Stags' Leap Winery Ne Cede Malis 2014
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
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Winemaker Notes
A unique tasting experience each vintage, the 2014 Ne Cede Malis is a prodigious, full-bodied wine with amazing concentration and incredible depth. With silky, elegant tannins that reflect the age of the oldest vines on the Stags’ Leap estate, the wine reveals layers of dark berry fruit flavors, with notes of violet, pepper and licorice. This single block blend is powerful and mouth-filling, but remains inviting in its youth and will disclose further complexities over time.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wow. This is quite a wine with incredible old vine aromas and flavors with wet earth, bark, moss and dark fruits. Full body and layered with a super finish. Made from 80-year-old head pruned petite sirah and 16 other varieties.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a single block of four acres planted in 1929 and consisting of Petite Sirah (about 85%) and a field blend of 16 different varieties, the 2014 Petite Sirah Ne Cede Malis has a very deep garnet-purple color and a provocatively earthy/meaty nose over a core of baked blackberries and black raspberries with hints of anise, mocha and chargrill. The palate is big, rich and spicy, with the full-bodied fruit nicely structured by firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and savory. A truly unique wine!
Rating: 94+ -
Wine & Spirits
Focused on mineral impressions of the earth more than sunny scents of fruit, this is a field blend of mixed vines planted in 1929 at the winery’s estate vineyard tucked into the benchlands of the Stags Leap escarpment. Mostly petite sirah, the vineyard includes at least 15 other varieties. In 2014, they came together in a brisk, cool and sumptuous red, with scents of violets and black olives. The silken tannins give it a classical structure, dry and youthfully austere, needing ten years in the cellar to reach its full expression.
Other Vintages
2016-
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Jeb
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James
Suckling -
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Robert
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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.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.