Winemaker Notes
This wine dances with enticing notes of orange zest, toasted hazelnut, and wet stone, accented by hints of Anju pear, green tea, Fuyu persimmon, cardamom, and honeydew. On the palate, it unfolds with vibrant kiwi and lemon curd, layered with pineapple guava and pear, all underscored by a refreshing salinity and rounded out with notes of freshly baked bread for a delightful, harmonious finish.
The wine’s citrus and salinity pair beautifully with the sweetness and brininess in a scallop crudo. As an alternative, try it with crab cakes featuring a touch of spice or duck breast with Anjou pear sauce.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from the Oak Knoll District, Groth's 2023 Estate Chardonnay Hillview Vineyard features classic aromas of toasted grain, citrus and pineapple. It's medium to full-bodied, rounded and generous on the mid-palate, then citrusy and bright on the finish. It's a step up from the 2022, for sure.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Orchard fruits, melon, spicy wood, and subtle toast intermix with minty herbs in the 2023 Chardonnay Estate. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced on the palate, it shows a layered texture, integrated acidity, and a clean finish.
-
James Suckling
The nose gives generous aromas of preserved lemons, orange zest and creme brulee. The palate is full-bodied with bright acidity, showing notes of grilled pineapple, baked apples and graham crackers. Powerful, with an underlying freshness. Drink or hold.
Groth Vineyards & Winery is a family-owned company with deep roots in the Oakville AVA,
home to Napa Valley’s largest concentration of top Cabernet Sauvignon producers.
Dennis and Judy Groth made a life-changing investment in 1981 when they bought a vineyard on Oakville Cross Road, in the heart of Napa Valley, with hopes it would produce wines as special as their favorites from the region. It didn’t take long for their intuition to be proven right. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the distinction of being California’s first 100-point wine.
Today, with Dennis and Judy’s daughter, Suzanne Groth, as President & CEO, Groth sustainably farms 165 acres of estate vineyards with the dual goals of producing the highest-quality, most elegant wines we can while caring for our estate for future generations. The winery produces critically acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The 2016 Reserve Cabernet was ranked No. 4 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2019 list.
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.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.