Kongsgaard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

When I started ACME in 2003, I inquired with each individual winery of interest about receiving allocations on behalf of our clients. Some legendary brands were so tightly allocated they were offering exclusively to their private mailing list and perhaps a handful of high-end restaurants. For those coveted brands, we essentially were put on a “waiting list” to be able to offer anything to our clientele. We were new to the game, they were established and fully committed with their restricted quantities to decades-old pursuers. Two of these such brands that immediately come to mind for which we transcended from waiting list to THE list were Dalla Valle and Colgin. So occasionally, a spot on the winery wait list opens up for a boutique wine shop such as ACME and when it does, our long-awaited partnership begins with gratitude and genuine passion. But a few months ago, that time actually came for us with a brand whose origin dates back to the 1990’s, and we have been in awe of our situation, awaiting the perfect opportunity to share it with you ever since. John & Maggy Kongsgaard are considered royalty in wine aficionado circles. Their family operation has made a remarkable contribution to the wine world and we are truly grateful. They both grew up in the Napa Valley, John’s father being a Superior Court Judge with a penchant for great wine. While home on college break, it was an errand to pick up his father’s prized possession of Stony Hill Chardonnay that changed the course of his future. It was there that John saw what a life could be like, surrounded by grapes and producing what others deem to be a beautiful treasure. There were mentorships (Andre Tchelistcheff and Nathan Fay), winemaking positions at Newton and Luna, a partnership in Arietta, and the planting of vines on their property that led to the historic greatness that is Kongsgaard wine. John has been called “Napa’s Fortunate Son” by James Laube; in 2004 he was Food & Wine Magazine’s Winemaker of the Year; in 2005 he was in The Robb Report’s Best of the Best. Eric Asimov from the New York Times remarked that “Kongsgaard consistently makes the best Chardonnay in California today”. John continuously receives comments from critics that their Chardonnays are reminiscent of either a particular vintage of DRC, or they closely compare to a Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne or Meursault. The Syrah has been compared to an exquisite Cote Rotie - the Cabernet deemed “exquisite”. Today, along with their son Alex - the second half of the two-man winemaking team - they are literally iconic in crafting gems that invoke the senses, going far beyond the normal wine-tasting experience. We get to be the privileged beneficiaries.