Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Long regarded as one of the world’s premier winery estates, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars became the newest addition to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ portfolio in September 2007. The Napa Valley winery, famed for its signature estate vineyards, S.L.V. and Fay, was acquired in a joint venture with Marchesi Antinori of Italy, SMWE’s longtime partner in making the luxury red wine Col Solare.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars traces its history back to the early 1970s, when founder Warren Winiarski bought land in the Napa Valley, which he believed was uniquely suited for growing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Within just a few years, his 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from the vineyard’s first commercial crop, stunned the wine world when it bested four top-ranked Bordeaux wines, including two First Growths, in a blind tasting held in Paris. At that time, the premium California wines were considered curiosities, hardly in the same class as the best French wines.
This seismic event has been described as “sparking a staggering revolution in vineyard technology,” “a major turning point in consumers’ attitudes,” and “a moment that shook the global wine establishment to its roots.” It was later documented in the 2005 book “Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine” by George Taber.
Today, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ Estate S.L.V., Fay and Arcadia Vineyards are known for their distinctive world-class wines, and their icon brand CASK 23 has been recognized as one of the top luxury wines of California for three decades. Its Napa Valley collection, including Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon and Karia Chardonnay, are crafted with the same approach to winemaking as the limited-production Estate wines, resulting in wines of supple firmness and elegance.
