Grgich Hills Estate, Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Grgich Hills Estate · California › Napa Valley › United States of America

White · Chardonnay
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LWIN 1355693
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
89 /100
Reviews
21
professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

NV

Community Reviews

26
26
Reviews
88.9
Avg Score
91
Highest
Taster #1737 · Nov 6, 2021
90/100
The fruit is sourced from organically farmed vineyards. Fermented spontaneously, MLF blocked. Aged for 10 months in French oak barriques (40% new). 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind. Intense yellow-green color. Ripe yet not particularly sweet-toned nose with aromas of fresh pineapple, some woody spice, a little bit of creamy oak, light herbal notes of lavender, a hint of fresh apple and a subtle touch of sappy vegetal greenness. The wine feels broad, tropical and quite full-bodied on the palate with flavors …
2011 vintage
Taster #4313 · Dec 26, 2019
90/100
Grgich makes chardonnays that can last a while if cellared properly - this bottle was no exception. I think that it can go another year - we will finish the remainder of the case within a month. drink and enjoy The wine looks greenish gold colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like grapefruit. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine has medium acidity.
2011 vintage
Taster #0192 · Jul 9, 2017
89/100
Medium gold with watery rim; subtle nose of lemon meringue pie, caramel and brioche; palate follows nose; it's become more refined with age and has left behind its youthful oak bomb; short finish; pleasant; riding off into the sunset - drink now
2011 vintage
Taster #8941 · Mar 25, 2017
88/100
Good oak without being overpowering. Good acidity. Not as much fruit on the palate as the nose promised.
2011 vintage
Taster #8073 · Aug 27, 2016
89/100
Smooth, medium body, baked apple and citrus, subtle toasty oak. Medium length finish.
2011 vintage
Taster #7359 · Dec 23, 2015
Typical, dependable Grgich. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
2011 vintage
Taster #2546 · Oct 29, 2015
90/100
Light straw yellow color; savory, almond, butter sauce, sauteed mushroom, nutmeg nose; savory, tasty, tart pear, almond, butter sauce, nutmeg palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 90+ points
2011 vintage
Taster #0826 · Oct 17, 2015
Solid flavours. On day one, too oaky for me, even though there are also strong fruit flavours. On day two, this wine was fantastic with fine European cheeses.
2011 vintage
Taster #1789 · Jul 14, 2015
90/100
Nose: Fresh aromas of pineapple and lychee with traces of lime and stone mineral. Palate: A good acidic spine frames up flavors of pineapple and lemons. Clean and balanced the finish goes on for about 20 seconds. Really well made but for me there is no "wow" factor in the form of great complexity (on palate ~ nose is very interesting) so for now its a solid 90 points.
2011 vintage
Taster #5553 · Jun 27, 2015
90/100
On my club's wine list for $53, so it's a no brainer to have with a fish dish. Easy drinking, balanced and with a backbone of minerality not usually found in Napa Chardonnay.
2011 vintage
Taster #0826 · Jun 13, 2015
Friends, what might be the drinking window for the HALF BOTTLE of this wine? The average drinking window for all vintages closes in eight years, i.e. 2019, for the full bottle. (Removing outliers, it's 6.5 years.) Currently the average for the closing window for this wine is 2015, based on ten users' windows. Is that accurate? Let me know your thoughts! Thanks!
2011 vintage
Taster #9851 · May 25, 2015
87/100
Butter colored, medium bodied, rather simple straightforward Chardonnay, not loaded with butter or oak but tending to predominant tones of citrus over the subtle pear and green apple with a mineral finish.
2011 vintage
Taster #2159 · Apr 19, 2015
90/100
While not as fleshy as its 2010 sibling, this iteration of Grgich's flagship Chardonnay is still quite good. Medium yellow-gold in color, it delivers aromas and flavors of lime, citrus, flint and tropical fruit. Medium-bodied and with seamless alcohol (13.5%), it supports the fruit with crisp acidity. Grgich does not take its Chardonnay offerings through malolactic fermentation, which assures a degree of freshness that might be a bit overdone in the difficult 2011 vintage. That said, the wine stays solid …
2011 vintage
Taster #8492 · Apr 6, 2015
After having tasted the 2010 vintage of the Cask 23 that was victorious at the Judgment of Paris in 1976 (that was the 1973 vintage), it seemed apt to have a half bottle of a Chardonnay from Mike Grgich, the man who was responsible for the Montelena 1973 which triumphed in the white category at that occasion. Unfortunately, it was ever so slightly corked. It is clearly a wine with freshness, mineral energy and drive, ripe but zesty fruit and …
2011 vintage
Taster #6145 · Mar 29, 2015
86/100
Similar to previous reviews: crisp, delicate, well balanced some floral notes and a bit of mineralogy. Well made but given the reputation was hoping for a bit more, such as a more lingering finish.
2011 vintage
Taster #2973 · Mar 28, 2015
86/100
Wonderful as always. Peach, mango, minerals, no buttered popcorn
2011 vintage
Taster #3951 · Mar 18, 2015
91/100
Crisp balanced. Some oak. Lemon zest.
2011 vintage
Taster #1125 · Feb 13, 2015
Corked.
2011 vintage
Taster #8073 · Dec 9, 2014
90/100
Crisp green apple and a little citrus. Smooth on the palate with good acidity coming in on the finish. Tasted next to the 2006. Give this wine time to develop.
2011 vintage
Taster #7283 · Sep 22, 2014
90/100
Flavors of peach with slight minerality.
2011 vintage
Taster #5274 · Jul 12, 2014
88/100
Oak on nose almost overwhelms fruit but eventually settles into a pleasant blend of cream and minerality Nice balance , medium length, unmistakeably CA
2011 vintage
Taster #0560 · May 20, 2014
90/100
Grgich Hills always known for their consistent Chardonnays without a ton of butter or oak. This one is a little lighter with regard to body, fruit, and complexity but still nice to drink.
2011 vintage
Taster #0483 · Apr 7, 2014
91/100
Highly expressive apple, pear, butter and toast aromas. Medium-bodied with very nice aroma replays. Toasty oak is well-integrated, but not overbearing. Good balanced overall, with very good acids and lengthy finish.
2011 vintage
Taster #0783 · Mar 7, 2014
91/100
Blind California Chardonnays (My Place - Washington, DC) : Rich golden color. Aromas of green pears, butter cream, white flowers, some coconut milk. Creamy on the body but persistent acid. Green apple, pear and melon flavors mix nicely with limestone, sea salt and chalk aspects. Balanced creamy and nutty notes, but the wine maintains a cool and clean aesthetic. Complex, nuanced, beautiful, begs for food. Aged 10 months in French oak, 40% new.
2011 vintage
Taster #9933 · Feb 22, 2014
87/100
Golden in color with high viscosity visually. Bold and masculine. Heavier bodied than I would have thought it would be given its reasonable 13.5% alcohol. Lemon curd, vanilla, and what I can only describe as "California Chardonnay" on the nose. Creamy mouthfeel and the lemon curd conveys on the palate. Medium/long finish. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it went for "straight tropical" or "creme brulee" dessert notes. But it falls somewhere in between lean lemon and …
2011 vintage
Taster #5633 · Sep 13, 2013
83/100
Light yellow with no legs. Oak, butter, and caramel. If that's your thing, great. D80/Q86
2011 vintage