Black Stallion Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019 (California)

Description

• French & American oak
• Citrus & apricot
• Vanilla & florals
• Bright acidity

"Powerfully rich and gracefully seductive at the same time, offering golden peach, French vanilla, cedary oak and butterscotch characters on the nose, leading to a sumptuous palate that's impressively weighted and lingering. It's wonderfully creamy and flavoursome with plush texture, making it immensely satisfying" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jun 2021

Black Stallion Estate Winery Chardonnay opens with aromas of yellow pear, crème brûlée and hints of apricot, apple and oak. The flavours are tantalizing notes of citrus, dried apricot, and pineapple. The Chardonnay from Los Carneros provides the bright acidity, citrus notes and lean backbone of the wine, and the Chardonnay from the warmer growing regions contributes riper, full-bodied characters. Vanilla aromatics from oak and floral perfume from the fruit precede ripe fruit flavours balanced with bright acidity and a rich mid-palate weight creating a multi-layered, complex wine with a lingering finish. 

The fruit used to craft this full-flavoured Napa Valley Chardonnay was sourced from both warmer, upper valley and mountain vineyards, and cooler Carneros vineyard blocks, resulting in a balanced blend of ripe rich flavours and aromas, vibrant acidity and soft structure. These AVA's produce fruit with a range of characteristics - juicy, bright citrus, apple, rich and ripe tropical. 

The beginning of the 2019 growing season was defined by copious rainfall and late soil moisture. The long, warm summer saw very few extreme heat events, with foggy mornings setting the state for vibrant and expressive wines. The long, relatively mild finish to the season, not without its moment of unpredictability, helped to preserve freshness and finesse in the fruit. All in all, exceptional fruit with bright acidity and ample texture promises an amazing vintage. 

Each vineyerad block was picked on taste and in conjuction with grape analysis. They picked in the cool mornings and quickly transported the grapes to the winery where they were gently pressed. The juice was fermented and generally left on the primary lees for about 5 months with the barrels being stirred twice a month to increase the creamy texture of the wine. Once they felt they had a delicate balance of fruit and oak, the wine was blended. 

Food Pairing: Sip this wine on its own or pair alongside goat cheese, salads and dishes such as crab, lobster, grilled shrimp or roast chicken.