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Tasting Notes
Sourced primarily from cooler appellations within Napa Valley, this 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is fresh and vibrant with layers of bright red berry fruits, alongside a floral potpourri. Baking spice notes of caramel, clove and cedar are also present, a nod to the well-integrated oak character. On the palate, complimentary flavors of Bing cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry, and cassis accompany baking spice notes and hints of anise, crafting a Cabernet that is rich and plush with a mouth filling texture. Velvety tannins envelope the dense fruit providing balance and texture, all leading to a long, luscious finish. Very drinkable upon release, this Cabernet is a crowd-pleaser, and is certain to age for the next several years.Technical Information
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Tannat, 2% Petite Sirah and 2% Merlot |
| Oak Treatment | 100% French oak barrels (27% new) for 20 months |
| Alcohol % | 14.3% |
Scores & Accolades
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93“A very polished cabernet sauvignon with currants, chocolate, and hazelnut. It’s medium- to full-bodied with silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Very long. The texture and flavor stays with you for a long time. One for the cellar but fun to taste.” - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2023
Winemaking
The first several weeks of a wine’s life are crucial. While the grapes for this wine were undergoing fermentation and maceration, our winemaking team tasted and tested each lot daily to determine the pump overs regime, how much air the wine needed, and the best temperature to optimize maceration and extraction. After pressing off the skins for 3-4 weeks, 27% of the wine went into new French oak barrels while the remainder went to seasoned French oak; this combination preserves freshness and gives the fruit more room to express itself. The wine aged for 20 months prior to bottling.Vintage
The 2020 season will be remembered for factors beyond the typical harvest season. It was a warm, dry winter and the rain and cooler weather didn’t arrive until the end of March. While the mild spring season was a great early start, summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days, but then harvest was interrupted by wildfires across California, which came as grapes started to be picked, and we were very fortunate that none of our vineyards were in the areas of the active fires. The white wine harvest started in mid to late August while the red wine harvest was smaller yielding and proved to be one of the most challenging in history, but our winemakers remained optimistic and very complimentary of the high quality achieved from this unprecedented vintage.Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon is synonymous with Napa Valley and has always been a mainstay in the winemaking program at Stags’ Leap Winery. Our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a combination of grapes from select Napa Valley growers with a focus on sourcing from the valley floor. Our winemaker selects fruit that is similar in expression to the grapes from the Stags’ Leap estate, avoiding fruit from areas he considers to be too warm and instead sourcing grapes from the southern part of Napa Valley, where the climate is cooler. This strategic sourcing ensures the focus and character for which Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignons are known.