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Tasting Notes
Tasting Note
The 2017 Napa Valley Red Blend shows the true artistry of blending four Bordeaux-heritage grape varieties grown within the Napa Valley, which together contribute multi-layered flavors and complexity. The Cabernet Sauvignon imparts a generous core of blackberry, raspberry and cassis, while the Merlot brings a darker black cherry intensity to the fruit character. The Merlot also softens the tannins and adds plush rich texture on the mouth-pleasing palate. Petit Verdot and Malbec contributed dark plum and wild chaparral notes, giving the blend a delicate floral nuance of perfumed wild rose and sage. Well integrated warm baking spice notes of allspice and anise also envelop the senses, inspired by the aging in new French oak barrels – which heighten the overall aromatic expression and linger on the finish. The tannins provide intensity, structure and depth, alongside great freshness and acidity. This is a wine that is the perfect bridge between the old world of Bordeaux and the new world of the Napa Valley – showing restraint, elegance and sophistication, and is sure to age for many years to come.
Technical Information
| Varietal | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Blend | 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec |
| Oak Treatment | 100% French oak barrels (60% new) for 19 months |
| Alcohol % | 14.5% |
| Case Production | 285 |
Winemaking
Winemaking
This small bottling of the Bordeaux-varietal red blend is a block selection and barrel selection of the most expressive lots and varieties from across our Napa Valley sourcing, showcasing the best of what Napa Valley had to offer for this vintage. This blend was fermented separately in French oak barrels (60% new) for 19 months and blended just prior to bottling. Custom-toasted, very low impact barrels of new French oak were hand-selected, which supported the wine during maturation but did not impart excessive flavors. Keeping the lots separate throughout fermentation and aging allowed Christophe to monitor and evaluate each lot individually, coaxing each to its maximum potential and complexity.
Christophe Paubert - Winemaker
For Christophe Paubert, Winemaker and General Manager at Stags’ Leap Winery, the identity of a wine is found through the terroir. Christophe’s career has spanned the industry from sales to winemaking, and his impressive background includes positions at Chateau d’Yquem and Gruaud-Larose as well as projects in Chile, Spain and Washington State. But it was the terroir of Stags’ Leap that drew him to California.
Vintage
Vintage Note
The 2017 vintage in the Napa Valley was smaller yielding but high in quality. The region enjoyed much needed rain during the winter months ending the drought. A short period of warmer than usual temperatures during Labor Day weekend accelerated harvest for early ripening grape varieties, resulting in an intense and, at times, unpredictable harvest. Though yields were lower than usual, the wines show exceptional flavor intensity and conditions were perfect for producing a Malbec with beautiful fruit as well as tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.
Vineyard
Napa Valley AVA
Vineyard
Inspired by the Bordeaux-style varieties used in many of our red wines, this red blend was crafted in limited production and is available only at our winery. We selected varieties that seamlessly blend together and enhance one another aromatically and structurally. The resulting wine is elegant and lush and carries through the natural balance and concentrated fresh flavors we find ideal in all Stags’ Leap wines.
This red blend is a combination of estate fruit and grapes from select Napa Valley growers with a focus on sourcing from the valley floor. Winemaker Christophe Paubert selects fruit that is similar in expression to the grapes from the Stags’ Leap estate, avoiding fruit from areas he considers to be too warm and instead sourcing grapes from the southern part of Napa Valley, where the climate is cooler. This strategic sourcing ensures the focus and character for which Stags’ Leap wines are known. We chose specific blocks of reserve-quality grapes from across Napa Valley that would give this red blend the combined attributes of fruit expression and softer tannins for relatively early approachability. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot was grown in a combination of estate and grower vineyards throughout Napa Valley, with a focus on the more southerly AVAs, while the Merlot sourcing was split between vineyards in the Stags Leap District and Carneros AVAs. Finally, the Malbec came from our estate vineyards in Oakville
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