My visit to the Starmont Winery tasting room was another one of those “while we’re passing by…” Wine Adventures. Even though Starmont has produced excellent Carneros-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for over 25 years, their Napa tasting room opened for the first time in mid-July of this year. Visitors entering Napa Valley from the south will clearly see the Starmont sign with its large star emblem on the barn-like production building on the south side (left) of Highway 29 just as they pass the Crusher statue on the north side (right).
I stopped in on a very hot day for south Napa (90F+) and even though the outside seating area appeared comfortable, we opted for the cool interior of the air conditioned tasting room. There is a medium sized tasting bar with seats and a number of small tables where visitors can relax while tasting.
Two tasting flights are offered, what I will call a standard ($20 to $55 range) and premium ($35 up to $175). Even though there is a medium-size tasting bar, everyone visiting on this day sat inside at the comfortable 4 man tables.
There is something here for every wine drinker, including the Terratrembel 2014 Sauvignon Blanc (named after the earthquake that was centered very close to Starmont and shook us in our beds on August 24, 2014 – the label depicts the actual seismic recording of the quake), two labels of Chardonnay (one a little oakey, the other not so much), a bold Syrah (very good), several great Pinot’s for different tastes, plus a spattering of other very nice varietals (Pinot Gris, Cabernet, etc.).
Hosting staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Parking is plentiful and the outside seating area looks like a great place to start a Napa Valley tasting day… on a cooler day.
1451 Stanly Lane
Napa, California 94559
(707) 252-8001
Tasting Room Hours: Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm
Historic Stanly Ranch Estate Hike & Barrel Tasting – 11:00am daily, reservation required
Disclaimer: My tasting fee was waived when I bought a case of wine. No fee or other inducement was paid for this review.
