Starmont Chardonnay (375ML half-bottle) 2017
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Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred
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Winemaker Notes
Starmont Chardonnay is crafted to enjoy with food or simply by the glass. Our aim is to retain the focus on the unique Chardonnay fruit expression of Carneros—bright citrus and apple, along with subtle tropical fruit notes and spice. The 2016 is pale gold in color with a soft entry that leads to a mid-palate with medium body and acidity. Flavors of tropical fruits and apple, along with citrus, fresh mineral and subtle oak notes lead to a refreshing, medium length finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has a really juicy, ripe-fruit feel with peaches and nectarines, as well as mangoes, delivered in fresh, attractive, drink-now mode.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Starmont Winery and Vineyards Chardonnay paints a spot-on picture from the Carneros AVA. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright, lively, and redolent of fruit. Enjoy its elegance and brightness with a family-style dinner of fried chicken, fresh salad greens, and baked potatoes. (Tasted: July 28, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Sitting at the crossroads of Carneros and Napa Valley, Starmont occupies a portion of the historic Stanly Ranch. Established as a wine growing region over 150 years ago, Carneros is world renowned for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With foggy mornings and cool afternoon bay breezes creating the perfect conditions for these varietals, Starmont wines are expressive, food-friendly and distinctly Carneros.
The Starmont story began over 25 years ago, starting as an integral part of the Merryvale brand. Led by the Starmont Chardonnay and delivering high quality Carneros and Napa Valley wines at approachable prices, Starmont complemented the more mature Merryvale portfolio. For a decade and a half, these two brands shared space at our venerable St. Helena facility. It was a perfect partnership, but as Starmont grew from a single wine into a full-fledged brand, it became time to move out.
Opportunity to find a new home was realized in 2005. Starmont acquired 50 acres of prime Carneros vineyard, a portion of the Stanly Ranch Estate first planted in 1872, and broke ground on the new winery the same year. Honoring the heritage of the vineyard, Starmont has constructed a state-of-the-art “green” winery. Among other steps taken towards sustainability, the Starmont Winery recycles 100% of winery process water, diverts over 98% of waste away from ending up in a landfill and generates enough electricity each day to power over 250 homes. In creating a certified Napa Green Winery, Starmont ensures that the surrounding area will remain pristine for future generations to enjoy.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.