($93): Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, as much as anyone, is responsible for the world taking California wines seriously.  In 1976, while he was winemaker at Chateau Montelena, he made a Chardonnay that astonished the world by beating out a bevy of white Burgundies for first place at a comparative tasting in Paris.  Although his nephew, Ivo Jeramaz, is now responsible for the wines, the Grgich imprint is still apparent.  This one, the winery’s best bottling, takes its name from that famous Paris tasting.  As with past vintages, it’s an extraordinary wine, delivering a near magical combination of California fruitiness in perfect harmony with invigorating acidity.  Although fruity, the wine is restrained and exceptionally elegant in the best sense of that word.  The grandeur of Grgich’s Paris Commemorative Chardonnay, similar to the grand cru white Burgundies, is its refinement, not its sheer power.  Sure, it’s more concentrated than Grgich’s regular Chardonnay, but the difference between the two lies in its texture more than its weight.  There are no rough edges here.  As with a great wine, it reveals itself slowly, with layers of subtle flavors, so this is a wine to ponder over a long meal, not to gulp.
97 Michael Apstein May 3, 2016