Rejoice Nationwide Wine Day On a regular basis at Stag’s Leap Vineyard

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Jill Weinlein

When Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars launched their 2022 FAY & S.L.V. wines, they invited wine membership members and followers to style the brand new vintages whereas strolling within the vineyards. Director of Winery Operations Kirk Grace and Winemaker Luis Contreras led the way in which. Rows of budding grapes had been waving in a cool breeze on a scorching day on the historic FAY vines.

The group stopped 5 occasions to style some new releases and some stunning outdated ones, earlier than an al fresco lunch below a cover of historic oak timber. On a regular basis is Nationwide Wine Day at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

Winemaker Luis Contreras – Photograph by Elizabeth Weinlein

Kirk has been managing the vineyard for 17 years, and winemaker Luis has labored at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for 26 years. Luis labored his manner up the ranks in bottling, cellar employee and later Cellar Grasp. He works carefully with Winemaker Marcus Notaro and Kirk Grace to craft a few of the most elegant Napa Valley wines.

When Luis visits the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars vineyards, he inspects the totally different rising levels of the vines and grapes to guage their efficiency. His skilled palate in wine tastings together with Notaro’s, follows the progress of each lot throughout the ageing course of.

Because the Cellar Grasp, Luis continues to supervise all cellar and bottling operations too. “Being a part of one thing that adjustments folks’s lives. Wine is a dwelling factor, it expresses the varietal attribute, the rising area and winemaking methods which can be used. It includes many individuals working collectively in the direction of one objective. Wine has the potential to create unforgettable reminiscences and being a part of that’s priceless,” mentioned Luis.

Jill Weinlein

Company sipped a glass of Elia Rose’ constituted of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Fay Block 1. The aroma of this gentle pink wine supplied notes of strawberry, with hints of pink lemonade and watermelon. This shiny wine affords refreshing acidity, with cranberry and cherry that lingers on the end. Retailing for $45, this wine is right within the late spring to fall to pour throughout a yard lunch or dinner. 

Jill Weinlein

Legend for the title of the area is of a big stag standing on the V notch of the rocky hill on the best promontory. Seeing hunters approaching, he leapt to security on the opposite aspect to evade his demise.

This can be a sacred space and the spirit of the stag resides right this moment. It was designated the Stag’s Leap District (AVA), and the terroir is right for sure varietals, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘Each winery has a narrative,’ mentioned Luis.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Photograph by Jill Weinlein

In accordance with Kirk Grace, ‘Warren Winiarski, a former faculty professor turned winemaker met Nathan Fay in 1969. When Fay supplied him some handmade wine, he mentioned ‘the room was crammed with stunning aromas.’ After a stint at Robert Mondavi vineyard, he bought 40 acres to develop grapes and began making wine.

His 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, received a blind tasting by French sommeliers and restaurant house owners in Paris throughout the American bicentennial in 1976. The judges blindly tasted high quality California Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, in addition to French Boudeaux wines. To everybody’s shock Stag’s Leap received. This not solely enhanced Stag’s Leap fame, however that of Napa Valley and California as nicely. One other shock was that the wine was constituted of one 12 months outdated vines.

The successful bottle is displayed within the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of American Historical past. It’s one in all 101 artifacts proudly made in the USA.

Jill Weinlein

Tasting the 2018 HEART OF FAY Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s made with 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The fruity and shiny aromatics supplied darkish berries and cherry, with hints of rose petal. The plush texture lingers with berry and a contact of cedar.

Created from the unique blocks, the grapes develop in soil that produces totally different traits of the wines from the grapes rising greater on the hill. The purple soil is youthful, whereas the older soil darker with deeper roots for water absorption and extra fertility. The berry wealthy flaovr of the wine has construction. 

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Photograph by Jill Weinlein

The terrior is barely totally different on the hill, because the volcanic ridge breaks down soil because of climate parts offering extra minerality. The low soil is older with deeper roots that maintain extra water and have extra fertility. Cabernet grapes wish to develop throughout scorching days and funky nights. They name this the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ in rising.

2018 FAY HILLSIDE grows greater up the hill providing a ravishing traditional aroma the darkish fruit with hints of ripe cherry, and a contact of hazelnut and salted caramel. When sipped this wine on the mid palate is much less shiny than the HEART OF FAY, however persistant in wealthy texture with nice tannins and notes of cocoa and low on the structured end. A bottle retails for $155.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Photograph by Jill Weinlein

Company fortunate to style the 1987 S.L.V. cabernet Sauvignon appreciated how these grapes develop on vines that had been planted within the Seventies. This bottle affords a darkish fruit aroma, with slight salinity and flintiness with a briny black olive essence. It retails for $1,100 a bottle, as does the 2016 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, constituted of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It’s a wealthy and complicated wine providing aromas of currents, violets and dusty cocoa powder. The attractive mouthfeel produces hints of darkish stone fruit with a contact of graphite on the end.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Photograph by Jill Weinlein

After the tour, friends appreciated the pleasing arorma of barbeque as they approached lengthy tables below timber with views of the winery.

The lunch began with a pour of 2021 ARCADIA Winery Chardonnay a Little Gems Lettuce salad. This smooth and stylish wine on the nostril affords a steadiness of lemon and minerality with minimal oak and malic acid.

A buffet desk was lined with plates of tender in a single day Texas fashion brisket, massive Memphis dry rub rooster thighs, North Carolina pulled pork, and scorching smoked wild king salmon. Heat potato salad had capers, chopped celery and tarragon wearing fennel and apple cider. Pan roasted inexperienced beans, and black velvet-vella Jack Mac and Cheese had been pure consolation meals for the physique and soul.

2020 FAY Property Cabernet Sauvignon and 2020 S.L.V. Property Cabernet Sauvignon had been poured all through the lunch.

Jill Weinlein

The wine nation lunch completed with a stunning polenta cake topped with candy berries.

Company realized that Marchesi Antinori purchased the vineyard, the model and stock, plus 300 acres of Napa vines, together with the Fay and S.L.V. vineyards. He’ll proceed to make use of the stellar winemaking workers that make distinctive, elegant, fruity Stag’s Leap Cabernet and different wines. Stag’s Leap produces roughly 150,000 instances per 12 months. 

Subsequent time you’re in Napa Valley make a reservation to take part in one in all many immersive tastings all year long.