Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
A satiny Stags Leap Bordeaux blend; dark and concentrated with ripe, generous black plum and toasty vanilla oak. 53% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is an austere, elegant study in power and grace, blending 53% Merlot with 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Substantial and tannin-defined as many of its brethren of this vintage, it shows cedar, pencil shavings and a touch of tobacco, more savory than fruit-driven. Drink now through 2023. Cellar Selection.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Proprietary Red Blend Elevage, a blend of 53.3% Merlot, 33.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, comes in at 14.8% natural alcohol. Deep ruby/purple, beautiful fruit and an elegant style that seems to serve as an impressive crossover between a traditional Bordeaux and the riper Napa Valley style. The wine has soft tannin, burgeoning complexity and is impressive. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.