GRGICH HILLS
2014 Napa Valley, Chardonnay
40th Anniversary

92 Points - Wines & Spirits
91 Points - Wine Enthusiast
90 Points - Wine Spectator

The Wine: This limited production, elegant Chardonnay harkens back to an earlier style of Chardonnay, showcasing fresh, bright, juicy flavors of a crisp apple and pear, driven by refreshing acidity. This is the perfect paring with smoked salmon, crispy crab cakes or chicken Dijon.

Vintage: For the third year in a row Napa Valley experienced an exceptional vintage, aided by near drought conditions. Bud break came slight early and the modest temperatures through the growing season helped preserve moisture. July's relatively low temperatures coupled with high relative humidity slowed down sugar accumulation to achieve perfect ripeness with lower alcohol. Harvest started and ended about two weeks earlier than normal, producing superb quality

Vineyard: Chardonnay thrives in our Carneros Vineyard 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. All of our vineyards are certified organic and we farm them naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides.

Varietal:  100% Chardonnay
Appelation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date:  Aug. 29 - Sept. 9, 2014
Sugar:  23.1 degrees Brix
Fermentation:  indigenous yeast
Total acid:  6.8 g/L
pH:  3.23
Aging:  Fermented French oak, aged 10 months, 70% new, 30% neutral
Bottling date:  December 15, 2015
Release date:  February 1, 2017

Tasting Notes  PDF

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 the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich, 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.

Learn more at www.grgich.com.

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