2006 Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel

Mission Codename: In Harmony

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Revisit our friends at Grgich Hills Estate to acquire their delicious Napa Valley Estate Zinfandel

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Grgich Hills Estate

Wine Subject: 2006 Napa Valley Estate Zinfandel

Winemaker: Miljenko “Mike” Grgich

Backgrounder: In 1976, Mike Grgich rocked the wine world by creating a California that beat out French Chardonnays in the now famous Judgment of Paris. The French were outraged, and Mike Grgich earned the respect of wine drinkers and critics, worldwide. Today, Mike continues to oversee production of what have been heralded as “the finest wines in the world”. We are very proud to be able to bring you today’s fantastic Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby red with a slight burgundy tinge, with perfect clarity and color that remains concentrated out to the edges of the wine. This wine has a tight and springy surface that settles very quickly when swirled, leaving behind widely-spaced and skinny legs that move quickly down the glass

Smell – A deep inhalation delivers a delightful rush of layered fruits of juicy raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and plum jam, with plenty of spice, dark forest floor, soft cocoa, black pepper and soft earth

Feel – Medium bodied right out of the gate, softly grippy and mouth-coating, a plush tannins take hold all around the palate

Taste – Delicious and very flavorful, but balanced and not at all overpowering. This wine shows off tasty layers of dark berry jam, raspberry, strawberry, mixed spice, a hint of sweetwood and softest dried meats

Finish – Deep layers of flavor taper off very slowly, leaving behind a slight dryness and sweetness that makes you jump right into your next gulp of this delicious wine

Conclusion – This is another fantastic wine from our old friends at Grgich Estate! This is the sort of wine that is delicious and delightful on it’s own, but pair it with your favorite meal for a real treat. This is a big and flavorful wine, but it has enough balance and acidity to make it food-friendly. I encourage you to sample it both ways for a varied experience with the wine. Once again, Mike Grgich and his entire winemaking team strut their stuff – and show off the virtues of Biodynamic farming – with this delicious Zinfandel. We tip our spy hats to you, Mike and Ivo!

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Miljenko “Mike” Grgich

DATE OF BIRTH: April 1st, 1923

PLACE OF BIRTH: Desne, in Croatia’s coastal Dalmatian region

WINE EDUCATION: Attended University of Zagreb. Field of study, viticulture and enology

CALIFORNIA WINERIES EXPERIENCE: Christian Brothers Cellars, Souverain Winery, Robert Mondavi and Beaulieu Vineyard (with André Tchelistcheff)

FOUNDED NAMESAKE WINERY: Grgich Hills Cellar, founded 1977, renamed to Grgich Hills Estate in 2006

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: To, ”… year after year, is to improve the quality of [the] vineyards and [the] wines” and to, ”… remain committed to making distinctive wines with quality, consistency and longevity”.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Chardonnay

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: In 1976, Mike Grgich’s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the infamous Judgement of Paris tasting, to become the best Chardonnay in the world. The fact that a California wine won the tasting shocked the wine world – and spurned Mr. Grgich on to great success with his own winery

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: On March 7, 2008, in recognition of his impact and contribution to the wine industry, Mr. Grgich was inducted into the Vintner Hall of Fame. The honor coincided with his 50th vintage of winemaking in the Napa Valley

GRGICH QUOTE: ”For years, everybody in the world believed that only French soils could produce great wines. We shattered that myth. That was probably the most significant result of the Paris tasting. Our victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in the Napa Valley.”

BLACK BERET: Mr. Grgich wears an ever present black beret. It is rumored that the beret is imbued with magical energies that power his winemaking talents. Further investigation is required…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Grgich Hills Estate can be seen in this satellite photo.