Grgich Hills Estate Carneros Selection Chardonnay 2009
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is tight and citrusy now, with a kick of acidity. It's elegantly structured, but not showing much generosity, despite a core of lemondrop candy, green apple and honeysuckle flavors. Give it a few years to develop.
Winemaker Ivo Jeramaz joined his uncle at Grgich Hills Estate in 1986 and has since become the wineries winemaker and VP of vineyards and production. Ivo has always had a passion for organic and regenerative farming practices. He has committed to farming each of our five estate vineyards organically without the assistance of pesticides or herbicides.
"At Grgich Hills, we grow grapes like my grandfather did, farming without chemicals and pesticides," Ivo says. "Mike taught me early in my career that you need great grapes to make great wine. Over the years, I’ve focused on working with the land. Through our natural farming, it’s been very rewarding to see the soil alive with healthier plants than under conventional farming. It allows the wines to be more authentic—more distinctive."
The health of the vineyards has and always will be a top priority for Grgich Hills Estate. With each glass of their wine, they hope that you can have the confidence that they have grown the best grapes possible in healthy, organically farmed vineyards.
In March 2023 the winery received Regenerative Organic Certification. The winery is only one of a small group of producers in California that has this certification. Ivo Jeramaz and his team have been working many years towards this certification and it reflects in the wines that are made each vintage.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.