Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2011 Chardonnay The Judge is one of the clear wines of this much misunderstood Napa Valley vintage. A towering, statuesque Chardonnay, the 2011 Judge possesses tremendous richness and viscosity, with mind-blowing intensity and simply breathtaking beauty. Tangerine oil, white flowers, citrus confit and mint lend nuance to a Chardonnay of crystalline intensity. If there was any question, The Judge is The Napa Valley Chardonnay par excellence.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Chardonnay The Judge is more evolved, complex and seductive, with plenty of honeysuckle, roasted nuts, and marmalade notes intermixed with citrus oil and orange blossom. Although it doesn’t have the size and foundation of the 2012, this beauty is still a knock-out Chardonnay.
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Wine Spectator
Offers a strikingly rich yet subtle mix of Chardonnay scents, with glazed crème brûlée, roasted marshmallow and campfire notes to the rich core of lemon-citrus rind and honeydew melon flavors.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.