Winemaker Notes
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 7% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 7% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District offers up a cassis, smoked meat, blackberry preserves and spice cake-scented nose with a mocha hint. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated with firm, grainy tannins, it shows a lot of oak, which should marry with the intense fruit, finishing long and layered.
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James Suckling
A dense and rich red with blackberry, blueberry and licorice character. Full body, round tannins and a chewy finish. A blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 7% merlot, 7% malbec, and 2% cabernet franc. Needs time to soften. Maintains Stags Leap character.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Since its introduction in 1972, the Stags Leap District continues to enjoy a lofty position as one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon growing regions in the world. The 2015 Cliff Lede is a prime example of style and elegance. TASTING NOTES: This wine exudes balance in spite of its 15.0% alcohol body. Its aromas and flavors of red and black currants, some dried herbs, and a touch of oak should pair it well with a juicy grilled ribeye. (Tasted: September 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Decanter
Lede produces several Cabs with fanciful names, though this flagship can be counted on year after year for its textbook Stags Leap character of crushed blackberry, graphite and liquorice character. Subtle minerality and toasty oak complete the package.
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.