Grgich Hills Estate
2011 Estate Grown Napa Valley Chardonnay
Chardonnay •Estate Vineyards
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
Go, Go Grgich!
We just love an excellent Chardonnay, but when a stupendous one comes along, we really swoon. We are thrilled to report that today’s Grgich Hills Estate 2011 Estate Grown Napa Valley Chardonnay handily earns the stupendous moniker.
Year after year, Grgich Chardonnay outsells every other Chardonnay that we showcase. Always, their Chardonnays are fresh, crisp, flavorful and very food friendly. If you enjoy great Chardonnay, you might just fall in love with today’s special wine.
Enjoy now, but stock up for spring and summer.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Light straw yellow color, from heart to edge, with just a touch of viscosity. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Very aromatic, with notes of buttery brioche, sweet vanilla bean, Meyer lemon, green apple, and grilled white peach. |
| Taste: | Beautifully balanced, and exactly what you hope for in a Napa Chardonnay, this wine has robust flavors of Meyer lemon, white peach, caramel-dipped green apple, and a touch of buttery vanilla. |
| Finish: | Long, elegant, and entirely approachable, the creamy fruit flavors slowly trail off, leaving a touch of honey at the very end of the palate. |
| Pairing: | A classic meal of French whole roasted chicken, cooked with fresh thyme, lemon slices, and root vegetables. |
What the Winery Says
We farm all of our vineyards naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides, and they are certified organic and Biodynamic®. 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.
By farming naturally and not allowing the Chardonnay to undergo malolactic fermentation, we crafted a wine that is alive with delicious acidity.
Thanks to cool weather and unexpected rains, 2011 was a demanding, but in the end, rewarding vintage for us. The wet winter and spring delayed the start of bloom and then cool temperatures slowed grape development, pushing the start of harvest back by two weeks. More reminiscent of France than Napa Valley, this vintage fashioned elegant wines with great aromatics and the lower level of sugars from the cool growing season translated into lower alcohol.
92 Point Review-Robert Whitley Cool, rainy weather posed numerous challenges for the 2011 grape harvest in northern California, yet meticulous selection and skillful work in the cellar resulted in many successes. At Grgich, winemaker Ivo Jeramaz made the most of what nature gave him, crafting a lean but lovely Chardonnay that comes in at less than 14 percent alcohol by volume, a rarity these days in California. This vintage exhibits a delicate floral note, a hint of lemon oil, and mouth-watering acidity. From the Napa Valley’s premier Chardonnay producer, you would expect no less.
- Winemaker
- Ivo Jeramaz
- Accolades
- 92 Points - Robert Whitley
- Appellation
- Napa Valley, California
- Fruit Variety
- 100% Chardonnay
- Farming
- 100% Organic and biodynamic
- Cooperage
- 10 months in French oak
- ABV
- 13.5
About the Winery
Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained international recognition at the celebrated “Paris Tasting” of 1976. Then, in a now-historic blind tasting, a panel of eminent French judges swirled, sniffed, and sipped an array of the fabled white Burgundies of France and a small sampling of upstart Chardonnays from the Napa Valley. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked: they had chosen Mike’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay as the finest white wine in the world. Mon Dieu! The results stunned the international wine establishment and immediately earned Mike a reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the world.
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. After his victory in Paris, Mike sat down with Austin Hills and his sister, Mary Lee Strebl, from the Hills Bros. Coffee family, and on Independence Day 1977, they gave birth to Grgich Hills. It was an ideal partnership. Austin owned premium vineyards in Rutherford, in the heart of the Napa Valley, and with his extensive background in business, he put the winery on its financial feet. Mike, with his fierce commitment to making wines of the highest quality, began producing what immediately became our signature wine: the exquisite, richly complex Chardonnays that win awards and delight wine lovers across America and throughout the world.
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.