Winemaker Notes
Sourced from select and diverse parcels from across Napa Valley, this rich and exuberant Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a showstopper. An intriguing bouquet opens with pronounced aromas of ripe blackberry and red cherry, underpinned by perfumed floral and savory herbal notes of dried rose petal, potpourri, sage, and mint. The wine is full-bodied with beautiful texture and depth on the palate, with multi-layered finesse and crowd-pleasing drinkability. On the palate, juicy cassis, blackberry, and red cherry are supported by notes of crushed red rose, tea leaf, and chocolate, giving this Cabernet a beguiling plushness and warmth. Finishing smooth and dry, with soft tannins and a lingering perfume of cassis, violet and dark chocolate.
This dazzling Cabernet can easily pair alongside a variety of cuisines and culinary dishes.
Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This shows lots of perfumes, with blackcurrants, violets, licorice and tar. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and an underlying character of cedar, sandalwood and pine needles. The tannins are full and creamy, with a polished, velvety texture at the end. Delicious now, but better in three to five years, and beyond.
A fashionable country resort in the mid-twentieth century, popular with Hollywood due to its 1892 stone Manor House and historic gardens, legends of bootleggers and gangsters, ghosts and gypsies, Stags' Leap has been home to three major family groups up through the modern revitalization of the winery that began in the 1970s.
Stags Leap Manor, as it was called in the 1920s, was known as one of the prominent country retreats in the Napa Valley at a time when resort and spa business was big. In addition to lodging and dining, amenities included lawn tennis, swimming, horseback riding, children's activities, golf, music, cards, a library, and Napa Valley wines and liquors (prior to and after Prohibition).
An intimate valley within the greater Napa Valley, Stags Leap is a place of natural beauty, storied buildings and gardens, a lively history, and a reputation for elegant wines showing finesse and intensity.
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.