Here is one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley that you should try at VanWineFest 2019. Read about the winery and their wines in their own words.
About Stags’ Leap Winery
Located at the very heart of Stags Leap District, the Stags’ Leap Winery, established in 1893, continues a proud winemaking heritage in the prestigious appellation that bears the winery name. Winemaker Christophe Paubert, who grew up outside of Sauternes in Bordeaux and who worked at Chateau d’Yquem as Cellar Master, practices a meticulous, hands-on style of winemaking that emphasizes balance and finesse.
The construction of the Manor House as shown in the photo to the right was in 1890 and has been recently rebuilt in 2016 due to the 2014 earthquake in the region.
Stags Leap District became an officially designated AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1989. To use the appellation on a label, wineries must use 85 percent fruit grown within the District. The district is located five miles north of the town of Napa, and east of the Napa River, along the Silverado Trail. The 85-acre Estate Vineyard is divided into 23 separate blocks based on soil type and exposure to the sun, in a combination of valley floor and hillside slope plantings.
The Wines We Will Feature at the International Festival Tasting Room
Enjoy some wine with winemaker Joanne Wing in the International Festival Tasting Room.
Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Viognier – Our 2017 Viognier is fresh and lively, showcasing the variety’s classic stone fruit and citrus blossom characteristics, with hints of lemon meringue and white pepper. This wine has racing acidity and a steely minerality which adds to the wine’s crispness and complexity. Layers of white peach, hints of lemongrass and raw almond, are plentiful on the palate, leading to a very long elegant, delicately floral spiced finish. This Viognier is a mouthwatering expression of Viognier that is perfect for warm weather occasions offering a silky texture and roundness on the palate that invites you to take another sip, again and again. Enjoy on its own or pair with a wide variety of your favourite dishes.
Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Chardonnay – Our Napa Valley Chardonnay is gently whole-cluster pressed, in order to preserve the fresh, floral aromatics naturally occurring in the fruit. Twenty-five percent of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and remains in tank until the final blend is assembled. The winemaking hand remains light, with twenty-five percent of the wine fermented and aged in new French oak barrels and the remaining fifty percent in seasoned French oak. This specific barrel treatment helps preserve the essential purity of the fruit while adding subtle notes of oak complexity. The 2017 vintage, as usual, did not undergo malolactic fermentation, which helps to further maintain the fruit’s natural acidity and aromatic freshness. The wine was bottled after just six months of maturation with a weekly battonage, putting the yeast lees in suspension in order to release subtle aromatics, increase the mouthfeel, and prevent reductive qualities.
Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Merlot – With freshness emphasizing its southern Napa origins, the 2015 Merlot combines dark juicy black cherry and macerated strawberry fruit with light floral violets side-by-side subtle hints of caramel, cinnamon, clove and tobacco spice savoriness, imparted from the oak ageing. The generous fruit flavours, polished structure, refreshing acidity, present tannins and plush texture show just how elegant Merlot can be.
Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Petite Sirah – Deep and saturated with a core of blueberries, black plum, black cherry, lavender and pepper spice, this wine displays an extraordinary elegance and finesse for which our Petite Sirahs are known. The generous black plum and black cherry flavors are prominent on the palate, yet backed up with delicate cinnamon, clove and cedar spice notes from the oak ageing. There is also a freshness and vibrancy that makes it very inviting with restrained tannins and a generous lengthy finish, encouraging you to enjoy it now, but has the depth and complexity to age for many years to come.
