2019 Staglin Chardonnay

2019 Staglin Chardonnay

2019 Staglin Chardonnay The generously svelte 2019 Salus is a delightful elixir of inviting tropically infused golden citrus surrounding a tight core of fresh green pome fruits. A rich, bright lemon curd and honeycomb entry melts into a lively and linear expression of freshly cut Granny Smith apples spiced by vanilla, nutmeg and a whisper of white pepper given lift and light by hints of lemongrass and banana blossom.

Staglin

Founded in 1985 by Shari, Garen, Brandon and Shannon, Staglin Family Vineyard takes pride in the tradition of family ownership and participation. With an uncompromising commitment to quality, our mission is to produce world class wines that reflect the distinctive character of this historic Rutherford Bench estate. As stewards of this land we farm the vineyard organically, tap in to our solar fields for power and produce the wines in a state of the art underground production facility. We are passionate about this business, this land, our philanthropy and for the meaningful relationships we develop with each passing day. We hope this passion is evident when you enjoy our wines.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the world’s most famous white-wine grape and also one of the most widely planted. Although the most highly regarded expressions of the variety are those from Burgundy and California, many high-quality examples are made in Italy, Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America. Describing the flavors of Chardonnay is not easy. While many Chardonnay wines have high aromatic complexity, this is usually due to winemaking techniques (particularly the use of oak) rather than the variety’s intrinsic qualities.

Malolactic fermentation gives distinctive buttery aromas. Fermentation and/or maturation in oak barrels contributes notes of vanilla, smoke and hints of sweet spices such as clove and cinnamon. Extended lees contact while in barrel imparts biscuity, doughy flavors. Because of this high level of winemaker involvement, Chardonnay has become known as the “”winemaker’s wine””. The variety itself (although often said to be relatively flavor-neutral) is responsible for most of the fruity flavors found in Chardonnay wines. These range from the tropical (banana, melon, pineapple and guava) to stonefruits (peach, nectarine and apricot), citrus and apples. Climate plays a major role in dictating which fruit flavors a Chardonnay will have. Broadly speaking, warm regions such as California, Chile and much of Australia tend to give more tropical styles.