January 15, 2016

KONGSGAARD "The Judge" Chardonnay 2013

(Napa Valley, CA) $175

The 2013 vintage of Kongsgaard’s “The Judge” may well be the only chardonnay in Napa Valley with a waiting list as long as the ones for the cabernet sauvignons from superstars Harlan and Colgin. A mere three hundred thirty cases are made (hence the price). The Judge is unlike any California chardonnay I have ever experienced. The flavor equivalent of a tightly woven golden-colored tapestry, it is a wine of unbelievable textural sumptuousness with long lines of intensity punctuated by pinpoints of what can only be described as energy. Comparisons to Montrachet float in the mind. This is the sort of wine you really do never forget.

98 points

The croissant is a French pastry that was baked into its crescent moon shape in order to look more appealing than traditional round or oblong loaves.

Answer: False.

In fact, the croissant isn’t even really French but Austrian. For centuries, imperialistic Turkish tribes hoping to invade western Europe considered Austria a militarily strategic foothold. Austria usually managed to defend itself against these periodic sieges, but occasionally the Turks prevailed. A brief occupation in the late 1600s had two redeeming results—both culinary. Coffee beans were brought to Vienna, instigating a revolutionary change in Austrian drinking habits, and Viennese bakers created the croissant to commemorate the end of the Turkish siege. The rich dough’s shape was not, alas, a marketing strategy: it was modeled after the crescent moon emblem on the Turkish banners.

100

Number of different ingredients that might be used in an artisanal vermouth, including anise, bitter almond, chamomile, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, peach, quinine, rhubarb, and saffron. Each vermouth producer has a unique secret recipe. The… Continue reading

KONGSGAARD "The Judge" Chardonnay 2013

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