Grgich Hills Estate - Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021
Product details
| Management number | 253420167 | Release Date | 2026/10/24 | List Price | CA$40.00 | Model Number | 253420167 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | |||||||||
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 top white Burgundies of France and a small sampling of upstart Chardonnays from the Napa Valley, as well as top Bordeaux–including two First Growths–and half dozen California Cabernet Sauvignon wines. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked: they had chosen the 1973 Stag’s Leap as the best red wine and the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich, as one the finest white wine in the world. 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 win awards and delight wine lovers.
Grgich Hills‘s approach to winemaking is simple: let the vineyard speak. Their process begins with healthy vineyards, thanks to organic practices–only healthy soil can promote healthy vines, minimizing pests and disease. And taking care of the soil is fundamental for the long term, as organic farming practices result in production that can be sustained over decades.
These ideas have evolved into regenerative farming, the basic tenets of which are very similar to those practised by subsistence farmers throughout human history but that have been mainly abandoned in mainstream agriculture. The focus is on the diversity and health of microbes and microscopic organisms that live in soil that transform soil materials into nutrients for plants. Though Croatian farmers didn’t realize it back then, their agricultural practices–including no-till agriculture, dry farming, and natural land management–were supporting microbial sustainability.
Ivo Jeramaz, Mike’s nephew and fellow Croatian expatriate, grew up utilizing these natural farming practices in his own family’s garden. As vineyard manager and head winemaker for Grgich Hills, Ivo has endeavoured to implement a regenerative approach to viticulture, a style that reflects those family roots in Croatia.
Bestseller ranking
Wine
Correction of product information
If you notice any omissions or errors in the product information on this page, please use the correction request form below.
Correction Request Form