Kevin Morrisey

Winemaker

For Kevin Morrisey, being steward of the land at Stags’ Leap Winery is both an honor and a thrill. His meticulous attention to detail and obsession with quality comes from a place of respect for the legacy of winemaking that stretches back to the nineteenth century. As a result, Morrisey spends his days in the vineyard and in the cellar using his senses as his barometer for both harvest and winemaking decisions, always striving to make wines that ultimately represent the land and the special place called Stags’ Leap Winery.

In many ways, stepping into the position of Winemaker at Stags’ Leap Winery in 2005 has been a celebrated homecoming for Kevin. He originally joined the historic estate as an enologist in 1998 fresh from an internship at the renowned Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux. He was quickly promoted to assistant winemaker by winemaker Robert Brittan. Working steadily for five harvests, Kevin put his heart and soul into learning the estate vineyards and the Bordeaux and Rhone varietals on which Stags’ Leap Winery’s reputation is based. He left in 2003 for a brief but wonderful experience as winemaker at Etude Wines, returning full circle to Stags’ Leap Winery as winemaker in 2005.

In his role as winemaker at Stags’ Leap Winery, Kevin recognizes that some of the best grapes in the world pass through his hands. That knowledge together with his connection to the land allows him to let the fruit and the seasons dictate the vintage, not winemaking techniques. Kevin’s ongoing dedication to the wines of Stags’ Leap Winery through classic Bordelaise winemaking techniques and his passion for Rhone varietals ensures the legacy of the vineyards and the wines into the next century.

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