Kongsgaard's Napa Valley Chardonnay from 2021, a year that the critics rated highly across the range. It is a blend of top Carneros and Coombsville vineyards made in the winery's slow, hands-off way, and it is a little more restrained than older vintages.
About This Wine
The 2021 is sourced mainly from Hudson Vineyard in Carneros, with fruit from Hyde and from the Coombsville vineyard planted by Warren Winiarski. Antonio Galloni gave it 97 points, calling it refined and airy, a bit less showy than it used to be, and suggested a few years in the cellar. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, also at 97, found grapefruit, golden apple and pineapple with nutmeg, yuzu, Marcona almond and a hint of struck flint, all carried on a crisp line of freshness.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Grapefruit, golden apple and pineapple with nutmeg, yuzu zest, almond and a flinty edge.
- Palate: Medium to full-bodied and intense, with tightly wound citrus fruit cut by fresh acidity.
- Finish: Bright and long, with a sparkling, mineral close.
Serving & Food
Serve at 11 to 13°C, not too cold, in a Burgundy-style white glass, and give it half an hour to open. Good now and over the next decade. Pair with steamed garoupa in light soy, lobster tails with brown butter or roast chicken with morels.
How to Enjoy
A top Napa Chardonnay to pour for anyone who drinks white Burgundy.
Product Details
Producer: Kongsgaard
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley, California
Vintage: 2021
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Vineyards: Hudson and Hyde (Carneros), Arcadia (Coombsville)
ABV: 14%
Volume: 750mL
About the Winery
Since the first vintage in 1996, the Napa Valley Chardonnay has come mainly from two Carneros growers, Lee Hudson and Larry Hyde, whom John Kongsgaard has known since their student days at UC Davis. From 2020 the blend has also included fruit from the Arcadia vineyard in Coombsville, which Warren Winiarski planted.
The winery itself stands on Atlas Peak Road on the eastern rim of the valley. Kongsgaard describes the house style as a tension between mineral energy and opulence, with white Burgundy as the reference point.