2017 Grgich Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay

2017 Grgich Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay

2017 Grgich Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay; Napa Valley, California

93 pts Parker; The 2017 Chardonnay features compelling key lime pie, fresh grapefruit and toasted almonds notes with hints of sea spray, struck match and ginger. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and charged with energy, revealing a racy backbone that beautifully extends the zest and spice laced finish

The “Paris Tasting” of 1976 is a now-historic blind tasting wherein a panel of eminent French judges tasted white Burgundies of France alongside a small sampling of upstart chardonnays from the Napa Valley. To their great surprise, when the scores of the judges were tallied, the winner was the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Mike Grgich. Mike gained great acclaim and went on to found Grgich Hills Estate.

Chardonnay is the world’s most famous white-wine grape and also one of the most widely planted. Although the most highly regarded expressions of the variety are those from Burgundy and California, many high-quality examples are made in Italy, Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America.