Stag's Leap Wine Cellars "FAY" Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
(Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California)

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 FAY vineyard is where the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars story began. Established by pioneering grape grower Nathan Fay in 1961, it was the first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in what is now the Stags Leap District. At the time, conventional wisdom maintained that the area was too cool for Cabernet Sauvignon. But tasting Nathan Fay’s homemade Cabernet in 1969 was a defining moment for the founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Here was land capable of producing a wine that could rival the best in the world. Within a year an adjoining ranch, now known as S.L.V., was purchased. And, in 1986, the winery purchased Nathan Fay’s vineyard and named it FAY in his honor. The first vintage of a single vineyard FAY Cabernet Sauvignon was 1990.

Vineyard & Winemaking:
In 1986, Nathan offered to sell his vineyard to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. In his honor, the vineyard was named FAY. By the time we acquired the vineyard, many of the vines were nearly a quartercentury old and nearing the end of their best growing years. We embarked on an ambitious replanting program, experimenting with rootstocks, row orientation, and trellising to attain optimal expression of the terroir. Our replanting efforts are now fully realized and all vineyard blocks are in production. Vineyard blocks on the eastern slope, closest to the Palisades, contribute structural components derived from the volcanic soils there, while the more aromatic components come from the vineyard blocks on the western alluvial upland. When blended together, we achieve the classic expression of “an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Vintage: The 2004 vintage was a good year in terms of climate, crop level, and potential wine quality. The vines broke dormancy early, with bud break coming in late February, approximately 15 days early. A warm, dry spring followed, marked by some record high temperatures in March which set the stage for an early harvest. However, summer ensued with cool, foggy mornings and warm, mild afternoons which allowed sugar levels, flavors, and acidity to come into balance.

Tasting Notes:A beautiful perfume of violets, dark cherry, and licorice introduce the 2004 FAY Cabernet Sauvignon and lead the way to luscious fl avors of plum, chocolate, and candied ginger, with savory notes of sandalwood and tobacco. Soft, juicy tannins and a silky-smooth mouth feel are a hallmark of this wine, rewarding those who enjoy it in its youth as well as those who will enjoy it after many years in the cellar. For a heavenly pairing, try this wine with cinnamon spiced quail, or rosemary leg of lamb.

Technical Information

Harvest Dates: Aug. 30 - Sept. 25
Alcohol: 13.9%
TA: 0.60 g/100ml
Barrel Ageing: 25 months, 57% new French oak
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Stags Leap District, Napa Valley

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