Grgich Hills Estate 2012 Napa Chardonnay
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. 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 their signature wine: the exquisite, richly complex Chardonnays that won awards and delight wine lovers across America and throughout the world.
I recently opened their 2012 Chardonnay, which was aged for 10 months in French oak (40% new) and did not undergo malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the wine’s natural acidity. Mike Grgich, called the “King of Chardonnay” farms w/o pesticides and is certified organic. The color is a pale golden yellow with aromas of stone, tropical fruit and citrus. The palate shows off apple, melon and peach flavors, with some orange rind and nutty notes coming through. The finish was rich and creamy with some spicy mineral and perfumed tones lingering to a complex ending. Not your typical California Chardonnay, Grgich delivers like a few can!
Cheers!