Winemaker Notes
By 1997 the vines had enough age, the vintage was excellent and Robert Brittan had learned how to balance the vigorous varietal in the vineyard. He also had enough experience with Syrah in the cellar to know that, unlike its child Petite Syrah, it makes a better wine if it is fermented at higher temperatures. This brings out a meaty component that is characteristic of Rhone wine made from this grape—a style Brittan loves.
Experience also showed him that Syrah is easily dominated by new oak, so he aged the wine for 17 months in once-used French oak barrels. After aging, Robert blended in a little Petite Syrah to enhance the finish and a small amount of Viognier to "bridge" the two red varietals. The result is a wine that has good balance with pretty violet, ripe red fruit, butterscotch and light smoky meat aromas, and raspberry, blackberry, white pepper and light fennel/anise earthy flavors.
Professional Ratings
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.