Winemaker Notes
The 2021 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon offers generous aromas of black currants, mocha, olive, figs, and a touch of espresso. A rich mouthfeel, and a dense, balanced core, lead into a lengthy finish with flavors of dark chocolate, blackberry reduction, and a touch of oak.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A firm but refined, elegant wine that shows great balance, tension and a wonderful bouquet of floral, savory and black-fruited flavors. Creme de cassis, dried cherry, cigar box, bay leaf and black olive notes fill the aromas and flavors, while snug, fine-grained tannins light up the texture. Full-bodied. It's a vintage worth aging.
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Decanter
The 2021 SLV is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 21 months, in 100% new French oak. It's a concentrated, opulent vintage of this wine. Bright nose of violets, blackberry and blueberry compote. Full-bodied with plush velvet tannins that are ripe, powerful and super granular. An undercurrent of huckleberry fruit mingles with graphite minerality. Natural acidity is present and juicy. The long finish is bright and floral and resolves with more ripe black fruit, salted dark chocolate, and toasty oak.
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Wine Enthusiast
Savory flavors and a pleasing richness are well matched with succulent while abundant tannins and juicy length. This iconic wine features flavors of blackberry and refreshing dried herbs spun through with spices.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and well-fruited, but with a touch of restraint, as boysenberry, blackberry and cassis notes move slowly and steadily, flanked by suave hints of alder and warm earth and backed by subtle echoes of violet and savory on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. comes across as darker-fruited than the Fay, more concentrated and tannic. Hints of pencil shavings and dark chocolate accent black cherries and cassis on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and velvety, finishing long.
Considered one of the "first growths" of Napa Valley, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars produces renowned Cabernet Sauvignon from its historic Stags Leap District estate vineyards. Learn about Stags Leap history and estate-grown wines.
History of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was founded in 1970 with the purchase of a 40 acre property in the now famed Stag’s Leap District AVA in Napa Valley. The winery brought international recognition to California winemaking and the Napa Valley region when their 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Paris Tasting, also known as the "Judgement of Paris."
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Estate-Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' three estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons - CASK 23, S.L.V. and Fay - are among the most highly regarded and collected Cabernet Sauvignons worldwide. The Cabernet wines are fashioned to express richness balanced by elegant restraint, an approach often described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove."
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.