Mission Codename Ground zero
Today we’re rolling out the red carpet for a collection of ICONIC Cabernets from the motherland we call Napa Valley.
We quietly assembled 10 epic wines from the peaks of Spring Mountain, up the slopes of Howell, down to Stags Leap, and beyond. The full force of Napa’s lush and verdant winegrowing region is on display, with top producers, huge scores from the pros, and unbelievable pricing. We are SO LOCKED IN!!
You’ll find Opus One, Girard and Robert Craig to name a few - assembled in one place like the Avengers to protect your dwindling cellar supply and warm the hearts of our Cabernet-loving Operatives.
And for our third installment, we get top shelf, pure Stags Leap bliss…
This is part of their “best of” series sourcing from the top sites in the legendary appellations of Napa, it’s one of 5 total in this distinguished series… while this one truly stands out, as 100% Estate fruit from the vineyards that started Pine Ridge nearly a half century ago.
Some of the neighboring legends include Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Regusci, Hartwell, Realm, Joseph Phelps, Odette by Plumpjack… the list goes on and on in the heart of CABERNET HEAVEN here. And what about the winemaking? Josh Widaman is a name you may have heard of, from his stints at Lewis Cellars back to 2012, along with Pahlmeyer and Chimney Rock prior to that. Among his big accomplishments are making a Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year and countless high scores across all press. He recently took on Pine Ridge, so this 2021 is his inaugural vintage. And if this wine is any indicator, the future is VERY bright.
The 2021 harvest certainly helped him, too. 98 points hello? Vinous agrees it’s “a fabulous vintage… the wines have tremendous energy and finesse, some of the savory intensity of other drought vintages but with more aromatic explosiveness and greater inner sweetness.”
Tom Hyland for Forbes recites the legacy best: “It’s a bit of a new golden age for Napa Valley these days. While wines have been produced here since the mid-19th century, I think of the first golden age as the period between mid-to-late 1960s to the late 1970s when estates such as Robert Mondavi, Sterling, Heitz and a few dozen others began crafting Cabernet… that is king in Napa Valley, and these wines have brought worldwide acclaim to this wine region. One of those producers that began with Cabernet in the late 1970s was Pine Ridge… The wines today are beautifully crafted, and I’m positive that Gary Andrus would be proud of what his successors have accomplished.”
If you’re into blue chip Napa Cabs, don’t let this one get away.
98 Points – The Tasting Panel “Captivating and generous, this remarkable red features boysenberry, new leather, white chocolate, and lavender on a foundation of spiced licorice. Well-evolved tannins create a most inviting mouthfeel that’s creamy and graceful rather than overtly dense.”
96 Points – James Suckling “This has a toasty, dark-fruited character with hints of chocolate and ground spices. Medium- to full-bodied, compact and polished with tight-grained tannins and succulent fruit underneath. Wide and encompassing. There is a weightless cloudiness to the texture with a chalky, lightly chewy finish. Better after 2026.”
What the Winery Says
2021 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Josh Widaman
- Varietals
- 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Sirah, 2% Petit Verdot & 1% Malbec
- Vintage
- 2021
- Alcohol
- 15.5%
- Appellation
- Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
- Vineyards
- 100% Pine Ridge Estate
- Harvest dates
- September 15 - October 19, 2021
- Total acidity
- 5.7 g/L
- pH
- 3.77
- Aging
- 20 months
- Barrels
- 50% new French oak