2017 Stags’Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Stags’Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon: One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wines. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District‘s tart cherry flavors.
93 James Suckling – 2017 Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon shows lots of beautiful fruit with blackcurrants and boysenberries and there are also fine tannins that give it form and tension. Medium to full body. Lovely, fine tannins. Pretty intensity of fruit at the finish. Drink or hold.
92 Wine Enthusiast – With small amounts of Merlot and mixed reds, this wine is thick in tannin and bright in red fruit, with complementary characteristics of graphite, clove and cedar. An elegant midpalate of balanced weight lens to a soft, graceful finish.
90 Wine & Spirits – Fresh, red-fruited and clean, this wine’s juicy cherry flavors carry straight past the espresso-like tannins. It’s bright, with an undertone of smoke, easy to enjoy in its youth, alongside pepper-crusted duck breast.