Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2023, from a cool, late-ripening Napa season. It combines Carneros fruit from Hudson and Hyde with Coombsville fruit, and it was made with the family's long, natural barrel fermentation.
About This Wine
Like earlier vintages, the 2023 plays mineral energy against opulence, with white Burgundy as the model. Antonio Galloni scored it 96, finding lemon confit, white flowers, tangerine peel, baked apple tart and a light honeyed note, and described it as large-scale yet elegant and polished, with a drinking window from 2027 to 2038. The cool year gave the whole range a fresher, tighter frame, so this is a wine that will reward some patience.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Lemon confit, tangerine peel and white flowers with baked apple and a light touch of honey.
- Palate: Broad and layered, with creamy texture balanced by bright acidity and a mineral line.
- Finish: Long and polished, with citrus zest, almond and a saline edge.
Serving & Food
Chill to about 12°C and pour into a wide-bowled white glass. It is still young, so a short decant helps, or cellar it for a couple of years. Serve with pan-fried scallops, crab and sweetcorn soup or a creamy Comté.
How to Enjoy
A young Napa Chardonnay to cellar for a few years or open with a seafood dinner.
Product Details
Producer: Kongsgaard
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley, California
Vintage: 2023
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Vineyards: Hudson and Hyde (Carneros), Coombsville
Volume: 750mL
About the Winery
John Kongsgaard's winemaking comes from Burgundy. In the late 1980s he studied how producers such as Leflaive, Coche-Dury and Comtes Lafon worked with native yeasts and long barrel ageing, then brought those notes home to test in California.
The result is a method that runs slowly. Juice goes to barrel unsettled, native yeasts ferment in a cold cellar for most of a year, and malolactic often finishes first. The wines rest close to two years in barrel without racking or stirring and are bottled without filtration.