Grgich Hills Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020
Grgich Hills Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020 is the King of Chardonnay's house wine — a 13.5% ABV, 100% Chardonnay in a 750mL bottle, grown in Grgich's American Canyon and Carneros vineyards at the cool southern tip of Napa Valley. Miljenko "Mike" Grgich made the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that beat the French at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, then founded Grgich Hills in 1977 — and this bottle is made the way he likes it: wild-yeast fermented, aged ten months in French oak (80% barrels, 20% foudres), with NO malolactic fermentation, so the wine keeps its natural lemony acidity. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 13.5% — 750mL
- Vintage / Blend: 2020 — 100% Chardonnay (old Wente clone, planted 1989)
- Winemaking: indigenous yeast, 2–3 weeks in barrel; 10 months French oak (40% new); no malolactic
- Vineyards: American Canyon + Carneros, Napa Valley — certified organic, regenerative farming
- Scores: 93 James Suckling / 92 Wine Enthusiast (2020 vintage)
The Judgment of Paris Legacy
Few wineries carry a story like this: Mike Grgich's 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting that put California wine on the world map. Grgich Hills Estate — still family-owned and operated since 1977 — makes its Napa Chardonnay in that same spirit: organically grown grapes, natural fermentation, and no butter-bomb malolactic shortcuts. Shop the Grgich Hills Estate collection or browse Del Mesa's white wines.
Tasting Notes
Dried orange peel, lemon grass, and hay on the nose; fruity, fresh, and well-balanced — lemony crispness wrapped around baked-apple richness (critic notes).
How to Enjoy
Chilled to 50–55°F with roast chicken, crab cakes, or creamy pasta. Drink now or hold — the structure and acidity will carry it for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this wine oaked?
Yes — fermented and aged ten months in French oak (40% new) — but it does NOT undergo malolactic fermentation, so it stays crisp rather than buttery.
What is the ABV?
13.5% per the winery's official 2020 tech sheet.
Who founded Grgich Hills?
Miljenko "Mike" Grgich and Austin Hills in 1977, one year after Grgich's Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the Judgment of Paris.
From the King of Chardonnay — order Grgich Hills Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020 online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.