2015 The Judge Chardonnay
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The 2015 Chardonnay The Judge has turned out beautifully. Like the Napa Valley Chardonnay, The Judge is a hushed, quiet wine. Whether it ever develops into a more typically exuberant, flamboyant wine in the more classic Kongsgaard mold remains to be seen. Today, the 2015 speaks to finesse, nuance and understatement. There is lovely depth and texture of fruit. As always, the Judge is marked by a distinct oiliness, but the 2015 is less overtly flamboyant than other past vintages have been. (AG)
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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A barrel sample to be bottled around July 2018, the 2015 Chardonnay The Judge offers up very pretty orange blossom and jasmine notes with a core of lemon curd, pink grapefruit and guava plus buttered toast and praline. Full-bodied, wonderfully creamy, spicy and gregarious, it has so much verve and expression, finishing very long, layered and minerally.
The 2015 Chardonnay The Judge comes across as remarkably polished and nuanced. Weightless and almost airy - words I never thought I would use to describe a Kongsgaard Chardonnay - are some of the signatures. Silky and nuanced to the core, the 2015 is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine.