Stag's Leap Wine Cellars KARIA Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2023

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is one of Napa's most famous names - the estate whose red beat the best of Bordeaux at the 1976 Paris tasting. KARIA is their Chardonnay, and the name comes from a Greek word meaning "graceful." The fruit comes from cooler vineyards in the southern part of the valley, near the bay, where morning and evening breezes keep the grapes fresh. Part of the wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels and left to rest on its lees, which builds a creamy, rounded texture and a gentle note of vanilla and spice; the rest stays in steel to keep the fruit bright. The result leans rich without tipping into the heavy, over-oaked style California Chardonnay is sometimes known for. Expect ripe stone fruit and citrus - peach, melon and lemon - wrapped in that soft, creamy texture, with a savoury, lingering finish. Serve chilled but not ice-cold, around 10-12C, to let the richness show.