94 Points - The Wine Palate
93 Points - 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (London)
92 Points - Wine Enthusiast
92 Points - JamesSuckling.com
This is Great Chardonnay!
You'll want to drink some now, and hold more for your cellar.
Delicious for any occasion, or perfect for aging. Enjoy with herb-crusted pork ribs, grilled chicken Caesar salad, poached salmon and more.
Vineyard: This Chardonnay grapes thrives in their 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 morning fog allow the grapes to slowly ripen to develop complex flavors while maintaining a bright, natural acidity. All the vineyards are certified regenerative organic, ensuring that all of the grapes are of the highest quality, and responsible stewards of the environment.
Vintage: The winter months of the 2023 vintage brought the relief of heavy rains after three consecutive drought years, with precipitation up to 50% above Napa Valley averages. An unusually cool spring delayed budbreak and was followed by a moderately warm summer with no dramatic heat spikes, allowing the grapes to ripen beautifully. Harvest began in earnest by mid-September and carried on through the first of November, making this one of the longest growing seasons in the Grgich Hills Estate record. Their achievement of Regenerative Organic Certification in December of 2022 was noteworthy as well-all of our wines from the 2023 vintage on will bear this certification that represents the highest standard of environmentally-conscious agriculture.
Alcohol: 13%
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date: Sept. 8, 2023
Sugar: 21.3 Brix (average)
Fermentation: Indigenous yeast; 2-3 weeks in barrel
Total acid: 6.4 g/L
pH: 3.3
Aging: Fermented and aged 10 months in 80% barrels and 20% foudres
Type of oak: French oak; 40% new, 60% neutral
Bottling date: July 2024
95 Points
Deep garnet-purple in color and strides confidently out of the glass with notes of crushed blueberries, ripe blackberry, and warm cassis with hints of cherry, black olive, currant and a touch of black pepper.
93 Points
Robust aromatics of boysenberry, blackberry, cranberry, and black cherry are the centerpiece of this wine, harmonizing with the underlying aromas of violets, sandalwood, and forest floor. The first sip opens on the palate with a rush of softness and density, and lush, savory tannins. Red berries, blackberry, and cassis envelop the tongue on the mid-palate, gently punctuated with subtle acidity followed by a long, flavorful finish.
90 Points
Aromas of cranberry, sour cherry, plum, and orange rind, complemented by hints of forest floor, pine needles, and rosemary. The wine opens with flavor of juicy red fruit supported by spicy undertones of red pepper and black tea. The freshness of its red fruit are enhanced a vibrant core of light acidity and full rich tannins all of which linger gracefully in the long finish.
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