Kongsgaard

The Judge of Napa Chardonnay

Founded in 1996, Kongsgaard combines Old World techniques with California innovation, producing limited-production wines of exceptional quality. Kongsgaard sources grapes from select vineyards in Napa Valley, including the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros and the Judge Vineyard (family-owned since 1975). These sites, with their cool coastal influences and well-drained volcanic soils, yield Chardonnay with remarkable acidity, minerality, and richness. Every step—from hand-harvesting to whole-cluster pressing and fermentation in French oak—is meticulously managed to preserve the wine’s natural character. The Chardonnays are aged on lees for up to 22 months, developing a luxurious texture and complex layers of stone fruit, citrus, and toasted brioche.