2009 Kongsgaard, The Judge Chardonnay, Napa Valley 1x75cl

California ⋅ USA
Vintage: 2009 ⋅ Other: 2007 2021 2022 2023
Pack size: 1x75cl
Pack type: Loose Bottles
AG95VM96+WA98

£860 / Bottle (excl. UK Duty & VAT)£1,035.88 / Bottle (incl. UK Duty & VAT)In BondFuture Arrival
Duty StatusPrice In Bond
(excl. UK Duty & VAT)
Price Retail
(incl. UK Duty & VAT)
Avail.ETA to UK Addr.
In Bond£860£1,035.88Future ArrivalPlease enquire

In Bond wines have had no UK Duty or VAT paid on them. If IB wines are purchased for storage in a bonded warehouse or for export - no UK Duty or VAT will be payable. If IB wines are purchased for delivery to a UK address - UK Duty and VAT is required to be paid before the delivery can take place.

Future Arrival wines are not yet available for delivery, storage or collection. Our team will get in touch as soon as the wines become physical with us and will arrange to deliver, store or collect the wines as per your instructions.

Sold out!

Enter your email address below to be notified when this product is available again.

SKU: hub-10046212-1-IB-PENDING-N Categories: ,
Producer Profile

Producer Profile

Kongsgaard: “Artisanal wines at their finest” – Robert Parker

California’s Kongsgaard is one of the Napa Valley’s most exciting and interesting wineries. The winery was founded in 1996 and quickly achieved cult status thanks to the world-class nature of the wines made here.

The wines, both red and white, are made in a non-interventionist style by the brilliant John and Maggie Kongsgaard, and now their son Alex. All are tremendous in quality, with a style well summed up by Robert Parker, who called them “reds and whites that represent the essence of their varietal, vintage and vineyard”.

Cult-Collectable Napa Reds and Whites

Kongsgaard is perhaps most famous for its white wines. The Kongsgaard Chardonnay is a benchmark for California and often an instant sell-out on release. Consequently, there is never much available on the market to buy. The Judge Chardonnay is the jewel in the crown when it comes to the whites. It comes from a small vineyard, and just a couple of hundred cases are made in a typical vintage. These cases are some of the Napa Valley’s most sought-after.

The Kongsgaard reds are also outstanding. Kongsgaard Syrah is the flagship red and comes from a tiny 2-acre plot. This translates to just a few hundred cases of a Syrah that can rival the very best made anywhere in the world.

Also worth looking out for is the Kongsgaard Cabernet Sauvignon. This comes from the Eastern side of the Valley from a plot at 2,300 feet. Very ‘old world’ in style, it is classically structured and very age-worthy.

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Antonio Galloni 95

Honey, hazelnut, dried apricots, wild flowers and orange peel meld together in the glass in the 2009 Chardonnay The Judge, a wine that is just beginning to show the first signs of development. The 2009 is rich, exotic and oily on the palate, with fabulous depth and great overall balance. This is a wonderfully complete wine, a bit on the big side, but still impeccable in its balance. [Antonio Galloni, 11/01/2013]

Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019

Vinous 96+

Medium yellow. Nose begins a bit tropical and closed-in but aeration brings great lift from orange rind, lime and iodiney sea breeze. Billowing and weightless on entry, then builds inexorably in the middle palate, showing subtle salty and leesy nuances and powerful crushed-stone minerality. Kongsgaard bottles his chardonnays during the second June or July, when they’re beyond the primary, tutti-frutti stage. This extremely backward wine finishes with outstanding grip, piquant citrus lift and great persistence. California chardonnay doesn’t get any better than this–and very little Burgundy can equal it either. [Stephen Tanzer, 05/01/2012]

Wine Advocate 98

The 2009 Chardonnay The Judge sparkles on the palate with brilliant layers of fruit. It is bright, articulate and beautifully centered from start to finish. There is a weightless richness that is almost impossible to describe for its pure elegance. A dazzling, crystalline finish rounds out the flinty, mineral-drenched notes. This is easily the equal of any Chardonnay being made in the world today. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2024. The long, winding drive on an early Sunday morning up to John Kongsgaard’s place on Atlas Peak was well worth the effort. The small, nondescript cellar is decorated with photos of famous classical musicians that replace conventional numbers on the tanks. As for the wines, they are flat-out stunning. Kongsgaard’s Chardonnays are fermented with wild yeasts and are bottled with no fining or filtration after two years in barrel. The 100% new oak is barely perceptible in these fabulous wines. The Cabernet Sauvignons are now made from Kongsgaard’s vineyards in Atlas Peak. Incidentally, Kongsgaard was among the latest to harvest his Cabernet in 2011. As of October 23, not a single Cabernet grape had been brought in. Fax (707) 226-2936 [Antonio Galloni, 23/12/2011]

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2024

Wine Details
Product Type
Country
Region
Subregion
Vintage
Producer
Appellation
Designation
Grape
Bottle Size
Pack Size
Pack Type
Alcohol Percentage
Duty Status
Availability
Delivery, Storage and Collection

UK Delivery

  • Greater London postcodes (approximately inside M25):
      • 1 case (9L or less) £16.50
      • 2 cases £18
      • 3 cases or more £15 per delivery + 1.50 per case
  • Other UK mainland addresses:
      • 1 case £17.50
      • 2 cases £30
      • 3 cases or more £25 per delivery + 2.50 per case
  • Scotland highlands and islands, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands
      • Quoted on request

International Delivery & Export

  • For international deliveries, we work with specialist fine wine shippers and can provide quotes and arrange the preparation and collection of your orders for export.
  • We can assist with delivery to addresses in Singapore. Contact us for more details or a quote.

Storage

We offer temperature-controlled storage at LCB Eton Park. Please click here or contact us for more details. Alternatively, we can assist in transferring your wines to your existing bonded storage account.