Stag's Leap Wine Cellars : Karia Chardonnay 2024

Characteristics and tasting notes for the Karia Chardonnay 2024 from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Tasting

Appearance
This wine reveals a bright appearance, displaying a pale yellow hue enhanced by delicate straw highlights.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with notes of white peach, melon and citrus fruits such as lemon and lime. It is then enriched with floral touches, crème brûlée, vanilla and a hint of clove.

Palate
Medium-bodied, the palate offers a velvety and creamy texture. A lovely citrus vivacity and honeysuckle flavours balance perfectly, leading to a persistent finish marked by a subtle oakiness.

Food and wine pairings
This wine pairs wonderfully with grilled fish served with lemon butter, roast poultry in a cream and mushroom sauce, or vegetable risottos. It also enhances soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert, as well as mildly spicy Asian dishes.

Serving and cellaring
The Karia Chardonnay 2024 can be enjoyed in its youth to fully appreciate its vibrant freshness, but it also has the structure needed to evolve favourably in the cellar for several years.

The elegance of a great Napa Valley Chardonnay by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

The estate
Founded in 1970 by Warren Winiarski, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is an emblematic estate located in California. Made famous by its historic victory at the Judgment of Paris in 1976, it is often regarded as a grand cru of its region. Today, the Italian Marchesi Antinori family is the sole owner of this prestigious brand. The estate stands out for its constant pursuit of elegance, its commitment to sustainable viticulture and its ability to produce wines that combine Californian power with great structural finesse.

The vineyard
The grapes come from selected plots in the southern part of Napa Valley, an area benefiting from a cooler climate. The blend draws on several terroirs: 52% from the Atlas Peak district (Antica estate) providing volume and citrus notes, 24% from Carneros for minerality, 18% from Coombsville (Arcadia vineyard) offering great aromatic complexity, and 6% from Oak Knoll for vibrant apple and pear flavours.

The vintage
The 2024 season provided ideal and well-balanced conditions. After a cool spring, summer temperatures warmed up. An early heatwave in July accelerated aromatic development, allowing the harvest to begin and end three weeks earlier than the previous year.

Winemaking and ageing
To preserve optimal freshness, the grapes for the Karia Chardonnay 2024 were harvested early in the morning and then whole-cluster pressed. Fermentation took place 92% in barrels and 8% in stainless steel tanks, with moderate malolactic fermentation limited to 13%. The wine was then aged on the lees for 8 months in 100% French oak barrels, with 39% new wood and 61% older barrels.

Grape variety
100% Chardonnay