Stag's Leap Wine Cellars "CASK 23" Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 1.5 Liter
(Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California) - [WE 91]

About the Winery:
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, notably known for being the winery that won the Cabernet Sauvignon competition in the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris, was founded in 1970, and is considered a Napa Valley first-growth estate.

"Our signature style has often been described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” a reference to the artful balance between ripeness and restraint, softness and structure, that yields Napa Valley wines of exceptional beauty and long life. Achieving that style requires a level of attention to detail found only among the world’s best and most dedicated wine producers."

About this Wine

The story of CASK 23 began during the harvest of 1974. Back then, the winery enlisted the help of celebrated winemaker André Tchelistcheff. As he tasted through various lots of new wines from that year, one lot from S.L.V. was so beautiful and deliciously distinct the winery decided it should be bottled separately. It was named CASK 23 for the large wooden cask in which it was aged. Today, the wine is a blend of the most distinctive fruit from the S.L.V and FAY vineyards, resulting in a wine of extraordinary depth and richness balanced by restraint. Over the years, CASK 23 has become one of the most highly regarded and collected wines worldwide.

Vineyards & Winemaking:
Over the years, we’ve identified other blocks and sub-blocks of our estate vineyards that consistently yield fruit of exceptional quality, but the choice of which grapes go into CASK 23 is far from automatic. We pick and vinify in small lots, then carefully monitor each lot’s development to determine which ones live up to their full potential. The fruit from S.L.V., with its volcanic soils, contribute complex structure, concentration, and spicy intensity, while the alluvial soils of FAY yield fruit with lush perfume and rich berry flavors. When blended together, the intense “fire”-like qualities of S.L.V. and the supple, “water”-like characteristics of FAY create a wine of classic elegance, structure, and age-ability.

Vintage:Flooding kicked off the New Year in Napa Valley, which made for great news headlines, but caused no damage to dormant vines. Cool, wet weather delayed bud break by a few weeks, but sunshine returned by early June. In July, a record-setting heat wave lasted about ten days, which helped the vines catch up to a “normal” place in the typical growing season. Mild weather returned in August, continuing throughout the fall which allowed for moderately paced, deliberate ripening and a long harvest period.

Tasting Notes:
A complex series of aromas unfold in the glass, from warm berries and concentrated cassis, to chocolate fudge, violets, and barrel spices. The deep, dark fruit and chocolate flavors are surrounded by a velvety texture and fine tannins that linger on the palate.

Technical Information

Alcohol: 14.5%
Barrel Aging: 24 months; 100% new French oak
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Stags Leap District, Napa Valley (100% estate)
Release Date: October 2009