Chardonnay "Karia", Stag's Leap Wine, Napa Valley, CA, 2021

Many leading producers of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon also make Chardonnay, and one of the best of the pack comes from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Winemaker Marcus Notaro makes this voluptuously juicy-tasting version that stays fresh with rich acidity. It’s been his goal over the past few years with Karia (the ancient Greek word for “graceful”) to align the winemaking more tightly to the vineyard. From Oak Knoll and Atlas Peak, where he thinks the Chardonnay fruit is richer, Notaro taps more new wood for barrel-fermenting and aging.