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Grgich Hills, Cabernet Sauvignon, 1981

Red Wine from California, United States
$99.99
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An early Grgich Hills Cabernet from the winery's first years, and from a Napa vintage that quietly outlived its reputation. Mike Grgich — the Croatian-born winemaker whose 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the 1976 Paris tasting — broke ground on the Rutherford winery with Austin Hills on July 4, 1977, so a 1981 is among the estate's earliest Cabernets, made in a Napa very different from today's. The year was hot and fast: a June heat spike that hit 111°F in Calistoga cut the crop and pushed harvest into mid-August. The wines were written off early as short-lived, and instead they turned out to have real balance and have aged far better than anyone predicted. This bottle comes from a private cellar rather than from the winery, and at more than forty years old it is fully mature — a wine to drink now, not to lay down. Stand it upright for a day or two, decant gently off what will be a substantial sediment, and pour it soon after; bottles this old can fade in the glass.

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More about Grgich Hills

Mike Grgich made the legendary '73 Montelena Chardonnay that beat Burgundy at Paris in '76. Founded Grgich Hills in Rutherford in 1977, still makes Chardonnay that matters. Five estate vineyards, organic from the start (no artificial anything). Regenerative Organic Certified 2023—one of a handful worldwide. The legend delivers.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Cabernet Sauvignon

  • Vintage

    1981

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Organic

  • Style

    Rich

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Full Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Keep it simple: a rare rib-eye with nothing but salt, roast leg of lamb with rosemary, or a wedge of aged Comté. Avoid anything spicy or heavily sauced — the wine is delicate now.

Tasting Profile

Bricked, translucent color. Dried cherry, cedar, tobacco leaf, dried herbs and forest floor, with fruit that has turned savory rather than sweet. Medium-bodied, tannins fully resolved, gentle acidity carrying a soft, earthy finish.

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