Six bottles of Grgich-Hills Yountville Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

Grgich-Hills hosted a vertical tasting of their Yountville Selection Cabernet Sauvignon this week. The fruit comes from a vineyard near Hopper Creek that was planted in 1959, coincidentally just one year after Mike Grgich first arrived in Napa Valley. The vineyard lies across a dirt road from Dominus’ Napanookvineyard, the site of Napa’s very first wine grapes planted by George Yount, and features “Inglenook Clone” Cabernet Sauvignon on the long-lived, Phylloxera-resistant St. George rootstock. Mike Grgich bought the vineyard in 1984 and lived in its Victorian house for 20 years thereafter. Grgich-Hills believes the vineyard to be the second-oldest productive Cabernet Sauvignon plot in Napa Valley.

The first vintage Grgich-Hills offered a Yountville Selection Cabernet Sauvignon was 1991. I and fellow writers tasted that ’91 alongside 1994, 1997, 2004, 2007 and 2010. It wasn’t until 2002 that such a wine was released every year. The only wine released in the ’90’s we didn’t get to try was 1995.

It probably won’t surprise you that the wines of the early 1990’s are moderate in alcohol and framed by acidity while the later wines are richer, mouth-filling and rely primarily on tannins for structure. What caught me off guard, and likely will you, is that the fruit for those lean, energetic wines was picked later than that for the recent vintages.

Revitalizing a Vineyard

How does fan leaf-virused, 50-something-year old vines yield riper, richer Cabernet grapes earlier in the year than those same vines did 20 years prior? Or, for that matter, how a winery can even get reasonable yields from half-century Cabernet vines with rust-colored leaves?

It’s about old-school farming. In 1991, the vines seemed to be at the end of their productive lives. Yields were low. To eke out as much ripeness as possible, harvests were delayed until the very last moment. Then, Grgich-Hills transitioned away from “modern” viticulture with commercial fertilizers and pesticides. They instituted organic agriculture that encourages healthy soil full of happy microorganisms. These microbes are essential to vine health as they convert nutrients in the soil into forms which roots can absorb and utilize. Years of pesticide use and reliance on artificial fertilizers deplete these microorganisms. Gradually, the soil recovered the naturally and dry-farmed vines became healthier and more fruitful.

Wine Styles

You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to. There was a clear divide between the older wines and the younger with respect to acidity, tannic strength, alcohol level and palate richness. Many attendees were passionate about the juicy oldsters, full of energy and demanding food. I’m sympathetic to that and very much enjoyed those wines, though my ratings this time skew slightly in favor of the more exuberant, chewy, fruity young pups. The Grigich-Hills philosophy is that wine ought to be built for food. Even the “intoxicating” 2010 has freshness and will be a lovely dinner companion.

Notes on Six Vintages of Grgich-Hills Yountville Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

1991 Grgich-Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
Dark ruby with a hint of garnet at the rim. Deep aromas of drying—yet somehow fresh—black currant, spice, moist cedar, dried leaves, coffee and tobacco. Medium to medium-plus body in the mouth with brisk acidity, moderate alcohol and just a hint of very fine, thoroughly integrated tannins. Flavors include tart black fruit, spice, lemon, drying leaves and potting soil. This wine evolved steadily in the glass, gradually building richness. It’s fully-developed but will hold for a good many years. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.3% alcohol. Highly Recommended

1994 Grgich-Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
Dark ruby with very slight garnet at the rim. The nose features spice, dry forest floor, cocoa and mushroom. Over time, a Worcestershire sauce aroma emerged. After the savory nose, the forward flavors of tart red and black currants, accompanied by spice and moist forest floor, came as a surprise. The body is solidly medium-plus but the very fine tannins are nearly subliminal. This wine is framed by acidity, but less racy than the ’91. Further developed than the 1991 or 1997, the 1994 is drinking well and was a favorite of many writers in attendance. I’d get to it fairly soon though. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.5% alcohol.Recommended +

1997 Grgich-Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
Deep garnet in color with a nose of moist, dusty wood, baked currants, dry mint, spice, violets, sandalwood and dried rose petals. It’s nearly full-bodied in the mouth with fine, chalky tannins slightly dominating acidity. Long-lasting flavors of moist forest floor, tart black currant, black cherry, earth and lemon. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.5% alcohol. Highly Recommended+

2004 Grgich-Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
Dark ruby core with a thin garnet rim. Beautifully fruity aromas of stewed black currant, macerated red cherry and red ropes with chocolate and dry leaves. Full-bodied in the mouth with a bounty of fine, chalky tannins. Tart blackberry, red cherry, licorice, dark chocolate and spice linger on the palate. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% alcohol. Very Highly Recommended

2007 Grgich-Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
Deep ruby and redolent of black cherries and chocolate with enticing accents of vanilla bean, butterscotch and baking spices. Full-bodied with fine-grained and chalky tannins. Juicy black cherries with licorice, chocolate and spice go on and on. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.7% alcohol. Very Highly Recommended

2010 Grgich-Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
Deep ruby and loaded with mocha, spice, black currant and red cherry aromatics. Full-bodied with fine-grained tannins in the mouth. Flavors include mocha, chocolate, macerated red and black cherries and an intriguing amount of earth. A sudden, late-season heat spike in the otherwise cool 2010 gave sugars a surprising boost and resulted in lower acidity and higher alcohol in this wine than is characteristic for Grgich-Hills or might otherwise be expected for the vintage. This is a delicious wine nonetheless. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Cabernet Franc (Carneros), 2.5% Petite Verdot. 15.1% alcohol. Very Highly Recommended

Text and photo Copyright Fred Swan 2014. All rights reserved.