Argot is the small-lot Sonoma Mountain specialist founded by Justin Harmon, a self-taught winemaker who came to wine from a Chicago chemical-engineering background. He arrived in California as a harvest intern in 2005 and worked the 2006 harvest for 100-point Cabernet specialist Russell Bevan, who eventually told him to start his own label. The first Argot vintage was a single ton of Syrah in 2007. Today the program runs to about 3,000 cases a year across Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc, with individual cuvees as small as 75 cases. The wines have accumulated over 100 90+ scores, Wine Spectator featured Harmon's Sonoma Mountain Syrah program in October 2025, and Purely Domestic Wine Report named Argot Winery of the Year in 2023. Allocation only.
Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir, Sonoma County: the wine Argot is best known for; rich and complex with berry, spice and a long finish.
Le Rayon Vert Chardonnay: smooth and bright with citrus and impressive depth, from old Sonoma Mountain vines.
Indigo Syrah: a full-bodied, Cornas/Hermitage-styled cool-climate Syrah with berry and coffee notes.
Bonny's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville: from a historic Oakville block, dark berries, chocolate and oak in a rich, balanced frame.
Sauvignon Blanc, Bennett Valley: elegant and aromatic, with papaya, orange blossom and lemongrass.
Justin Harmon's Argot makes small-lot wines from Sonoma Mountain, Bennett Valley and the Petaluma Gap, plus prized Napa sites; the Bonny's Vineyard block was planted more than 50 years ago, and Argot works it in partnership with the Meyer family, founders of Silver Oak Cellars.
Argot's fruit comes from both sides of the Mayacamas: Bennett Valley and Sonoma Mountain on the Sonoma side, St. Helena and the wider Napa Valley across the hills. The Sonoma Mountain vineyards form the core of the program, high-elevation sites that give wines of tension and precision. Beyond the five core varietals, the range reaches to a Simpatico Ranch Chardonnay from 50-year-old vines and Pixelated, a limited-edition sparkling rosé. Production is tiny: as few as 75 to 130 cases per cuvee. The name, in Beth Harmon's words, means a language that develops from intimacy, like-mindedness, and mutual respect; Beth, who met Justin at Vinify in 2011, runs sales, marketing, and communications. Argot doesn't operate a public tasting room; allocations come through the mailing list, and private tastings are booked at the winery in a North Santa Rosa business park.
