Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2022
For the 2022 vintage, the combination of the Hudson and Hyde vineyards is enhanced with fruit from the Coombsville estate, originally planted by Warren Winiarski, resulting in a wine that balances energy and luxury. The wine features a lively, salty, mineral finish with citrus and honey scents, following the style of previous bottlings. During his visit, Robert Parker referred to this as the Napa version of Bâtard-Montrachet.
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.