Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2020

€59.99

Made by one of the most-celebrated American winemakers from fruit grown in some of the most expensive real-estate in the country, this is a Chardonnay that is worth writing home about.

The nose opens with refinement and extremely pretty notes of citrus and floral characteristics, but then quickly develops spice and warm, ripe fruit flavours. The palate is broad ans lush with myriad flavours of tropical and fresh fruits, ripening spices, all laced with sweet spices and a coating, juicy texture.

The way that they describe it themselves is that the palate experiences the wine in different sections - the front being citrussy, the back with the spice notes and the mid-palate with warmth and breadth of tropical fruits. They know what they're at...

This is very much a wine that is made to impress, but is also a wine made from impressive fruit and grown in a seriously impressive context: if the result was anything less than the way it is, there would be serious questions to be answered. The ingredients are top, top level; the winemaker is wonderfully gifted and has a stylistic reputation to uphold; the Napa Chardonnay expectations are for rich, yet balanced, concentrated wines... you wouldn't expect anything less than this. Yet, the really remarkable feature of this wine is its liveliness and balance. Achieved by careful vineyard management and harvesting over a relatively long period of time, Grgich achieves a wide range of ripeness and acidity levels which prevents a one-sided, flabby, blancmange-like mess: this wine, though impressive and full, is lithe, refined and elegant. Oh, and utterly delicious.

Mike Grgich shot to international fame as the winemaker for Château Montelena's Judgement-of-Paris-winning Chardonnay in 1976. A year later he set up the winery Grgich Hills - not on any hills, but with vineyard owner Austin Hills. Together they established a winery that is still in family hands, family run and world-renowned.

Region: Napa Valley

Country: USA

Grape(s): Chardonnay

Style: Vibrant, Sustainable, Smooth, Silky, Round, Rich, Refined, Pure, Profound, Organic, Medium Bodied, Iconic, Fresh, Engaging, Elegant, Complex, Biodynamic, Balanced

Best food matches: Venison, Tuna, Trout, Sushi, St Stephen's Day, Squid, Soft Cheeses, Shellfish, Seafood, Salads, Roasts, Poultry, Oysters, Mature Cheeses, Lobster, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Grilled Vegetables, Game, Fine Dining, Duck, Christmas Dinner, Cheeses, Charcuterie

Alcohol: 13.5%

Why buy from us?

When you buy wine from The Allotment Wine Co. you're helping a small Irish company that in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers who grow the grapes and make amazing wines. We only work with partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.

Delivery & Returns

You'll get free delivery when you buy 12 x 75cl bottles of wine online from The Allotment, saving you €7.99.

We charge €7.99 per delivery for quantities less than that.

Our hours for processing orders are between 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

We pack your online wine order along the following timelines:

Wine orders for delivery in Dublin, received before 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected the next working day.

Wine orders for nationwide delivery, received by 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected two working days later.

Customer reviews

★★★★★
Great choice and excellent service. Received my delivery the next day.
Paul H.
★★★★★
Amazing service from the get go!
I emailed Chris looking for wine recommendations for a birthday gift. Got a really speedy, helpful reply and not only that but he hand delivered it on time to the birthday girl wishing her a happy birthday. Absolutely bowled over by the service. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Michelle McM.
★★★★★
Could not recommend The Allotment enough. The selection is fantastic and each wine that I've drank from them has been utterly phenomenal. Delivery was no hassle and I had the wine at my door in 2 days. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Luke B.
★★★★★
Good range of interesting wines. Good personal attention to their orders. Very customer focused. I would be happy to recommend this company to any prospective customer.
Jim D.
★★★★★
A great experience ordering from The Allotment Wine Company. A wide variety of wines to try something new and at good prices with super quick delivery! Really convenient too as opposed to trying to find parking!
N. Dowling
★★★★★
Delicious and interesting range of wines delivered promptly to my door. Not far off that lovely feeling of coming back laden from a good wine store but without any of the traffic or the worry of breaking the wine en route (very impressive travel wrap).
M. Dorman
★★★★★
Chris fields a fine range of excellent, keenly-priced wines. Orders are safely packaged and dispatched efficiently and promptly. Strongly recommended.
David M.
★★★★★
Great selection of wines, hassle free ordering, payment and delivery. Highly recommended.
Patrick H.
Hi, I'm Chris Gifford.

And you're very welcome to The Allotment Wine Co.

When you wine from me, you're supporting a small Irish business which in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers, as well as other small, dedicated Irish wine importers.

When selecting wines, I look for partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.