Kongsgaard elevates Napa Chardonnay from the famous Hudson and Hyde vineyards. This is a gorgeous and expansive masterpiece that you won't be able to stop tasting once you've tried it.
This wine is made from grapes from two of the most representative vineyards in Napa Valley. It is a representative work that Kongsgaard has been making since the company was founded. It produces about 1,000 cases per year. It is a precious wine that sells out immediately when it arrives in Japan. The two vineyards, Hudson Vineyard (2/3) and Hyde Vineyard (1/3), both in Napa Carneros, bring together the unique personalities of the two vineyards.
100% Chardonnay. First released in 1996, this wine has been produced to this day. Fermented and aged in barrels using only natural yeast (approximately 2 years), unfiltered, and bottled without artificial clarification. This method creates a unique flavor with an ultimate balance of fruitiness and acidity that fills the mouth. One of the characteristics of this wine is the pronounced rich, flinty aroma that is found in wines from some producers in Burgundy-Meursault and Chablis.
Competition between famous vineyards
This is the ultimate collaboration of the Wente clones grown by two exceptional Carneros growers, Lee Hudson and Larry Hyde. This wine is made from two famous vineyards located on the Napa Valley side of Carneros, which is known for its cool climate, and is heavily influenced by the fog and cold air from the cold San Pablo Bay at the southernmost tip of Napa Valley.
Both Hudson and Hyde are located in Napa Carneros, but each has its own unique flavor. When tasting the two wines from barrels before they are blended in the cellar, the difference in their personalities is clear. Hudson has an explosively rich fruitiness with a tense acidity that lingers on your aftertaste, while Hyde has an overwhelming minerality and a wonderful concentrated fruitiness.
John Kongsgaard explained the image. Hudson has a rich flavor on the sides, so imagine it stretching up and down, while Hyde has a sharp edge, so imagine it swelling sideways. The blend is finished at that exquisite point.
Hudson Vineyards
Owners Lee Hudson and John Kongsgaard have known each other since their days as students at UC Davis. When John was Newton's winemaker, he was the first to pay farmers for the contracted area of land to grow low-yielding grapes, rather than buying grapes by weight, as is now commonly said. In fact, during his time at Newton, he reduced the yield from 5 tons per acre to 2.5 tons. Even now, grapes are purchased on a custom basis after detailed discussions for each vintage. This method has had a major impact on Hudson Vineyard's contracts with many other winemakers, and is also connected to Hudson Vineyard's current reputation. Kistler, Patz & Hall, Ramey, and others make their own top-rated Chardonnays by contract and custom designing grapes (yield, harvest timing, etc.). Hudson Vineyard itself also releases excellent Chardonnays.
Hyde Vineyards
The company is famous for its collaborative wine ``Hyde de Villaine, HdV'' with Mr. Villaine, co-owner of Romanee-Conti in Burgundy, and also supplies grapes to Kistler, Ramey, Patz & Hall, Aubert, and others.
Technical Comments
Fermented in barrels by plot using only natural yeast. In very cool cellars, fermentation may stop, but the fermentation is allowed to proceed slowly without forcing it, and primary fermentation may take more than a year to complete. SO2 is very small. One-year-old barrels are used in the first year, and two-year-old barrels are used in the second year. The blend varies depending on the VTG, but is about 2/3 Hudson and 1/3 Hyde.
John Kongsgaard's comments on the 2021 vintage
The rich aromas are reminiscent of classic tangerine oil and crème brûlée, with hints of marzipan and nectarine. The flavors are large and spread throughout the mouth, but not overpowering. The finish is very long and has a pleasant salty taste. Robert Parker once called this wine the Batard-Montrachet of Napa.
Vintage: 2021
Capacity: 750ml
Type: White wine
Taste: Full-bodied
Main variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Napa Valley
Vineyards: Hudson Vineyards, Hyde Vineyard
Note: Limited edition, limited stock
Winemaker: John Kongsgaard
Winemaking: Fermented in French barrels with natural yeast
Aging: Barrel aged for approximately two years, unfiltered, unfined
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 14.1%