Stags Leap District

Touring Napa valley

Stags Leap District

The Stags Leap District in the south east part of Napa Valley and is known for producing top-notch Cabernet Sauvignons of monumental proportions. Most of the wineries are on the Silverado Trail or right off of it.

The Wineries

Clos Du Val is our first stop. This winery is known mostly for it's Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Their winemaking style and philosophy is inspired by the great chateaus and domains of France. The wines are elegant and graceful in style and go very well with food.

We are greeted at the tasting room by Marc Basso who is very knowledgeable about all phases of winemaking, wine and is a wonderful host.. He is from Bordeaux and worked in the wine industry there before coming to Clos Du Val. A really nice stop on your tour, and the tasting is complimentary.

Visit their web site at: www.closduval.com

The Tasting:

1999 Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa $21.00 A crisp style of Chardonnay with good clean fruit, and structure. Classy.

1999 Vin Gris, Napa $15.00 A blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Smooth and appealing with good fruit and balance.

1998 Zinfandel, California $18.00 Light in color but high in alcohol (14.5%) A fruity bouquet with a soft fruity taste. I'm almost reminded of a Gamay based wine.

1999 Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa $27.00 Medium depth of color, with a very nice bouquet of complex fruit and floral aromas. The layered fruit flavors keep expanding on the palate (very good)

1998 Merlot, Napa $30.00 Medium to dark purple/red color. The bouquet is still a bit closed at this point but still has good fruit, and oak aromas. Dry with deep berry-fruit and chocolate flavors. Finishes dry with a nice texture.

1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa $28.00 Medium color, with a fruity bouquet. Dry, tight fruit, and showing some tannin for a '98. The finish is a little thin.

1994 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa $46.00 The color is still deep with a floral aromas. The taste shows well structured fruit and balance. The finish lingers on the palate.

Next we head up the road just a bit to Stags Leap Wine Cellars, Which is also known for their Cabernet Sauvignons. Their S.L.V. estate Cab. helped put California on the map by wining in the famous 1996 Paris tasting, and they have been improving it ever since. Here we have a choice of two tasting; their two famous Estate cabs and a Reserve Chardonnay for $20, or for $5 you can taste five of their regular release wines. If you take the Estate tasting you can do the other tasting for free.

Tasting: Estate Wines

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, S.L.V. Estate Grown $100 What a wine! Inky dark color with blackberry, plum and oak aromas. Still very closed but already showing layers of deep fruit, current, and spicy flavors. This wine's texture just coats the palate. The finish is long, dry, and already becoming silky with noticeable tannins. This wine will greatly improve with time in the cellar.* It would be a crime not to cellar it.

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, Fay, Estate Grown $100 Another great wine! I don't know which I like better; the Fay or the S.L.V. It's like having two children; they have different personality, but you love them both the same. The Fay is known for being more assessable in it's youth, and in the case of these '97s, this holds true. This wine is even darker then the S.L.V. The bouquet is still tight, but filled with loads of complex dark perfumed fruit, and toasty vanilla aromas. A lush texture and feel. The taste is just filled with layers and layers of different exotic fruit flavors that keep opening up with each sip. The finish coats the palate, is complex, and lingers on and on. Need I say more? Like the S.L.V. this wine will reward cellaring.*

*Note: How long should I age these wines? I have an idea, but your best bet is to contact the winery itself (who would know better then them) at their web site: www.Cask23.com if your in, or going to northern California, visit the winery where you can taste these wines for yourself.

Our next winery is Pine Ridge Winery. This was my first visit to Pine Ridge, and I was very impressed. The two Pinot Noirs I tasted here were hands down the best of this tour. All their wines showed complexity, richness, a silky texture and class. They offer 4 different tasting from $5 to $15, all tasting include 4 different wines except the $10 tasting where you taste their; 1999 EPITOME, Carneros Collines, Chardonnay $100 and the 1998 ANDRUS RESERVE (a red Bordeaux blend) $135. All the tasting are worth it, but I had time for only one, so I took the $15 tasting of 4 red wines. While tasting, our host Sam took us on a tour of their beautifully designed cellars which were constructed in a way that needs no heating or cooling, saves on energy, and helps our environment Bravo!

Visit their web site at: www.pineridgewinery.com

The Tasting:

1999 Archery Summit Pinot Noir, Premier Cuvee $42 This wine is from three different vineyards in Oregon owned by Pine Ridge. A medium garnet color with ripe fruit on the bouquet. Complex on the palate and revealing deep fruit, oak, and spicy flavors. A very balanced and multifaceted wine that finishes with pure grace. Super! Will improve with 5 -10 years in the bottle.

1999 Archery Summit Pinot Noir, Red Hills Estate $75 This wine is from 22 year old vines grown in their Red Hills Estate in Oregon. The vines are clones from Pommard, France. This wine is bordering on unbelievable. Medium garnet color and a bouquet that delivers a symphony of fruit and floral aromas. The wine's multi-layered flavors all come together with balance, depth, and class. There is so much going on with this wine that every sip is an experience. The finish is very long and that's good because a bottle like this should never end. Will improve for 10 years or more.

1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District $60 Dark in color, with a lush and deep bouquet of dark fruit. Dry on the palate and displaying current, blackberry, cassis, smoky oak and vanilla flavors. Showing tannins and a velvet texture. The texture is very impressive, and the finish is silky and long. Drink over the next 10 years.

1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain $60 Like silk, with layers of complex flavors and richness. Deep color. Full bodied and showing tannins but still a joy to drink even at this young age, but don't be tempted to drink it now, this wine will reach it's peek in 10 to 15+ years.

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