This Grgich Hills Estate 2014 Napa Valley Estate Grown Fumé Blanc is a very special wine that we’re completely crazy about. This delicious Summertime white is actually a great year-round wine. Consider stashing some for the coming fall and winter holidays, when appetizer courses and turkey dinners cry out for the perfect white wine.

This 2014 vintage was a real surprise to everyone on our tasting panel. We’ve featured several vintages of this wine over these last 9+ years and we declare that this wine has much more character than past vintages. Further, the feel of the wine is far more elegant that we’ve previously seen from older vintages of this wine.

This is the rare sort of white wine that makes one stop and really experience all that the wine has to offer, which are aromatics and flavors aplenty. Do yourself a favor, simply inhale the wine for several minutes before you take that first glorious, flavor-filled sip. You’ll find plenty to experience just on the nose alone. Sip it, and you’ll be transported.

Fresh aromas rush up to greet you on the nose, with lemon flower, acacia, grilled lemon slice, dried earth (mineral), pineapple, toasted oak, orange blossom, baked apple and white peach.

Flavors glide onto the palate, leading with lemon curd and orange blossom. These are closely followed by grilled white peach, pineapple, lychee, brioche, toasty oak, subtle spice, slate and a subtle hint of white pepper at the very end.

Very, very highly recommended.