'...a benchmark among Napa Valley Cabs..' BRIAN FREEDMAN, FORBES

That Winiarski’s first vintage, the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon, came top in the 1976 Judgment of Paris, is the stuff of legend. It catapulted the winemaker, and Stags Leap District, to world renown...It confirmed Winiarski’s belief that the unique topography of Stags Leap could produce the style of wine he was seeking-what he and his successors call “the iron fist in the velvet glove”: supple tannins, ripe berry fruit, brisk acidity, medium alcohol, and the structure to age gracefully… THE WORLD OF FINE WINE MAGAZINE

When I personally had the opportunity to taste through a vertical of S.L.V. last autumn, it was an opportunity to not just savor some fantastic wines, but also to contextualize them each in relation to one another, and to their neighbors. There are countless benefits to tasting through multiple decades of a single wine, not least of which is the ability to understand how a particular vineyard site expresses itself over the years and through all kinds of vintage conditions, as well as how the guiding philosophy of a particular producer does or does not change over the years and decades. In the case of this wine, experiencing these specific vintages accomplished both with exuberance and profundity… BRIAN FREEDMAN, FORBES

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Stag’s Leap is a legendary American producer, they beat the French at their own game. They’re one of Napa’s lauded estates having won the Judgement of Paris with the release of their first vintage of SLV cabernet back in 1976. But that was a long time ago when the vineyard was embryonic. With over half a century under its belt, the SLV vineyard has only gone from strength to strength.

Today we're offering their SLV, (Stags Leap Vineyard). The first release in 1973 triumphed over a slew of Bordeaux’s First and Second Growths (merde!). Planted mostly to cabernet sauvignon with a smidge of cabernet franc, this 14-ha vineyard is now 54 years old. Its founder Warren Winiarski sold the estate over a decade ago, as his children wanted to pursue other careers and it’s now solely owned by the Antinori family. With deep pockets and a firm admiration for Winiarski and Stags Leap, it’s been business as usual as the new owners learned the curios and details of their brilliant holdings. Minor tweaks in the vineyard and winery have been made but nothing seismic in the way of changes.

Stags Leap is also the name of the AVA (American Viticultural Area) as well as the winery. Located in the north of Coombsville, its original and imposing landscape is acutely described by John Szabo, ‘with its arresting palisades, the towering cliffs of pure basalt shaped like the pipes of an organ that rise above vineyards. The vines planted higher up in these foothills of the Vaca Mountains dig right into the weathered basalt,.’ The combination of site and vines builds ripeness and structure without carrying a heft of alcohol. Back in the day, Winiarski was warned he wouldn’t be able to ripen the grapes, he had the last laugh.

Its unique personality, ability to age gracefully and hero status within the eyes of many the world over is summed up nicely by Forbes’ wine critic Brian Freedman who attended a vertical tasting of six wines from 2015 to 1987, ‘…I found the S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, across vintages, to be appealing in their youth and have the ability to age with grace. There’s an old cliché that says you should never meet your heroes, because disappointment often ensues. In the case of this particular wine—certainly a hero in the American wine firmament—tasting through these incredible vintages had the opposite effect: If anything. it raised my level of respect. I had been fortunate enough to enjoy a glass or three of older S.L.V. over the years, but considering these half-dozen wines side by side threw everything that makes it so extraordinary into shimmeringly sharp relief.’

If you’re searching for a bombastic alcohol-fueled cabernet, this isn’t for you. As Joe Czerwinski says about the 2019. ‘No, it's not made in a modern, blockbuster style, but it's true to its heritage, with subtle herb shadings and a long, silky finish.’

We’ve been given access to three vintages of this American beauty; 2016, 2019 and 2021.

This is a pre-arrival offer, the wines are due to arrive in July. A 20% deposit will be taken to confirm your order.

These are one of a kind, and it’s the first time we’ve ever offered them. Please don’t delay if you’d like to order these.

Cheers

Gabrielle