Winemaker Notes
Providing a great point-counterpoint entry, the wine exhibits notes of Hershey’s milk chocolate and blue-raspberry. On the palate, Bing cherry juice and raspberry jam light up the senses, followed by fresh thyme and vanilla cream. Going from this juicy entry to the lush palate, a slight minerality is noticed on the back end. This is all well supported by the sweet, concentrated tannin for which the Stags Leap District is world renowned. This is followed by an essence of birch beer that is lightly woven together with uber-fine-grained tannin on the finish. This wine should age well for another 15 years and would be a great accompaniment to a bed of risotto generously covered in Parmigiano Reggiano shavings.
Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petit Verdot, 1.5% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Energetic and earth-laden, with suede tannins that carry weight. The mouth is lathered with mulberry, sweet earth, spearmint, graphite, cherrywood, and cedar, and the wine's broad shoulders are balanced by fresh acidity as well as a refined finish of violets and black plum compote.
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James Suckling
Layers of dark fruit with aromas of blackcurrants, cedar, mocha, licorice and spices. The palate is full-bodied with finely grained tannins and balanced acidity, giving flavors of red currants, blood plums and blueberry compote. Nicely balanced and structured.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2022 Pine Ridge Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon is generous and demonstrative on the palate before finishing long and stylish. This wine excels with aromas and flavors of spice box scents, summer blueberries, and creamy chocolate. Serve it a grilled, well-textured T-Bone steak. (Tasted: September 26, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
Complex, gamey aromas of red and black fruits, bouquet garni, iron, and sweet tobacco emerge from the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District. Medium to full-bodied and nicely textured on the palate, it shows richness and layers, with sweet tannins and the more accessible style of the vintage.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Scents of cherry and raspberry mark the nose, joined by hints of soft leather or suede. It's full-bodied and ripe but with a bit more acid and tannin than the Napa Valley bottling. Nicely structured, finishing tart and silky.
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.