Review: Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

This past weekend I escaped the freezing Bay Area weather (don't lie to me - I saw all those Outside Lands pictures and it looked absolutely frigid out!) with an absolutely lovely (half) day trip to Napa. We had a bit of a late start so we only had the opportunity to stop at one vineyard before dinner and I was very happy with Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

The Original Stag's Leap Welcome Sign

While I was up there I made sure to do the Estate tasting - one Chardonnay and three Cabernet Sauvignons. I found the Chardonnay to be iffy - it was more tart that what I like. My preference for Chardonnays are a nice full, buttery and oaky flavor - much like the Ridge Estate Chardonnay. [note: Ridge doesn't have an Estate Chardonnay in their current release]. I also found the 2010 FAY and 2010 S.L.V. Cabs to also be a bit tart. Although that is generally what happens when they don't blend the wine.

Tasting Room

Stag's Leap has a very interesting story, at least I think, about the FAY and S.L.V. vineyards. The FAY plot was the first in the valley to grow red grapes as land in Napa Valley was previously thought to be unsuitable for red wine grape growing. However, the FAY plot was actually a dried up riverbed, so it was full of minerals and was some of the best earth to actually grow grapes. So out came the plum orchards and in went the vineyard. Most people thought that William Fay was crazy, but it turns out that he had just caught onto something before everyone else did. In fact, the CASK 23 was the FIRST foreign wine to ever beat out a French wine in a blind taste test in a Paris tasting (1976). [I'm a sponge, I know...] As per the usual, they saved the best for last. For the final tasting, I found the 2010 CASK 23 to be a beautifully rounded out red. 

Flights!

In the picture below you can see the two canisters of dirt from the different plots which are adjacent. The soil from the FAY plot is much darker because the water from the hills don't drain out so fast which results in a bigger grape with a thinner skin. On the other hand the S.L.V. plot actually has a very ashy looking soil that drains water very quickly resulting in small thick skinned grapes. I thought it was interesting for two plots of land that were literally right next to each other. So if you couldn't tell, they have single vineyard Cabs - the FAY and S.L.V. and then they have a blend - the CASK 23 which are available for purchase to the "normal" people. 

Stag's Leap also offers other varietals and the vintner who was pouring also snuck us a taste of their 2004 Merlot - which was so delicious, but not for sale. (They had literally sold out just an hour or so before). The vineyard makes *very* limited releases of their other varietals and so they only allow their wine club members to purchase those bottles. 

All in all, I would recommend Stag's Leap to anyone visiting Napa. Great wine and a nice ambiance.