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.
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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
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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!
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12/29/2023 - cpl100n wrote: 91 Points
My favorite of all California Chardonnay
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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.
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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
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5/1/2022 - Philip67 wrote: flawed
Oxidised, as were the last couple of bottles of this that I tried
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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!
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