2014 CHARDONNAY
HILLVIEW VINEYARD ∙ NAPA VALLEY
Vintage: Warm, steady, and stable best sums up the 2014 vintage. Warm spring
rains, setting everything up for a near ideal growing season. Summer and the vine
growth progressed very smoothly with no notable heat spikes or really any worrisome
weather at all. In fact, the weather during the critical period of ripening following
veraison was ridiculously stable. For about a six-week stretch we saw a high around
85° F and a low around 55° F - perfect conditions! All this wonderful weather meant
that the grapes ripened in a very predictable fashion allowing us to target optimal
ripeness. With wonderful pacing of the harvest, we never had our hand forced by
Mother Nature. The results of all this great weather are wines that show the richness
and ripeness of the season while retaining the purity of fruit character, a crisp
freshness, and lovely depth. Along with 2012 and 2013, this vintage makes for quite
the trifecta.
Harvest: Our Chardonnay is made entirely from grapes grown in our Hillview
Vineyards located in the Oak Knoll District AVA and planted in 1996. The fruit from
this cooler vineyard site provides the tropical fruit, citrus, and mineral notes that
complement food nicely.
Winemaking: We whole cluster pressed 85% of the Chardonnay fruit, giving us
juice with incredible delicate fruit flavors and softness. The remaining fruit was
destemmed prior to pressing, yielding juice with a bigger structure and rich aromatics.
After pressing and cold settling, the juice was transferred to French oak barrels, 25%
new, for fermentation and aging. After eight months of aging “sur lie”, the wine was
racked off the yeast lees, blended, and finished for bottling.
Winemaker Tasting notes: Long, cool fermentation in a mixture of old and new
barrels gives our Chardonnay layers of fruitiness and complexity that result in a wine
that is very enjoyable when young or after several years of bottle age. This method
of fermentation, in conjunction with the "sur lie" aging add layers of toastiness and
creaminess to the wine. Together these components meld together harmoniously to
create a balanced wine that is both lively and rich in aroma and flavor. Cameron Parry
Winemaker
750 Oakville Cross Road
PO Box 390
Oakville, CA 94562
707-944-0290
www.grothwines.com
Key Points
• Napa Valley
• Estate vineyard fruit - 100% Hillview Vineyard
• 100% Chardonnay
• September 8 - 11, 2014
• Barrel fermented
• No Malolactic Fermentation
• Aged sur lie in French oak barrels for eight months, 25% new oak