Winemaker Notes
Expressive aromas are an enticing signature of the 2023 Yettalil - black cherry, blueberry, cassis, and plum, lifted by violet, anise, thyme, and a gentle trace of spice. A graceful and complex palate is layered with notes of lavender, graphite, earth, and dark chocolate. Polished tannins and vibrant acidity shape a robust frame, giving the wine an elegantly powerful texture with the promise of long life in the cellar.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 10% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
This is the fourth time a Stag's Leap District wine has been elevated to Best In Show, and the second time that we've seen a Bordeaux blend rather than a wine that would qualify as a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc from this remarkable nested AVA within Napa. Our judges loved it: ‘powerful and persuasive’ said one; others found it ‘long, poised and eloquent’ and a wine of ‘notable finesse’. It's a saturated and opaque black-red in colour and aromatically articulate as well as intricate: behind the cascade of blackcurrant and blackberry you might find lavender, herbs, black pepper and eucalyptus, while the palate is packed out, beyond its powerful fruits, with graphite, earth, soft leather and liquorice root. The wine is a masterclass in tannin handling: fine suede on the tongue. Its acidity is a quiet undertow, giving the palate ample flow and swirl. This concentrated and authoritative Napa blend perfectly illustrates the virtues of a milder-than-usual vintage for the valley; it will age effortlessly for a decade or two.
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Vinous
Rich and seamless in the glass, the 2023 Yettalil is a standout. Plush contours wrap around a core of plum, espresso, incense, licorice and mocha. All the elements are so well balanced. This sumptuous, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon-based red hits all the right notes. It's a stellar wine from Clos du Val.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.