2020 - nebbiol-ho Likes this wine: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2020 - peternelson Likes this wine: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2019 - Peech wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2018 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2018 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
oxidized bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2018 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
oxidized
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2018 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
oxidized
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2017 - Zweder wrote: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2017 - Zweder wrote: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2017 - canan wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2016 - phenricsson wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2016 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 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
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2016 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2016 - edwardochu Likes this wine: 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.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
Belated 50th Birthday Dinner w/Wendy and Joe (Princeton, NJ): First wine of the evening with cheeses and pesto. Chilled and decanted for about an hour prior to drinking, makes a big difference with this wine. Last bottle from a batch bought from the winery
Deep gold color in the glass. Nose ws tropical fruits, nuts/almonds, petrol, honey. Palate was tropical fruits, peach, pineapple, orange zest, butterscotch, integrated oak, stone/mineral.
Given mixed experiences with the regular 06 Chardonnay from Kongsgaard, this held up well. Would drink this soon, will not improve and may be moving to a tertiary phase. A well made California Chardonnay that has aged gracefully. This bottle not worth the premium price
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Yet Another Dreamtasting... (Restaurant Merlet, Schoorl): Still young, very powerful style, some alcohol present. Needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2015 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Exclusive dinner with eight friends and 22 special wines.: The color of the wine is still young with still an almost green hue. In the bouquet beautiful and ripe yellow tropical fruits, honey and a good dose of beautiful oak. On the palate ripe yellow and white tropical fruits, butterscotch and minerals. Beautiful and well integrated oak. Good and fresh acidity. Full bodied and also elegant. Enormous length. Great wine. Still enough future left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2015 - Naplesgolfer wrote: flawed
oxidized
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2014 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
A Small Athens wine event (Spondi , Athens): Tasted blind. Was decanted and served. This felt more of a Rhone white, light oxidative, waxy, ripe citrus, than a Chardonnay . The oak was present and on the forefront but not obstructive. Class y well made wine, good weight but really would have never guessed its Chardonnay . 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2014 - DRob wrote:
Monster Chardonnay. Will never be confused with Chablis, that's for sure. Extracted, toasty, viscous. Not usually my style of Chardonnay, but we enjoyed it regardless to celebrate the end of a week's worth of jury duty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2014 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful, fully mature bottle of this wine. Lovely white peach, tangerine and mineral notes. Fleshy and powerful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2014 - jonnyoro wrote: flawed
Purchased direct from winery; stored in temperature controlled unit; completely oxidized and undrinkable. What a waste-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 95 Points
Golden color in the glass. Really takes 1 hour plus to open in the glass. Toasted nuts, almonds, and marizpan on the nose. The palate still shows great freshness. Lemons and orange peel. Great depth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2013 - NY Wino wrote: 92 Points
Golden color, bouquet of almonds and lemon peel. The wine is smooth and easy drinking but definitely starting to fade. Time to drink up all these '06s!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2012 - nicu2001 wrote: 85 Points
Not as much of a disaster as the regular 2006 Chardonnay, but nothing great either. Medicinal nose, acidic, and slight petrol. Short finish. Avoid 2006 Kongsgaard Chards. Very disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2012 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine was adored buy some and detested by others; I liked it; yes, there`s some oakiness, but not overwhelming; it had lots of acidity, and gave up a bounty of stone and tropical fruit along with some minerals delivered in a creamy lush texture and long palate coating finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2012 - drbdorfman wrote: 97 Points
Some floral notes along with wet concrete on the nose. Prominent oak on initial taste giving way to some vanilla and grapefruit. Very balanced with perfect amount of acidity. Stellar undertaking from the best Chard maker in Napa
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2012 - woofy wrote: 92 Points
We had another bottle when friends came over for drinks. It went fast which just shows how easy, refreshing and enjoyable this wine is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2012 - woofy wrote: 92 Points
A very nice wine. Maybe a bit over rated, but still enjoyable, refreshing, and fun.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2012 - jshufelt wrote: 96 Points
After this bottle, I'm wondering if I made a mistake by falling off the list. Noticeably better than the bottle we had a few months ago, and in a completely different league than the first bottle we had three years ago. In the glass, rich, saturated gold. On the nose, floral notes, wet stone, smoke, and pear. On the palate, an unctuous texture, with minerals, citrus, a touch of smoky oak, and a note of cognac, and let me be clear: I don't mean the alcoholic burn of cognac. I mean the complex, multilayered flavor of cognac, balanced perfectly with the rest of the flavor profile. This may have been the most complex chard I've had, and this bottle was worth the tariff. A great match with pan seared scallops in a vermouth reduction.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2011 - dougie wrote: 93 Points
A wonderful wine. Drank at Boulevard in S.F.. Ready to drink. Smooth and elegant while still being full flavored.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
14.1% alcohol. A profoundly good Chardonnay. Medium yellow color. Stunning nose of crisp apple, pear, light fig, citrus zest, and minerals on the nose. The wine is aromatically powerful and alluring. In the mouth, this has one of the best, most refined mouth feels I've ever tasted in a California Chardonnay. Elegant and balanced, without the overoaked, syrupy nature that befalls too many wines. The layers of fruit are supported by terrific and delicious minerality and spice notes. Vibrant acidity doesn't show any sharp edges, and the finish is outstanding. A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2011 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour, enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. Similar to the last bottle we had a couple of years ago, except that more fruit has emerged, so while the minerality is very much present, there is now more balance. The acidity in the finish has been largely tempered by a silky mouthfeel. Noticeably better performance than the last bottle, although I'm still unconvinced this is worth the tariff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Trip’s farewell dinner! (Cities restaurant - Washington D.C.): More restraint than the regular bottling, served a bit too warm but no hint of heat, excellent bottle and if served correctly 96 pointer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2011 - Tavastgatan wrote: 94 Points
Second time I get this wine blind. My guess the first time was Montrachet (before I even had tryed it!). Now hat I've tastedw a few and many other white top burgundies my guess was Napa chard. So you learn from the wine school. Only problem is that it's more expensive than an Ivy League school!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2011 - St Paul wrote: 96 Points
This is just great! It has everything you want from a big chard but minerals maybe.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2011 - Richard M wrote: 88 Points
Like the regular cuvee from this vintage, this is fading prematurely. Oxidative nose gives way to pleasant flavors and an integrated structure, but a shadow of this wine's former self. For whatever reason, their 2006s have simply fallen off of a cliff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2011 - Paul Lin wrote: flawed
Nick Wittman visits San Diego (Quarter Kitchen - San Diego, CA): Tasted blind. A very poor showing for this wine. Industrial notes of petrol, melted plastic, and nail polish remover, offset only by notions of lemon rind and crushed rocks on the otherwise insipid and attenuated palate. I want to give this wine a score somewhere in the low 80s, but based upon the vintage dating and other notes on CT, I can only conclude that it was somehow flawed. Interestingly, some in the group really liked this wine. My #4 wine; the group's #4 as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2011 - arniec wrote: 90 Points
No nose. Nice minerality. Smooth. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2010 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 84 Points
These wines showed pretty flashy when I first got them... sadly I can hardly stomach them today. Flab, heat, butter, vanilla, oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2010 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
White Icons @ my place (Netherlands): Whoa, this is heavy sh*t. To me, it's over the top. Nose is dominated by oak, amaretto, vanilla and butterscotch. Also a lot of thick, sweet floral notes like honeysuckle, lilac and hyacinth. Felt priviliged to be able to savour The Judge again, but it was clearly outclassed by the Leeuwin Art Series today. 17.5/20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2010 - SYR wrote: 95 Points
Buttery and vanilla. Complicated. Nice legs. Not too sweet. Interesting. A great experience. Tasted awesome. (other's notes)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2010 - bmmcneill wrote: 92 Points
Nose is very odd out of the bottle very strong minerality that blew off after 30 minutes. It took another 30 minuters to develope whicg revieled pine apple, peach and oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2010 - madeiradog wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero): A delicious but very young wine so much so that the oak really dominates this one. On the palate there is lots going on and I pick up a taste of carrot cake and cinnamon spice. Back to the nose and there is a hint of it there to. Kevin and I wondered if we detected a little botrytis as well that was providing this very interesting spice to the wine?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2010 - Richard M wrote:
Starts out tight with some cognac notes and (atypical for the vintage) acidity prominent, but quickly unwinds with oxygen through papaya/mango/peach through allspice to a perfect lemon cream. A pleasant surprise given the uneveness of many '06s, and should be wonderful in 6-18 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:
Pale yellow in color. After the appearance, this bottle was like Jekyll & Hyde, immediately out of the bottle, really nice banana, lemon and creamy oak notes, with a smooth mouthfeel. After time in the glass however, it became bitter and had a certain bourbon-ish quality to it. I didn't find the wine "hot" or overly alcoholic, more that the oak (do they use american????) had imparted the flavor. No score as this is completely inconsistent with my two prior experiences with this wine, one of which I believe was the 2006.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2009 - gorm wrote: 95 Points
On day 1 this seemed not quite like last time I tasted it... sure there was the banana note and it was intense, but it seemed disjointed and somewhat bitter. On day 2 it had become itself again, so this is in a phase where decanting is adviced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2009 - KristianT wrote: 96 Points
This is marvelous wine. Perfect balance between elegance and fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2009 - rthun wrote: 90 Points
Disappointing showing from what once was one of (if not) the top California Chardonnays. Different from past Judges was the lack of balance displayed by the 2006. High levels of heat/alcohol were obvious upon opening the bottle. The first few initial tastes were tough to muscle down due to unusually high heat. I tried to calm the wine down by decanting it for an hour before serving with dinner. While some of the alcohol had burned off, enough was still present to leave the wine disjointed. Deep yellow color. Layered flavors of lemon, pineapple, mineral, marshmallow and buttered popcorn with a slight oakiness on the finish. Unfortunately, the 2006 Judge does not stand in the same class as the 2002-05 Judges.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2009 - mtennenbaum wrote: 97 Points
A romantic evening at Melisse in Los Angeles, the wine was very smooth with a deeply fruited/mineral nose right out of the bottle. After 20 minutes, the structure emerged. It was as though I were eating an intense fruit enveloped in wet stones. This wine's minerality is unlike any other California Chardonnay I've tasted.
Coming back to the glass over the 4 hour dinner, the Judge paired with a wide variety of flavors without overpowering the meal. A tour de force that any serious wine drinker should experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2009 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Occasional tasting group: Just training our blind tasting skills. (@ PVa): Not a crisp and elegant Chardonnay. This is a beast. The concentration and the oak are enormous. The fruit can handle the oak, but at this moment the oak is not integrated yet. This is much too young. Give it at least 3 - 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2009 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for an hour, a modest amount of fine, silty sediment in the bottle. In the glass, clear, pale to medium gold. On the nose, floral notes intermingled with wet stone. On the palate, an unctuous, oily texture, some peach and lemon, and equal (and dominant) parts of mineral and oak, with a long and acidic finish. Change the texture and remove the oak, and you have something that could pass for a Chablis. Makes me wonder what this would be like with oysters.
A nice and interesting wine, but at this price point, I'm expecting more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2009 - Russ wrote: 91 Points
Comparing this with the 'regular' chardonnay and find this a bit soft. Light lemon and mineral at first. Better finish. Everyone picked the'regular' chardonnay as the best of the two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2009 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 80 Points
2006 Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge (USA, California, Napa Valley) Kleur: Middel goudgeel Aroma / bouquet: Eendimensionaal. Hout en wel veel hout. Vanille, boterbabbelaars. Sinaasappels. Smaak / Afdronk: Vol, weinig zuren, veel hout, getruc'te en daardoor wat vermoeiende wijn. Veel alcohol, zeer expressief maar onvoldoende complexiteit. Algemeen / potentieel: 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 8 + Smaak / Afdronk: 12 + Algemeen / potentieel: 5 = 80/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2009 - gorm wrote: 96 Points
Uncorked DK does 2006 Burgundy - 18 wines including Vogue, Rousseau, Liger-Belair, Ponsot (Karlebo Kro): Same slightly darker yellow. Very sweet and intense nose with banana licquer, oak and vanilla. Very fat and intense with a very long toasted aftertaste. Very impressive as it maintains a lot of nerve and keeps developing in the glass. Nobody spotted it as a joker in this Burgundy setting. (U95,9 - WOTN!)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2009 - henrychinaski wrote: 97 Points
Great showing for this wine and much better than the last bottle. Very Coche like. Lots of toasty aromatic with a melange of exotic flavors and very well balanced and smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2009 - rael007 wrote: 89 Points
Very closed. Not much on the nose, but a faint reminder of past glory. Can this wine already be on its way down? It was sooo impressive when I first got it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2009 - henrychinaski wrote: 95 Points
Started off lacking intensity and lighter in weight than past vintages however over time it actually gained both weight and intensity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 93 Points
super tight with hard mineral upon opening. with more time, rounded out and added some butter and plushness. Last sip was really humming with lemon curd, oak, and crushed stone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2008 - psmith wrote:
Starts off with a super-hard, lemon and mineral profile not too different from a ripe Chablis. Characteristic fat, but restrained flavors with a bit of air: butter, lemon, chalk, all held together by a juicy, firm acidic core. Very enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment