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Cult Unicorn Alert:
California’s Montrachet & Hermitage.
6 bottles of Kongsgaard Chardonnay and the perfectly aged library 2008 Hudson Vineyard Syrah.
“These are the most interesting, naturally made wines one will find on Planet Earth.” — Robert Parker
• Only 6 Bottles of Chardonnay · Limit 1
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A Personal Note
Dear Artisans,
This is one of those offers where, halfway through, I found myself wondering why I’m even writing and sending this at all.
Every year for the past 17 years, I’ve politely and sweetly asked for any pittance of an allocation of these wines. I just now got 6 bottles of the Chardonnay and 12 bottles of the perfectly aged library 2008 Syrah.
The limit of 1 bottle on the Chardonnay is annoying, and I’m sorry about it. I’m only going to make 6 different people happy, and tens of thousands of people unhappy.
Why Everyone Wants Them
Kongsgaard makes around 1,500 cases of the Chardonnay and 250 cases of the Syrah for the world. Unfortunately, the world has internet access, and has read countless times how these are the greatest wines on the planet.
There is a reason these mythical, coveted unicorns have earned 84 ratings between 97 and 100 points, nine of them perfect 100s, with more coming as long as John Kongsgaard is alive and crafting his liquid magic. Robert Parker put it this way: “John Kongsgaard is in search of the Holy Grail and these are the most interesting, naturally made wines one will find on Planet Earth.”
A Wizard Taught by Legends
Parker called him “part viticultural evangelist, part wine wizard and part musical composer.” John’s mentors were all legends themselves: Fred McCrea of Stony Hill, where John also worked, Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and André Tchelistcheff of Beaulieu Vineyard. “André Tchelistcheff was our near neighbor on Stonecrest Drive,” John recalls. “He and my dad, the Judge, and my mother were social friends.” It was Tchelistcheff who told the family to plant Chardonnay.
Into Burgundy’s Greatest Cellars
As winemaker at Newton, John was sent to Burgundy by Peter Newton, and finagled his way into three cellars: Coche-Dury, Bonneau du Martray and Comtes Lafon, all making some of Burgundy’s defining white wines. He came home and created the defining unfiltered Newton Chardonnay, one of the first modern California whites bottled without filtration. When a top Burgundy négociant visited his cellar and sniffed that the wines tasted “like Lafon in the 1980s,” nothing could have been higher praise. His Newton cellar became a school. Aaron Pott went on to Quintessa; Andy Erickson to Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle, and with his wife, viticulturist Annie Favia, to Mayacamas; Nick Peay to Peay Vineyards; Blair Walter to Felton Road in New Zealand; and vineyard managers Lupe and Hugo Maldonado to their own Calistoga label. Death and Resurrection
What sets John apart is what Parker calls his “death and resurrection” winemaking. Nobody else does it. The ripe grapes are pressed with only a tiny dose of sulfur, about a fifth of what he learned to use in the 1970s, and the juice turns dark brown from oxygen. Fermentation starts on its own, from native yeasts, and nothing else is added.
Then comes death, or at least deep risk: the fermentation can take a year, and the wine often grows murky and dull. Then, resurrection. Over nearly two years it bounces back, turning a glinting yellow and revealing its sheer power. As his son Alex puts it, “It’s a moment of faith.”
Corton-Charlemagne Cuttings & Hudson Vineyard
Parker wrote that Kongsgaard’s Chardonnay is made from “an Old Wente clone of Chardonnay that is believed to have come from cuttings of the Corton-Charlemagne holdings of Louis Latour at least fifty years ago.” The Napa Valley bottling is typically a blend of the Hyde and Hudson vineyards in Carneros.
The Syrah comes from a special 3-acre parcel of Lee Hudson’s Hudson Vineyard, planted in volcanic soils. Hudson has been John’s key grape farmer since his first vintage at Newton, and his friend since they both attended UC Davis. Hudson fruit is also behind Arietta, the label John co-founded with auctioneer Fritz Hatton. Below the two Kongsgaards, I have lined up the other most legendary Chardonnays on the planet.
James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Why This Matters
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84 scores of 97 to 100 points. Nine of them perfect 100s, from Vinous, Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Palate. |
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Death and resurrection. Native yeasts, a fermentation that can take a year, and nearly two years for the wine to come back to life. |
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Old Wente from Corton-Charlemagne. Parker traced the clone to cuttings of Louis Latour’s Corton-Charlemagne holdings. |
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6 bottles. Limit 1. And just 12 bottles of the library 2008 Hudson Vineyard Syrah. |
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The Seven Wines At A Glance
Two Kongsgaards, then five of the planet’s most legendary Chardonnays.
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Kongsgaard · Only 6 Bottles · Limit 1
2024 Kongsgaard Chardonnay
California’s Montrachet, from Old Wente vines.
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Old Wente CloneDeath & Resurrection6 Bottles
2024 Kongsgaard Chardonnay
Napa Valley · Chardonnay
Kongsgaard’s Napa Valley Chardonnay is typically a blend of the Hyde and Hudson vineyards in Carneros. The critics have not published on the 2024 yet; Antonio Galloni called the 2023 a total stunner.
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Vinous · On The 2023 Vintage
96 Points
The 2023 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is a total stunner. Lemon confit, white flowers, tangerine peel, baked apple tart and lightly honeyed notes fill out the layers effortlessly. This large-scale, layered Chardonnay is exceptionally elegant and polished. Readers will find a Chardonnay of tremendous textural breadth and pedigree. — Antonio Galloni, November 2025
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| Elsewhere: $225.00 |
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$159.99 / bottle
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| Limit 1 Bottle Per Customer |
| • Only 6 Bottles |
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Kongsgaard · Library Release
2008 Kongsgaard Hudson Vineyard Syrah
California’s Hermitage, perfectly aged.
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Hudson VineyardVolcanic SoilsLibrary 2008
2008 Kongsgaard Hudson Vineyard Syrah
Carneros, Napa Valley · Syrah
From a special 3-acre parcel of the Hudson Vineyard planted in volcanic soils. Stephen Tanzer reported that John Kongsgaard said the 2008 “rose up a year ago to out-energize the 2007.”
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96
Jeb Dunnuck
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94
Vinous
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92
Wine Advocate
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Jeb Dunnuck
96 Points
More voluptuous and round than either the ’07 or ’09, the 2008 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard delivers a full throttle, sexy profile with decadent black fruits, mint, roasted meats, and chocolate on the nose. Full-bodied, seamless, pure, and downright hedonistic, yet perfectly balanced and not heavy in the least… — December 2011
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Vinous
94+ Points
Knockout nose combines blueberry, blackberry, flowers, caraway seed and pungent, high-pitched Moroccan spices, complemented by a subtle note of truffley forest floor. Offers a stunning combination of energy and thickness on the palate, with almost shockingly youthful flavors of dark berries and flowers dominating. Finishes with outstanding energy and length. This should be long-lived. — Stephen Tanzer
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Wine Advocate
92 Points
The 2008 Syrah from a special, 3-acre parcel of the Hudson Vineyard planted in volcanic soils reveals abundant steak tartare/meaty notes intermixed with notions of smoked herbs, bacon, black currants, plums and Asian spices… — Robert Parker, December 2010
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| Elsewhere: $445.00 |
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$224.97 / bottle
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| • Only 12 Bottles |
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The Other Legends
The Most Legendary Chardonnays on the Planet
Five more, each with a story as good as the wine.
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Hyde de Villaine · The DRC Connection
2023 HdV Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay
We call it the DRC Montrachet of Napa.
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Aubert de VillaineOld Wente & CaleraFirst Vintage 2000
2023 HdV Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay
Carneros, Napa Valley · Chardonnay
HdV brings together Larry Hyde, whose Carneros vineyard also supplies Kongsgaard, and the de Villaine family of Burgundy. Aubert de Villaine is co-director of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Since the first vintage in 2000, the flagship has come from two selections of Hyde Chardonnay, Old Wente and Calera, on vines 28 to 40 years old, bottled unfined and unfiltered.
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99
James Suckling
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96
Vinous
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96
Decanter
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95
Wine Spectator
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James Suckling
99 Points
This wine is truly excellent, showing a mineral-edged nose with pure energy and tension. Aromas of struck match, citrus blossoms, crushed stones and salted nuts. The palate is taut, with no hard edges and driving acidity that keeps you salivating for minutes. Closing in on perfection. Drink or hold. — December 2025
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Decanter
96 Points
In the glass, the wine is wonderfully generous and beautifully velvety, with impressive fruit weight and a striking saline thread that infuses the citrus core… It delivers extraordinary length, tension, and energy, balanced by real generosity of fruit. The finish is driven by oyster-shell and river-rock minerality, with additional complexity from white florals, tangerine oil, and lemon oil. Spectacularly complete and nuanced.
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| Elsewhere: $100.00 |
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$84.99 / bottle
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Arterberry Maresh · Dundee Hills
2023 Arterberry Maresh Chardonnay
The original Wente selection, planted in 1983.
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Planted 1983Original Wente240 Cases
2023 Arterberry Maresh “Maresh Vineyard” Chardonnay
Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley · Chardonnay
The Maresh family has farmed the Red Hills of Dundee for three generations, since 1959. Jim Maresh makes this Chardonnay from a block planted in 1983 to the original Wente selection, before the clone was heat-treated. Wine Spectator counted just 240 cases.
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99
Jeb Dunnuck
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97
Vinous
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96
Decanter
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94
Wine Spectator
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94
Wine Advocate
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Jeb Dunnuck
99 Points
Planted in 1983 to the original Wente selection before the clone was heat-treated, the 2023 Chardonnay Maresh comes from an east-facing site that’s picked last and was barrel fermented for a year in 20% tight-grain Allier oak. Full-bodied, it expands beautifully across the palate with salted pineapple, apricot, hazelnut, yellow fruit, and deep, stony minerality. Despite its richness, it’s bone dry, with terrific drive and remarkable length. Drink over the coming 15 years or more.
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| Elsewhere: $100.00 |
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$74.97 / bottle
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by Farr · Only 5 Bottles
2024 by Farr Chardonnay
A cult Chardonnay from Victoria, Australia, with Burgundy in its blood.
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Domaine Dujac TrainedGeelong, Victoria5 Bottles
2024 by Farr Chardonnay
Geelong, Victoria, Australia · Chardonnay
Gary Farr learned his craft at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, Cristom in Oregon and Calera in California, and his son Nick followed him to Cristom, Au Bon Climat and Dujac. Training with Dominique Lafon inspired the family’s wines. I was only allocated 5 bottles.
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95
The Wine Front
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93
Huon Hooke
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The Wine Front
95 Points
Yes there’s intensity of flavour, texture, complexity and length. But there’s more; there’s a distinctiveness, and that’s what sets this wine apart. Wheat, pears, white peach, woodsmoke, grapefruit, a gentle note of brine and a miso note… It pushes flavour right up to the point of elegance and then lets elegance take over from there. This is tip-top chardonnay. In my version of heaven this wine would be the house white. — Campbell Mattinson
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| Elsewhere: $90.00 |
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$84.99 / bottle
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| • Only 5 Bottles |
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Ridge · Monte Bello
2024 Ridge Monte Bello Estate Chardonnay
The ultimate American icon.
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100% Monte BelloLimestone1,500 Cases
2024 Ridge Monte Bello Estate Chardonnay
Santa Cruz Mountains · Chardonnay
Every grape comes from Ridge’s Monte Bello Estate Vineyard, 1,400 to 2,000 feet up in the Santa Cruz Mountains on fractured limestone. Wine Spectator reports only 1,500 cases made.
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97
Owen Bargreen
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95
Wine Enthusiast
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94
Vinous
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94
James Suckling
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93+
Wine Advocate
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Owen Bargreen
97 Points
Sourced from the famed ‘Monte Bello Vineyard’ this incredible 2024 ‘Estate’ Chardonnay offers baking spice laced pastry crust and custard notes on the nose alongside shades of ripe banana and Japanese pear. The palate is dense and rich with sensational weight and length. This glides throughout the drinking experience, with a near minute-long finish. Extraordinary and very mineral-laden, enjoy now and over the next ten years.
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| Elsewhere: $80.00 |
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$74.99 / bottle
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Peter Michael · Knights Valley
2024 Peter Michael La Carrière Chardonnay
The cult estate where Mark Aubert and Luc Morlet made their names.
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Aubert & Morlet AlumniVolcanic SlopesUnfiltered
2024 Peter Michael Chardonnay “La Carrière”
Knights Valley, Sonoma · Chardonnay
Before founding their own cult labels, Mark Aubert (through 1999) and Luc Morlet (2001 to 2005) made the wines at Peter Michael. La Carrière, French for “the quarry,” sits between 1,200 and 1,700 feet on rocky volcanic slopes exceeding forty percent in grade, and gives the lowest yields on the estate. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
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97
Vinous
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96
Jeb Dunnuck
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96
Wine Advocate
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96
Wine Palate
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94
Wine Spectator
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Vinous
97 Points
True to its name, the Chardonnay La Carrière is full of stony, briny nuances. Citrus peel, jasmine, oyster shell and tangerine peel are all wonderfully vivid in the glass. Airy and translucent, the Carrière is all about crystalline transparency. I especially admire its energy, tension and poise… La Carrière is my personal favorite because of its intense minerality and energy. — Antonio Galloni, June 2026
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Wine Advocate
96 Points
It has alluring, layered aromas of nectarine, mango, panna cotta, lime peel and seamlessly integrated, spicy oak. The full-bodied palate has a satiny texture, a dynamic interplay of ripe, expressive fruit with focused, driving acidity and a very long finish. — Erin Brooks, February 2026
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| Elsewhere: $160.00 |
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$149.99 / bottle
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$139.99 / btl at 3+ save $30.00
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$129.99 / btl at 6+ save $120.00
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$119.99 / btl at 12+ save $360.00
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| Case pricing applies automatically at checkout. No code needed. |
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The Bottom Line
17 years of asking, 6 bottles of Chardonnay.
Kongsgaard is California’s Montrachet and Hermitage, made by a wizard who learned from Tchelistcheff, Winiarski and McCrea, and who lets his wines die and come back to life. Six people will get the 2024 Chardonnay, one bottle each, and twelve will get the library 2008 Hudson Vineyard Syrah.
If you miss out, HdV, Arterberry Maresh, by Farr, Ridge and Peter Michael are the most legendary Chardonnays on the planet, and they are in stock now.
Cheers,
— James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Take Your Pick
• Only 6 Bottles of Kongsgaard Chardonnay · Limit 1
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