Winemaker Notes
A beautiful illustration of our Napa Valley Viognier, the 2023 vintage is expressive and aromatic, with notes of mandarin, orange blossom, and floral white jasmine on the bouquet. The palate is vibrant and bright with fresh green apple, citron lemon, peach, and nectarine. Zippy acidity offers a lively core with a subtle mouthwatering and inviting tang. Depth in flavor provides secondary notes of vanilla bean, undercurrents of honey, and delicate elderflower, which lead to a long, viscous, dry finish of white pepper spice and a wisp of Turkish delight. This Viognier has a mouth-coating medium body that provides sophistication, intrigue, and allure. It is enjoyable alone or paired with spicier foods, exotic dishes, or lighter fare.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of apricots, white rose petals, canned peaches and chalk. The palate is medium-bodied with a creamy texture and balanced acidity, giving flavors of orange blossoms, preserved lemons and cantaloupe.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a company-owned vineyard in Oak Knoll, the 2023 Viognier was entirely barrel fermented in used oak, then spent a relatively short four months in wood before blending and bottling. It's nicely floral and apricot-scented, offering classic varietal notes on the nose; the palate is medium to full-bodied, plump, silky and generous, without any hints of bitterness. Nicely done.
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.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
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.