Producer >
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is a Napa Valley estate rooted in the legends of the Stags Leap District and Napa Valley’s ascent to global wine recognition.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was established in 1970 with the purchase of the S.L.V. vineyard. Only six years later, the 1973 S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the highest honor at the Judgment of Paris blind tasting, besting First Growth Bordeaux Chateaux. This achievement solidified Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and the Napa Valley as places that crafted world-class wines.
Today, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is a quality benchmark for California Cabernet Sauvignon. It offers unrivaled Napa Valley wine experiences where guests enjoy first-rate hospitality and expansive vineyard overlooks that are perfectly paired with some of the most widely-recognized and coveted Napa Valley wines in the world.
Viticulture >
For this wine the primary blocks were 2A, 3A, 1A, 3B and S.L.V. Block 4 – the “grande dame” of the vineyard – which was planted in 1972. These vines along with blocks on the eastern side of S.L.V., characterized by their fire-borne volcanic soils, give this wine its structure and sense of minerality along with concentrated dark fruit flavors and ripe, elegant tannins.
Winemaking >
A dry and hot growing season, coupled with a global pandemic, and multiple wildfires made 2020 a year we won’t forget. Rain right at bloom interrupted fruit set and provided a “natural fruit thinning” that brought the crop in balance relative to the dry soil conditions. The warm weather this vintage produced wines with a riper character. We are very pleased with the resulting wines from the 2020 vintage (although there won’t be as many bottles) to carry our legacy forward.