Kongsgaard The Judge Chardonnay 2022

From the 6-acre original planting with some vines going back to the 1970s, this gnarly old vineyard miraculously gives, year in year out, a wine completely unique in the world and offers proof of the French adage that the greatest vineyards are not subject to much vintage variation. It’s like a riddle: how can a wine be so sublimely subtle and so unbelievably intense at the same time?

John and Maggy Kongsgaard, the fifth generation of their family to live in Napa, started their winemaking venture in the 1970s by planting Chardonnay on their family's land in the hills east of Napa. Their first vintage was released in 1996. A decade later, John's son Alex and winemaker Evan Frazier joined the partnership.

Kongsgaard's wines are handcrafted in small quantities, focusing primarily on two Chardonnays: The Judge and Napa Valley. They also produce limited amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, and Albarino. Their vineyards are intensively farmed and their winemaking is minimally invasive, resulting in powerful, elegant wines that showcase the unique characteristics of their grapes and the Napa terroir.