The combination of American Canyon and coolest southern Napa Valley Carneros vineyards always make this Grgich Hills chardonnay not merely one to watch but arguably the one to set in depeche mode as both benchmark and leader. No surprise this 2014 continues to reach out and touch faith. It's a personal Jesus for the grape, the region and the world. That Mike Grgich set the standard with his 1976 judgement of Paris winning Montelena chardonnay is still no fluke, not that it ever was. The fruit, wood, acidity and texture gathering is not merely balanced and fortuitous it's downright stylish. I considered 2013 to be a go to but 2014 goes further, with greater respect, humility and excellence. Drink 2019-2025. Tasted May 2018. Score - 94. (Michael Godel, winealign.com)

Aromas of baked red fruit, hot stone and baking spice. Full-bodied with soft tannins. Juicy and nicely spiced. Easygoing. Drink now [through 2027]. Score - 90. (jamessuckling.com, July 4, 2022)

The 2019 Fume Blanc Estate delivers fabulously flamboyant scents of pink grapefruit, passion fruit and lime cordial with wafts of lemon blossoms, mandarin peel and struck flint. The medium-bodied palate is packed with pure, zesty, expressive tropical and citrus layers plus tons of minerally accents and herbal sparks lifting the finish. It's irresistibly delicious now, but I'd love to see it with 2-3 years of bottle age too. Drink date: 2020-2025. Score - 93. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, robertparker.com, Nov. 5, 2020)

Aromas of baked red fruit, hot stone and toasted herbs. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins. Fresh red fruit is colored by earthy character and a note of black licorice. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Score - 89. (jamessuckling.com, July 4, 2022)

When Mike Grgich made the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay - the white wine that won the Paris Tasting - he used fruit from the Bacigalupi Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. He soon moved into a partnership with Austin Hills, assembling an organically farmed estate that includes 88 acres in Carneros and 163 in American Canyon, the cool, southern districts of the Napa Valley where this chardonnay grows. Now, at 98, Grgich leaves winegrowing to his nephew, Ivo Jeramaz, who produced this complex and compelling wine. Put aside any preconceptions you might have about contemporary Napa Valley chardonnay; consider instead an agriculture that might include native corn (one taster cited the ethereal sweetness of nixtamalized corn) and stone-fruit orchards (a scent of apricots). There's the smokiness of ancho chile and a scent of woodland mushrooms in the wine's dark-toned leesiness. Then the layers of flavor last, harmonious and delicious. [Drink till 2029+.] Score - 94. (Joshua Greene, wineandspiritsmagazine.com, Oct. 2021)