Notes on brief visit to Grgich Hills

WINE TALK
1

My wife and I are in town for the weekend and stopped at Grgich Hills for a tasting, as I hadn’t been there in nearly 10 years (not to taste the wines, anyway). Yannick set us up with a beautiful flight of wine with cheese pairing, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a more relaxing, casual tasting. Very well put together, and great pairings with the wines. I know since I am asked very often where to go by friends who expect me to actually KNOW these things that I will point them this way. Seated outside, under an umbrella, near a waterfall - nice ambiance to start it off - crackers, cheese, water, and a flight of wine. Sign me up.

2013 Grgich Hills Napa Valley Essence, Sauvignon Blanc - this SB is aged in huge neutral oak barrels rather than stainless, and it makes for an interesting Sauvignon Blanc as a result. A more substantial, softer mouthfeel than you’d expect from a SB, but still a great crispness in the citrus fruit, primarily grapefruit which I thought interesting. There was a hint of nuttiness, which I’d have to attribute to the oak aging, but it wasn’t an ‘old wine’ nuttiness or premox type, just a flavor profile.

2012 Grgich Hills Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay - paired with Point Reyes Toma, California. Old World style with this Chardonnay - no malolactic fermentation (YAY!) so you can actually taste the quality of the grapes. In a fantastic vintage like this, with a selection of their best grapes, this is a fantastic Chardonnay. Great acidity, but with great weight on the mouthfeel that is not syrupy as many malo Chardonnays can be. Far more expressive than a Chardonnay normally is, and I liked that we had it served at a cellar temperature rather than cold.

Cabernet Sauvignon Flight:

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - paired with Barely Buzzed, Utah. This is a dead ringer for a high end Bordeaux, more so than anything I’ve ever tried other than certain vintages of Dominus, so I loved it. Beautiful red fruits, and a bit of the saddle leather and gaminess that you expect in a Bordeaux blend of old, absent the graphite component for the most part. Still, served blind, absolutely would be mistaken for Bordeaux nearly every time. Fantastic wine, elegant and rich, clean clean finish.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - paired with Reserve Gouda, Netherlands. While a good wine, too this one paled to the prior, for my preferences, since I’m such a Bordeaux whore. This was a more typical cab, but felt a bit on the thinner side for me in terms of its flavor profile. It wasn’t thin in texture, and I sensed a bit of heat on it. Good, but perhaps in an awkward stage of development as I’d expect an '08 from this producer to be pretty rich and flavorful overall.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville Selection - paired with Sottocenere al Tartufo, Italy. This wine just SCREAMS purity. More so than perhaps any other Cab I’ve had. Aged 27 months in French Oak, using the 2nd oldest rootstock in Napa (planted in 1959). Full bodied, but not overpowering, blackberry and red cherry dominant, but it’s just the overall experience, from fore palate to finish that screams purity to me - I had no other adjective that worked so well. Tremendous wine, beautiful texture and fruit, long finish…just wish it wasn’t $195!!!

2012 Violetta, Late Harvest - paired with Fourme D’Ambert, France. Blended of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer, I would have guessed primarily late harvest Riesling, but I don’t know the mix. Very sweet, lacking a bit in the acidic bite I enjoy with sweet wines, particularly when paired with delicious blue cheese like we had.

2

I always enjoyed the Zinfandel 2000. BTW, great tasting notes! … And the Barely Buzzed cheese is yum

3

I really like what they are doing at Grgich. If you can get out of the main tasting room it is a great experience.

Bob

4

I was at an country club dinner event last night that featured Grgich Hills wines. I thought they played above their station. The 2011 zinfandel was outstanding and I will write a note on it later today. The non-malo chardonnay was also excellent. Even the fume blanc, a made up name for sauvignon blanc, was very good, although I did not get the non-citrus tropical notes I would expect.

5

I used to buy these wines and it’s great to read that the wines are so good! Not about the wines, but does anyone remember the reputation Mike had for “dallying” with some of the women who came to his tasting room. And I’m not talking about anything outrageous.

6

I loved how easy to see him shine when I/we said what we thought what OFS signified. [cheers.gif]

7

PWI?

8

? [scratch.gif]

9

I"d rather have his typical links than this gibberish. [crazy2.gif]

10

OFS?

Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis?

11

Witnessed it firsthand. My wife was not amused. I haven’t bought a Grgich wine since.

12

very happy to see yours and others’ notes Todd. I haven’t been to the winery in, I don’t think, 12 years and had sort of left them by the side of the road. As we do get Grgich Hills product in Ontario every once in a while, I will put them back up on the radar scope. Many thanks.

Mike

13

I think the last time I tasted there was about 9-10 years ago also, and I didn’t get the ‘good stuff’ like this.

14

Todd, great notes. I’ve never had a chance to try Grgich before, and knowing so little about them had never been compelled to seek them out. I’d always assumed they wouldn’t align with my palate, but your notes indicate they may.