Starmont Chardonnay Carneros 2019

Drink it now or cellar for up to 5 years. No need to decant it.

Owned by the Schlatter family (who also owns Merryvale Winery), the Starmont winery is located in the southern part of Napa Valley, in the Carneros wine region. The winery was founded more than 30 years ago and covers part of the historic Stanly Ranch. Here the company cultivates about 50 acres of vineyards, which surround the winery, planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and a small amount of Viognier.

40% of the grapes are selected from the Stanly Ranch, and the remainder from the Carneros vineyards. The must is fermented partly in wood and partly in steel, to maintain a good varietal expression and a pleasant liveliness. The wine is then left to rest on the lees for 10 months in French oak barrels. This gives it a good richness on the palate.

Starmont Chardonnay is a soft, generous wine with good freshness and a great concentration of fruit (citrus, apple, and tropical fruits) some sweet spices, and some notes of vanilla oak perfectly integrated. It shows good crispiness that makes it very lively and food friendly. Try it with chicken Caesar salad, with vegetarian tarts, with mac & cheese, or with crab. It is also perfect with Italian 4 cheese pasta and pizza.