Winemaker Notes
This third vintage of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is lovely and bright, offering the variety’s classic citrus fruit characteristics with notes of Meyer lemon and white blossoms. A lean backbone of racy acidity supported by a steely minerality adds to the wine’s crispness and complexity. On the palate, stone fruit notes of white peach, young plum, grapefruit and zesty lime peel are interwoven with hints of white jasmine and elderflower, as well as spicier ginger and white pepper notes, adding layers and depth to the round, soft texture, leading to a lengthy mouthwatering finish. Elegant and savory, this Sauvignon Blanc is a beautiful expression of Napa Valley fruit, and the perfect thirst-quencher when dining al fresco, or enjoying on its own.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A creamy-textured sauvignon blanc with sliced apple, lime and other citrus fruit. Medium to full body. Tangy finish. Need oysters with this! Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc is made in a decidedly fume style, with notes of struck flint, smoky overtones and grassy-herbal elements, but also ripe fig and melon flavors. Aged in a mix of new (17%) and used French oak (53%), plus stainless steel (30%), it's medium to full-bodied, plump and silky in texture on the long finish. Best After 2022
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Wine Spectator
Intense and vibrant, with mouthwatering fresh ginger, pomelo and lemon flavors. Reveals an appealing note of matchstick and minerality on the finish.
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.