Posts Tagged ‘Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007’
Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007
Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007
A real Burgundy made in California with a deep nose lemon zest, bits of tropical citrus, mango and butter with a touch of oak. Full bodied with smooth and polished tones of green apple with some mineral, roasted nuts. Great balance and good medium acidity.
Fifth-generation Napa natives John and Maggy Kongsgaard produce The Judge, Chardonnay, VioRous, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Shy-bearing vineyards and traditional low-intervention winemaking techniques produce powerful, graceful wines — high intensity expressions of vineyard and variety. The core of their endeavor is the ten-acre vineyard they planted in the late 1970s on a rocky hilltop in southern Napa Valley which has belonged to the Kongsgaard family since the 1920s. In addition to these family acres, they direct the farming under long-term contract on another seven acres in the Napa Carneros and three acres near St. Helena. The winery, on the eastern rim of Napa Valley, is a cave drilled into the volcanic rock. Production is limited to what they can make with their own hands.
Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2007 Napa Valley comes from two great Carneros vineyards – Hudson and Hyde. Like The Judge, it is fermented with its indigenous yeast and ages in French oak barrels for 22 months. When most Napa Chardonnays are bottled after 10 months of barrel age, ours is just finishing its fermentations and awakening from adolescence. In the second year of barrel aging, the wine’s more sophisticated qualities evolve. Parker described the 2007 as “beautiful,” displaying “liquid rocks, pineapples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, and lemon oil.” Tanzer noted “the zesty finish featuring mineral and minty nuances and terrific energy.” $75/bottle, 1000 cases produced.
Wine Advocate
The full-bodied 2007 Chardonnay offers notes of liquid rocks, pineapples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, and lemon oil. This beautiful effort should turn out as well as Kongsgaard’s superb 2005.
Score: 91-94. —Robert Parker, December 2008.
