Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2020 Napa Valley

Når man smager den, har man mere end svært ved at forstå, at Kongsgaard faktisk kommer med en Chardonnay, der kan endnu mere. For det her er godt nok noget helt ekstraordinært inden for Napa Chardonnay … og Chardonnay i det hele taget.

Druerne kommer fra to af Napa Valleys absolut bedste marker – Hudson og Hyde – og winemaker John Kongsgaard gav den 22 måneder på franske egefade inden den røg på flasker.

Duften er intet mindre end storslået og kommer med stenfrugt, citrus, pærer, æbler, nektariner og noter af marcipan. Smagen er klart til den fyldige side med masser af friskhed og kommer med noter af citronskal, hvide pærer, æbler, hvide blomster og hvid peber plus knuste sten. Overlegen på den fede måde…!

Helt på toppen nu og minimum de næste 10 år.

Vinous
The 2019 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is superb. Powerful and resonant in the glass, with notable depth as well as structure, the 2019 is mesmerizing. Lemon peel, white pepper, chalk and mint lend brightness throughout. There is more than enough backbone to allow the 2019 to age gracefully for years to come. What a wine!

“There is a trade-off,” Alex Kongsgaard told me when I asked he and his father, John, about the benefits of their extended barrel age regime for the Chardonnays. “With more time in barrel, the wine gains more complexity. But if you go too far, then you overwhelm the terroir. The place becomes less transparent. For us, there’s a sweet spot. We like to have the fruit at the background. Our wine has enough inherent structure that it thrives on that. The terroir gives it the structure so that it can take more and more in terms of natural fermentation, long elevage, etc.” Robert Parker once called Kongsgaard’s technique “The Death & The Resurrection.” Clearly, it works—these classically forged Chardonnays are consistently jaw-droppingly incredible. The 2017s and 2018s couldn’t get more different in terms of styles, but The Judge vineyard’s signature clearly, impactfully, beautifully shines through. I can’t recommend these wines highly enough.