Winemaker Notes
Starmont Carneros Merlot is surprisingly dark with bright cherry, blueberry and currant aromatics on top of coffee/mocha, toast and cranberry. The palate is lush and velvety with good weight and soft tannins. The wine displays great richness, without being heavy or excessive. In short, it is quintessential Carneros Merlot.
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
THE STARMONT STORY
From the time Starmont first appeared on a label in 1989, the name has been recognized for classically styled varietal wines that are expressive and approachable. Now 30 years later, led by Winemaker Jeff Crawford, Starmont is producing some of their best wines ever as part of the Merryvale Family of Wines.
The Starmont story began over 25 years ago, starting as an integral part of the Merryvale brand. Led by the Starmont Chardonnay and delivering high quality Carneros and Napa Valley wines at approachable prices, Starmont complemented the more mature Merryvale portfolio. For a decade and a half, these two brands shared space at Merryvale’s St. Helena facility. It was a perfect partnership, but as Starmont grew from a single wine into a full-fledged brand, it became time to move out.
Opportunity to find a new home was realized in 2005, when the Schlatter Family, owners of Merryvale Vineyards and Starmont Wines acquired two parcels of prime Carneros land located on a portion of the historic Stanly Ranch property first planted to vineyards in 1872. The family constructed a state-of-the-art “green” winery on one of the parcels which opened for production in 2006. The Starmont Wines were produced at this facility until 2019 when the winery facility was sold. The Starmont team remains focused on sustainability and making the highest quality wines. The Stanly Ranch Estate Vineyard has been Napa Green Certified since 2007 and continues to thrive under the ownership of the Schlatter Family and under the direction of Starmont Winemaker Jeff Crawford. Winemaking operations for the Starmont Wines moved back to Merryvale where they began 30 years ago.
