Kongsgaard, 'The Judge' Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California, 2020

Overview of the Wine
Fifth-generation Napa natives, Maggy and John Kongsgaard began their endeavor in the 1970s planting The Judge vineyard on their family land near Napa. The inaugural Kongsgaard wines came in 1996. Now, Kongsgaard produces The Judge, Chardonnay, VioRous, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in their underground winery—a cave dug into the volcanic rock, high on the eastern rim of the Napa Valley where they have planted a spectacular mountain vineyard. Kongsgaard also directs the farming under long-term contracts on several perfect acres in the Napa Carneros and near the winery. These intensely farmed, shy-bearing vineyards and Kongsgaard's traditional low-intervention winemaking produce powerful, graceful wines—vivid expressions of vineyard and variety. Production is limited to what Maggy and John, with their son Alex, can make with their own hands.

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Aromas of candied apple, ripe citrus fruits, minerals and spices. Dense and spicy in the mouth, with bright apple and citrus flavors over a firm mineral spine. Very rich and very fresh. Finishes with excellent clarity and grip.

98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2018)
The 2018 Chardonnay The Judge (a barrel sample) leaps from the glass with vivacious notes of mandarin peel, lemongrass and lime leaves with a core of fresh pink grapefruit, green guava and apple blossom plus wafts of shaved almonds and wet pebbles. Full-bodied, the palate delivers a powerful core of tropical fruit and savory layers with a lively line of freshness and a pleasantly oily texture, finishing long and zesty. Very pure, very delineated and wonderfully chalky at the very end.

Product size: 750ml