96 Points
Audentia

Estate Wines

2014 Stags' Leap Winery Audentia Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage 2014
Wine Type Red
Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
Region Napa Valley
Winemaker Christophe Paubert

“Sed Contra Audentior Ito” – Always Push Harder – was the latter part of the family motto of Stags’ Leap Winery founder Horace Chase. Audentia is our tribute to this sentiment, crafted from an inimitable blend of estate vines that each year push to yield their most concentrated, yet nuanced and elegant fruit.

Wooden Collectors Box Included On Orders of Six Bottles 

Quantities are limited.

96 points, The Wine Advocate

"A "super-selected Cab," the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Audentia Estate is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petite Sirah aged in about 75% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is profoundly scented of crushed blackberries and black currants with hints of vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood, dried flowers and lavender with a waft of fertile soil. The medium to full- bodied palate is densely packed with black fruit, earth and spice flavor layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and complex. Consider holding it for two more years and drink it over the next 25+. 600 cases were made."  - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate November, 2017

Tasting Notes

The marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah highlights the rich heritage of the property and natural lineage of the estate, as well as the balance of power and finesse. Notable for its distinct combination of power and elegance, Cabernet Sauvignon has a long-established history as the Stags Leap District’s signature varietal. The district’s unique location allows erosion from the Palisades to be a matchless source of its volcanic soils, acknowledged as a distinctive factor in the modern reputation for Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignons. Petite Sirah was sourced exclusively from block 9, long known as one of the winery’s highest-performing blocks that delivers each year with deep blue and red fruit we liken to Cabernet Sauvignon. The combination of the two varietals results in a blend that’s both powerful and concentrated, balanced and elegant. Special care was made in preserving purity of fruit and selecting Petite Sirah that would strengthen – not overpower – the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vintage Notes

Despite drought conditions, the 2014 vintage proved to be ideal, with excellent quality reminiscent of 2012 and 2013. The winter was one of the driest on record in California, but substantial rains in early spring were timely and set up the vines for a strong start. Summer temperatures were milder than expected with no extremes, and after early budbreak and veraison, harvest was unusually early in 2014

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