The story of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is now legendary. Founded in 1970 in Napa Valley, the winery was thrust into the spotlight when a bottle of the 1973 Stag’s Leap Vineyard Cabernet won the now-famous 1976 Paris Tasting, besting some of France’s greatest wines. The historic tasting, which has become known as the "Judgment of Paris", fundamentally transformed how the world viewed the American wine trade. The stunning victory over the elite wines of Bordeaux launched Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars into the ranks of the world’s most noteworthy Cabernet Sauvignon producers. Over the years, the wines of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars have become some of the most highly regarded and collected wines worldwide.
The heart of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is undoubtedly the estate vineyards, and extraordinary care is taken to assure that a wine’s aroma, flavor, and texture express a sense of place. This care is manifested in the winery’s sustainable farming practices. Although the S.L.V. and FAY vineyards adjoin each other, the Napa wines they produce carry expressly different aspects of terroir. The S.L.V. soils are predominantly volcanic in nature and contribute to multi-layered structure, concentration, and spicy intensity. There are 35 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5 acres of Merlot planted, and the vineyard benefits from warm afternoons and cool evening breezes. FAY’s soils are more alluvial in makeup, consisting of fine Bale gravelly clay loam, yielding elements of softness, perfume, and rich berry flavor. The 66 acre vineyard is planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, with a half acre of Petit Verdot.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars signature style has often been described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” a reference to the artful balance between ripeness and restraint, softness and structure, that yields Napa Valley wines of exceptional beauty and long life.
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Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, not to be confused with Stags' Leap Winery, is a Napa Valley winery established by Warren Winiarski in 1972. A bottle of 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
WINE & SPIRITS 21st Annual Restaurant Poll Results (April 2007):
Top Restaurant Brands
#8 - Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was ranked #3 on the Top 10 list for most popular Cabernet Sauvignons by Wine & Spirits 18th Annual Restaurant Poll, April 2007.
Top 100 Wineries - Wine & Spirits 2020