2023 Stags' Leap Winery - Chardonnay Napa (750ml)

Stags' Leap Winery was founded in 1893 by Horace Chase and his wife Minnie Mizner Chase in the heart of the Stags Leap District, on one of California's earliest wine estates. The property takes its name from a Wappo legend of a stag leaping to escape hunters, and its stone Manor House and historic wine cave still stand. Winemaking was revitalized in the 1970s.

This 2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay is 99 percent Chardonnay and 1 percent Viognier, sourced from cooler southern Napa appellations where fog from San Pablo Bay preserves freshness and acidity. The season was long and compact, with harvest arriving later than the year before. The wine was aged for four and a half months in 50 percent neutral French oak, 25 percent new French oak, and 25 percent stainless steel, with lees stirring for added texture. It did not undergo malolactic fermentation and finishes at 14.3 percent alcohol.

Shimmering gold in the glass, it offers lemon crème, white pineapple, melon, and citrus blossom aromas. The full palate shows Golden Delicious apple, Asian pear, and lemon curd, with brioche toast and ginger spice. Hints of lychee and a mineral streak extend the long finish.