2019 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

Winemaker Notes: The essence of the proud Stags Leap District terroir in a glass, the 2019 vintage produced a delicious wine of purity, warmth, and grace. Built on a foundation of lush cassis, blackberry, and dark cherry aromas, this long and full-bodied wine is apportioned with a perfume of cardamom, clove, and ancho chile. Graphite, chocolate cake, crushed mulberries, and grilled steak notes make an appearance along the way and add to a long and complex finish. Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot

Vineyards: Located at the base of Diamond Mountain in the western portion of the Calistoga appellation, our Calistoga estate vineyard has twenty acres of vineyard planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon. The gravelly loam soils are volcanic in origin with alluvial influence made evident by copious amounts of water-rolled gravel and large cobbles. While Calistoga can experience quite hot daytime temperatures, our estate is protected from the afternoon sun by Diamond Mountain to our west. Cool breezes from the Pacific are drawn in by the narrow gap between Napa and Sonoma Counties, further mediating the hot days. The result is powerful, rich Cabernet with balanced acidity.

Winemaking: Hand harvested in the cool dark of night, the fruit was brought to the winery and subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, including our cutting edge optical sorter, with a goal of eliminating less-than-perfect berries. The selected fruit was gently delivered to tank via gravity by our crane system, retaining perfect, whole berries. Cold soaks lasted approximately five days, and fermentations were managed by a combination of délestage and pump overs. Extended maceration, ranging from three to four weeks, fine-tuned tannin profiles, allowing us to build structure and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 89% of which were new, for twenty-one months.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Spectator - "This wine substantially overdelivers on its price point, presenting a dark fruit profile, generous tannin and oak, and an expansive full-bodied style. Blended with 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, it is approachable while never forgetting its structured, complex roots. Editors' Choice"


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it skips out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of warm blackcurrants, blackberry preserves and Black Forest cake, plus hints of tree bark and pencil lead. The palate has a beautiful, silt-like texture and a restrained, medium to full-bodied style with earth-laced, crunchy fruit and a savory finish."