“Elegance realized.” – Forbes

First Vintage 1893. Says it right there on the label! Let that sink in for a minute. Plus, you rarely see this gem under $30…

Tom Hyland for Forbes spotlighted this legacy winery with an opener that says it all: “Napa Valley is home to rich, ripe, sometimes powerful reds… Yet, wines that are too forceful, no matter from where they derive, can be one-dimensional, even tiring, as they can lack elegance… This is where knowing the producers comes into play, and in Napa, it’s quite helpful if you realize which estates craft wines that are complex, beautifully textured and approachable upon release. One producer that always delivers in this vein is Stags’ Leap Winery.”

Wall Street Journal adds: “Winemaker Christophe Paubert has had the reins at Stags’ for the past decade, and a beautiful 2018 harvest neatly coincided with that anniversary. ‘The best harvest I’ve seen here,’ Paubert says. It’s fortuitous timing for a blockbuster release from the vintage in the years ahead, with Paubert hinting the special bottle will likely be an estate Petite Sirah. ‘We are one of the references in North America for Petite Sirah,’ Paubert says. ‘For people who know about it, it’s a passion wine.’ Petite Sirah was planted on the property even before the winery was founded in 1893. Today, the estate actually has a small vineyard planted in 1929, the majestically old, knotty vines growing straight up from the ground. The plot is 85% Petite Sirah, with another 16 varieties sprinkled in…”

Hyland points out that Paubert “previously worked at the famed Château d’Yquem in Bordeaux as well as at wineries in Chile, Spain and Washington State…” concluding that “Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon are two varieties that don’t seem to have much in common, but under the winemaking talent of Christophe Paubert at Stags’ Leap Winery, there is a similar appeal to these wines that can be summed up in one word - harmony. That has been a theme at this estate for decades, and Paubert continues this viewpoint in a beautifully subdued manner that allows varietal purity to shine through. It’s all about balance - thank you, Christophe and the team at Stags’ Leap Winery!”

BBQ season is upon us, time to stock up!

93 Points – James Suckling

“Lots of ripe plums and blueberries, together with smoked meat, licorice and dried flowers. Dark chocolate and wet forest floor, too. Tight and meaty with a dense, chewy tannin structure. Full-bodied, ripe and fruit-driven. Long, savory finish.”