Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay 2020
- Vintage
- 2020
- Country
- USA
- Region
- US-Napa Valley
- Size
- 750ml
- Grapes
- Chardonnay
- Rating
- JS93, WA92
Aromas of dried orange peel, lemon grass and hay. Medium-bodied with lovely complexity. Herbs and dried citrus meld together, with a hint of white tea adding intrigue. Well composed. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JS93
A non-malolactic wine—made in the spirit of the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that impressed at the Paris tasting in 1976—Grgich's 2020 Estate Grown Chardonnay features gentle toasty notes, a hint of roasted hazelnut, plus bright pineapple and citrus fruit. It's medium-bodied, zesty and refreshing, with a long, clean finish. Best After 2022 - WA92
This Chardonnay entices you with aromas of fresh peach, citrus, and honeysuckle followed by bright fresh acidity and a beautiful chiseled minerality leading to a fi nish that is layered with undertones of passion fruit, white peach and a hint of Madagascar vanilla. - Winemaker's Notes
Grgich Hills Estate is a historic fixture in Napa Valley, founded by Miljenko "Mike" Grgich in the Rutherford AVA in 1977. The winery produces an array of wines from five estate vineyards located throughout the famous valley, and has received international acclaim for its elegant and balanced wines.
Mike Grgich became world famous for crafting the 1973 vintage of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that ranked top at the famous Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976, beating out some of Burgundy's most famous white wines. As a result, Grgich Hills Estate's Chardonnay is one of the more popular wines in the range, sourced from cooler vineyards in American Canyon and Carneros. With no malolactic fermentation, this is a fresher style of Chardonnay with bright acidity. Another popular white wine is the Fumé Blanc, a Sauvignon Blanc aged in large French oak casks.
As with most Napa wineries, Grgich also produces a line up of rich and bold red wines, including a Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Grgich Estate Zinfandel is sourced from the vineyard in Calistoga, Napa's warmest AVA, and delivers ripe opulence on the palate. The Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are sourced from a few estate vineyards, and are blended together each vintage to yield the optimal result.
Grgich Hills Estate crafts a number of reserve and special wines, the most popular being their single vineyard Yountville Cabernet, sourced from some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Napa Valley, planted in 1959. The Violetta Late Harvest dessert wine is named for Mike's daughter, Violet, and is sourced from the American Canyon vineyard.
While many successful wineries like to expand their operations, Grgich has remained a medium-sized, family-owned winery.-Information from Wine Searcher