Winemaker Notes
Allowing the 2023 Stags Leap District Cab to uncoil in the glass with a little air is a joy to witness. This Cabernet reveals layers that move from graphite and slate to lush black cherry, huckleberry, and berry compote. Notes of fresh fennel, vanilla bean, and cinnamon spice add lift and intrigue. On the palate, bold tannins stride confidently across the mid-palate, leading to a juicy black cherry finish with a touch of youthful grip. Both fresh and structured, this wine showcases the balance of power and elegance that defines Stags Leap.
It pairs beautifully with grilled portobello, arugula, and brie on ciabatta.
Blend: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
-
The Somm Journal
Dense, dark, and powerful, the Pine Ridge 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon the Stags Leap District in Napa Valley exudes mesmerizing aromatics of red fruit melting into a cedar chest. Iron and charcuterie are savory amid a textural array of fleshy and round tannins. Clove and potpourri spice the tongue on the finish.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Aged 20 months in 75% new French oak, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District is slightly more serious and offers classic aromatics of cassis and darker currants intermixed with spring flowers, violets, chalky minerality, and cedar pencil. It's beautifully balanced and medium to full-bodied, with ripe, polished tannins and a great finish. It's well worth seeking out and might just be the finest wine I've tasted from Pine Ridge.
Rating: 94+
-
James Suckling
Bright and lifted aromas of blueberries, blackcurrants, violets and raspberry coulis. The palate is medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, a textural mouthfeel and a finish of licorice, blackberries and bitter chocolate. Succulent and focused. Drink or hold.
Founded in 1978, Pine Ridge Vineyards sits in the heart of the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, tucked beneath of ridge of pines that speak to the dramatic geologic origins of our home and unique soils. For over 40 years the winery has become a pioneer farming and vinifying Bordeaux grapes with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Pine Ridge Vineyards farms a collection of 160 acres of Napa Green sustainably certified estate vineyards across Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain and Carneros, including 47 acres in the Stags Leap District.
The winery’s Chenin Blanc + Viognier bottling started out as an experimental blend over twenty-five years ago and is now one of the most beloved and highly acclaimed white wines available. Original and unique, this fresh white wine blend is crafted to be fresh, fruity and easy to pair and enjoy. The wine has also inspired a Pine Ridge Sparkling wine also made with Chenin Blanc and a splash of Viognier.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Legend has it that quick and nimble stags would escape the indigenous hunters of southern Napa Valley through the landmark palisades that sit just northeast of the current city of Napa. As a result, the area was given the name, Stags Leap. While its grape-growing history dates back to the mid-1800s, winemaking didn’t really take off until the mid-1970s after a small but pivotal blind tasting called the Judgement of Paris.
When a 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won first place against its high-profile Bordeaux contenders, like Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion, international attention to the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley escalated rapidly.
The vineyards in this one-of-a-kind wine growing region receive hot afternoon air reflecting off of its eastern palisade formation. In combination with the cool evening breezes from the San Pablo Bay just south, this becomes an optimal environment for grape growing. While many varieties could thrive here, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate with virtually no others, save for a spot or two of Syrah.
Stags Leap soils—eroded volcanic and old river sediments—encourage well established root systems and result in complex, terroir-driven wines. Stags Leap District reds have a distinct sour cherry and black berry character with baking spice and dried earth aromas, and supple tannins.