Grgich Hills Estate
2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay
Chardonnay
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
The Best Yet
Grgich Hills Estate scores another direct hit with today’s 2010 Grgich Hills Napa Valley Chardonnay! This extraordinary wine is complex, balanced and delicious, with flavors and aromas that all work together in perfect harmony.
We’ve had the great fortune to showcase each vintage of this wine, dating back to the 2006 vintage. Each year that we feature it, the current vintage Grgich Chardonnay becomes a best-seller. We expect today’s 2010 vintage to shatter records, for this wine is simply incredible.
If you enjoy elegant, flavorful Chardonnay that will delight rather than bore you, we offer you today’s wine with our boldest recommendation.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Light straw yellow color, from heart to edge. The wine shows some viscosity, providing clues as to how it will feel on the palate. |
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| Smell: | Very fragrant, very aromatic, with a bold rush of lees (brioche) that melds with dark Meyer lemon, honey on fresh French bread, caramel apple, seared pear and white peach. |
| Taste: | Fresh, bold and zesty with delicious flavors of white peach, creamed honey, white pear, tart apple skin, Meyer lemon and lemon curd. |
| Finish: | Mouthwatering and creamy, with harmonious, long-sustaining fruit flavors that tail off to lemon honey. As flavors fade, a slight dryness advances across the palate. |
| Pairing: | Arugula salad with grilled peaches would be a delight. Add some fresh Chevre if you really want to go over the top with flavor and texture. |
What the Winery Says
We farm all of our vineyards naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides, and they are certified organic and Biodynamic(R). Our Chardonnay comes from our American Canyon and Carneros vineyards in the southern tip of Napa Valley, near San Pablo Bay, which spills into the San Francisco Bay. The cool maritime breezes and fog allow the grapes to slowly ripen to develop complex flavors while maintaining a pleasing natural acidity that is impossible to achieve in warmer areas.
Cool and long sum up the 2010 growing season. Spring brought below average temperatures with above average rain, pushing back budbreak by two weeks. The cool temperatures continued into summer allowing for steady but slow grape ripening until a series of heat spikes brought much-needed heat to ripen grapes to full maturity.
- Winemaker
- Miljenko “Mike” Grgich
- Appellation
- Napa Valley, California
- Varietal Composition
- 100% Chardonnay
- Farming Practices
- Certified 100% organic and Biodynamic
- Cooperage
- Fermented and aged 10 months in French oak: 60% neutral barrels, 40% new
About the Winery
Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained a reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the world at the celebrated “Paris Tasting” of 1976. Eminent French judges chose Mike’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay as the finest white wine in the world. Mon Dieu!
The Paris Tasting served notice to the world that the California wine industry was on the move, and it laid the groundwork for the creation of Grgich Hills Cellar. Today, we remain committed to making distinctive wines with quality, consistency and longevity. We are proud that world leaders such as Presidents Reagan and Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand chose our wines to serve at state dinners, but we are just as proud that every single day discriminating wine drinkers count on Grgich Hills to turn their own dinners into special occasions.
Winemaker Ivo Jeramaz
Ivo was born in Croatia to a family of grape growers and as boy he assisted in making wine for his family’s enjoyment. In 1986, with the help of his uncle, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, Ivo followed his dream and came to Napa Valley.
He quickly fell in love with the scenic beauty of the area and became fascinated with wine making. During his almost-three decades at Grgich Hills Ivo has worked his way up in responsibility, learning the classic style and art of winemaking from his uncle, supported by the tools of science and technology.
While he has taken enology and viticulture courses at UC Davis, Ivo says, “I’ve learned more working in the vineyards and in the winery with Mike.” Under the guidance of his uncle, Ivo is now responsible for the day-to-day operations in the cellar and the vineyard.
“At Grgich Hills, we grow grapes like my grandfather did, farming without chemicals and pesticides,” Ivo says. “Mike taught me early in my career that you need great grapes to make great wine. Over the years, I’ve focused on working with the land. Through our natural farming, it’s been very rewarding to see the soil alive with healthier plants than under conventional farming. It allows the wines to be more authentic—more distinctive.”
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Vineyard Notes
Since 2003, our vineyards have been in full production, and our wines are 100% estate-grown, produced, and bottled. We have 366 total acres planted in five vineyards that form a string of pearls running through the heart of Napa Valley: American Canyon, Carneros, Yountville, Rutherford, and Calistoga.
Each has its own unique climate, and we have carefully chosen the varietals best-suited for each vineyard’s terroir. Because our vineyards are so vital to the success of our winemaking, we put great emphasis on being thoughtful stewards of our land and vines. We have done so for more than 30 years, and that is one primary reason why Grgich Hills has consistently produced award-winning wines that are enjoyed across America and all around the world.
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Sustainable Farming Practices
Our guiding philosophy is quite simple: great wines always begin with exceptional fruit. Committed to natural winegrowing and sustainability, we farm our five estate vineyards without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, and they are all Certified Organic.