Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2011 Karia Chardonnay
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is considered by many one of the “first growths” of Napa and produces celebrated collectible wines from the historic Stags Leap District. The winery was founded in 1970 at the time Napa Valley was undergoing a rebirth after the lingering effects of prohibition. During the mid-60’s there were less than 20 wineries at the time this new enthusiasm was entering Napa Valley. The distinguishing event that put Napa on the map was the famous 1976 Paris Tasting “Judgment of Paris” (click on for Wikipedia link) when their 1973 Cabernet S.L.V won the event. I will review their Cabernet in a future post, can’t wait to see how it has progressed and if it still lives up to spectacular. At this point I would like to point out and clarify any confusion regarding the name of the winery. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is the winery who produces the Karia Chardonnay I am discussing in this Post. Stags’ Leap Winery is another nearby winery that also produces fine wines and I will also review some in a future post. I would like to point out the spelling differences between the two “Stags” by the placement of the apostrophe. Then there is the Stags Leap District, which is the name of the appellation where the two aforementioned wineries are located. The Stags Leap District (no apostrophe) is renowned for producing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and is located between the Napa River and the Stags Leap Palisades.
Now getting back to the Chardonnay, Karia (pronounced KAR-ee-ah) is derived from the Greek word meaning graceful (I think all words are of Greek derivation, did anyone see My Big Fat Greek Wedding?). The Karia grapes come from vineyards south of the “Oak Knoll District” in Napa. This 100 percent chardonnay was aged in oak for about 9 months. Opening this wine, chilled at 53 degrees, I noticed a golden yellow color and immediately the aroma of delicate fruit was distinctive. Crispy young red apples, juicy pears with nice layers of lemon citrus and slight nutty taste with a beautiful toasty oak finish. A very elegant wine not to be missed. The retail is about $35, but you can shop around for a bottle under $30.
Cheers!
