Winemaker Notes
This inaugural 2018 Sauvignon Blanc is lively, expressive and vibrant, exhibiting the variety’s classic citrus fruit, lemongrass and white floral nuances. Backed up by a lean focused line of acidity and a steely minerality that adds to the wine’s crispness and complexity. There is a depth of flavor with candied lemon peel, passion fruit and melon, alongside hints of white floral jasmine and white pepper that linger on the palate of the lengthy finish. Elegant, mouthwatering and savory, this Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect expression of Napa Valley, making it an ideal accompaniment to warm weather occasions.
Enjoy on its own or pair with a wide variety of your favorite seafood, chicken or Mediterranean dishes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A soft, creamy white with sliced pear and apple character. Some resin undertones. Medium to full body. Lovely fruit. 70% barrel fermented. Shows focus and intensity. First sauvignon from here and fantastic. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Stags' Leap Sauvignon Blanc is a well-built wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright, refreshing, and crisp. Pair its aromas and flavors of mineral, green apples, and dried herbs with a plate of raw oysters. (Tasted: October 17, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc prances out of the glass with cheery scents of white peaches, lemon curd and orange blossoms plus touches of musk perfume, beeswax and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is alive with energetic citrus and stone fruit flavors and a racy backbone, finishing with great length and tension. 5,639 cases were made.
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.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.