Departure
- 1990 Krug
I don't know how many years I've waited to try this much-talked-about wine. Now, at the age of fourteen years, Krug finally feels the 1990 is ready to meet the public. You don't have to be an Einstein to figure out that the vintage and the house's character would marry in perfect fashion. The wine is already monumental, with a style that lies somewhere between the acidly classic '88 and the generous, honey-tasting '89. To be honest, the acidity is high, but the fruit is so rich that the acidity is beautifully enveloped. Warmly toasted, almost burned, smoky aromas are present, together with notes of orchids, vanilla, and dried fruit—making one think of an older Krug of warmer years. Wait at least another ten years if you want to see this wine at its pinnacle!
—RJ97
- 2001 Kongsgaard Chardonnay
An awesome effort, the 2001 Chardonnay may be this estate’s finest Chardonnay to date. Boasting profoundly intense notes of orange marmalade, minerals, lemon oil, and honeysuckle as well as great delineation for its massive size, this terrific Chardonnay tastes like a grand cru white Burgundy. The finish lasts for 45 seconds. Wines such as this make a mockery of some of the uneducated rhetoric coming from wine journalists who constantly criticize mediocre, over-oaked Chardonnays, but fail to identify the great ones. It is capable of lasting and evolving for a decade.
The mystical John Kongsgaard is one heck of a winemaker. These are low tech, artisinal offerings that eschew commercial yeasts, bacterial strains, and enzymes. Of course, they are bottled naturally, with no fining or filtration. What one gets is the essence of the varietal, vintage, and vineyard.
—RP98
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