If you ever have the chance to go to a winemaker dinner or winery-hosted tasting with food pairings, go. The wineries put a ton of effort into showing off their wines at these events, and, interaction-wise, it’s a step above a traditional tasting at the winery itself.
We attended a private wine tasting and food pairing the other night and the tasting included eight, yes, eight Grgich Hills Estate wines. And as you would expect from Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, the man who brought us the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, which won the 1976 Judgment in Paris, there was not a bad bottle in the lot.
Before we get into the highlights from the tasting, here’s a little background on Grgich Hills Estate.
The first thing many wine lovers think of when they hear the name ‘Grgich’ is chardonnay, but not just any chardonnay, a very specific bottle of chardonnay: the 1973 bottle of Chateau Montelena crafted by winemaker Mike Grgich that won the white wine portion of the Judgment of Paris.
For those that need a quick refresh, the Judgment of Paris was a blind tasting competition that had a profound impact on the American wine industry. So much so, in fact, that bottles of both the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and 1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, are on display in the Smithsonian Museum. The Judgment of Paris legitimized the California wine industry and catapulted it onto the world stage.
Following the results of the event, Mike Grgich became one of the most famous winemakers in the world.
After triumphing at the Judgment of Paris, Mike’s winemaking skills were in high demand; he was effectively the most famous winemaker in the US. Austin Hills and his sister Mary Lee Strebl, of the Hills Bros. Coffee family, having just sold their portion of the coffee company, had money to invest and a love of wine.
They reached out to Mike to propose a new partnership that would have Austin manage the financial side of the business, with Mike focused on the grape growing and the winemaking. The Hills family already owned vineyards in the Rutherford area of Napa Valley, so Mike would be able to start making wine almost immediately.
On July 4, 1977, the trio broke ground on what would become the site of the current winery and began focusing on three varieties: chardonnay, zinfandel, and riesling. They later added sauvignon blanc, which they labeled as fumé blanc, just as Robert Mondavi did, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Grgich Hills Estate owns and operates over 300 acres of organically farmed vineyards. The business remains a family affair, with Mike’s daughter Violet, now President of Grgich Hills Estate, and his nephew Ivo, the head winemaker, and VP of Vineyards and Production.
Original co-founder Austin Hills remains Chairman of the Board of Grgich Hills Estate and remains passionate about the ongoing success of the company.
Highlights from the Grgich tasting, in the order we tasted them.
This limited-production wine is dry, and slightly acidic, as a sauvignon blanc should be. Notes of grapefruit, citrus, and green apple on the palate. The wine was fantastic, and it would be perfect for summer. At the tasting, it was paired with sushi and a watermelon salad, which worked really well.
This wine is only sold at the winery, or through the member’s club. It was a real treat to try.
This Grgich Chardonnay is made in the same style as the award-winning bottle that won the Paris tasting in 1976. Price-wise, it’s on the steeper side for chardonnay, but it’s worth every penny.
Hints of vanilla, and oak, but also a wave of crispness from notes of apple and light stone fruit. The chardonnay was paired with a Chicken Curry, which might have worked, but the dish had way too much heat. The wine stole the show in this pairing.
This is the way Zin should be done. Organic grapes aged in French oak casks result in a wine that’s fruit-forward, but not jammy, with dark fruit and berries leading the way, and a little herbaceous, with hints of barely-there mint and oregano. Grapes from this bottle are sourced from the Grgich Hills Calistoga vineyard, which has blocks that were planted between 1889 and 2000.
The Grgich Hills Zinfandel was paired with a braised lamb and was just the right pairing.
The evening ended with the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville Old Vine, an amazing blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. When Grgich labels these vines as ‘old vine’, they mean it. Planted in 1959, Grgich’s Cabernet vines are the second oldest in Napa Valley. The oldest healthy and productive vines belong to the cult Cabernet Scarecrow.
This wine had notes of dark fruits like black cherry, blackberries, and plums, but also currents of tobacco, old leather, and smooth vanilla oak. The tannins were grippy and the acid was balanced.
We would give this wine an easy 94 pts; truly a pleasure to drink.
The Grgich Old Vine Cabernet from Yountville was paired with a perfectly cooked short rib; it was an incredible way to end the evening.
We want to give a big shout-out to Michele Butler, from Grgich Hills, for putting on a great event.
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