Grayson Cellars Chardonnay 2021
-
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Grayson Chardonnay is brilliantly ripe and shows bright, brisk acidity and good minerality with notes of pineapple and apricot. The palate offers green apple fruit with a crisp finish showing gentle hints of apple pie and vanilla flavors.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Attractive and moderate in style, this medium-bodied wine offers juicy, ripe pear and red-apple flavors on a smooth, but lightly tangy texture. In short, it has delicious fruit flavors and good balance.
Best Buy
Other Vintages
2020-
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wine
Enthusiast
Our wines are carefully crafted by Larry Levin, who is among the most experienced winemakers in the Napa Valley. After completing his Enology degree at UC Davis, Larry spent seventeen years at Dry Creek Vineyard where over 18 vintages he produced more than 15 varietal wines. He has since covered the globe by making wine in New Zealand, Chile, and Australia across all price points and styles. For the previous nine years Larry was head of winemaking at Icon Estates where he oversaw the Franciscan, Mt. Veeder, Robert Mondavi, Estancia, Ravenswood, Quintessa and Ruffino brands. Larry also consults for wineries in the Stag’s Leap and Oakville districts in Napa and Sonoma.
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.