New World Offerings

Pour

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2005 ($32)

Last spring, oenophiles around the globe observed the 30th anniversary of the now-renowned Paris wine tasting organized by wine merchant Stephan Spurrier. The purpose of this exercise was to compare, in a blind tasting, the products of the storied châteaux of Bordeaux and the ancient domaines of Burgundy to the wines of California. The opinions of the primarily French and English judges might never have been disseminated if not for the presence of a Time magazine reporter, George Taber, who smelled a story when he realized that these pampered palates—most of them weaned on precious Gallic vintages—were mistaking the New World offerings for the Old. Taber’s article set the wine world on its ear—or nose, as it were—when Pauillac powerhouse Mouton-Rothschild and the greatest Graves, Château Haut-Brion, lost out to a 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from a little start-up winery known as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

The Paris tasting launched the little winery into the international spotlight; yet despite the fact that the firm’s fame continues to rest in large part on its Cabernet Sauvignon, its Chardonnays also elegantly express the unique character of the region. The newest release, Karia (“graceful” in Greek), combines grapes from the Arcadia Vineyard, as well as from the Oak Knoll District and the Carneros region, to produce a white that is supple, crisp and light. Aromas of pear, lemon cream and wet slate prepare the senses for a parade of flavors that includes green apple, pear and Asian spice.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, 888-270-9463; cask23.com.

St. Francis Pagani Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, 2003 ($37)

Fables abound concerning the life of St. Francis of Assisi, but the best known is his sermon to the birds, in which he exhorts his feathered disciples to praise God. The saint’s special communion with nature inspired Emma and Joe Martin to name their Sonoma winery, established in 1979, after him. One of the winery’s most exceptional releases is grown in the Pagani Vineyard, which was planted more than 100 years ago by pioneer Felice Pagani and which, today, yields some of California’s most gorgeous Zinfandel fruit. This remarkably rich, deep-purple wine is as intense and concentrated as pot liquor, offering up exciting scents of dark plum and boysenberry, while potent layers of still darker fruit, black licorice, chocolate, coffee and pepper unfold on the palate.

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, 800-543-7713; stfranciswine.com.

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Brett Anderson is senior vice president, editorial, for CurtCo Publishing.

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