"A classic wine from a great vineyard." - James Suckling
There's no more important event in the history of American wine than the 1976 Judgment of Paris, at which a Cabernet Sauvignon from a little known Napa Valley winery bested the titans of Bordeaux in a blind tasting and officially put Napa Valley on the global wine map. That winery was Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and the wine was the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, fifty years on, Stag's Leap is an American wine icon, and they're celebrating their historic road to stardom with a special 50th anniversary release of their flagship SLV Cabernet Sauvignon.
The vintage itself is shaping up to be an epic campaign of classic Napa brilliance, which coincides perfectly with the new stylistic direction that the estate is undertaking since Antinori assumed majority control in early 2023. What was once a modern, commercially focused style is now returning to the golden age of Napa Cabernet. As Galloni states, "this is a brilliant set of wines from Head Winemaker Marcus Notaro and his team." The 98-point 2023 SLV is a worthy ode to the Stag's Leap legacy, with real "gravitas" including "a long, sturdy finish that bodes well for the cellar."
What's more, you'll also find the 97-point 2021 SLV Cabernet, "a firm but refined, elegant wine that shows great balance, tension and a wonderful bouquet." Like 2023, the 2021 campaign is being hailed as modern classic for Napa, with a cool, long growing season that plays perfectly to estates like Stag's Leap, who represent Napa's golden age.
A classic wine from a great vineyard. So fragrant in pine needles, spearmint and blackcurrant aromas, then layers of violet, cocoa, cedar and bay laurel flavors wrapped in snug tannins. Fresh, firm and well-balanced, with many years of enjoyment ahead. Drinkable now and best from 2033.
98 points, James Suckling
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. is a deep, powerful wine. Black cherry, plum, espresso, menthol and dried herbs infuse the 2022 with tons of aromatic complexity. Beams of tannin confer gravitas to this brooding, imposing young Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2023 offers an intriguing mix of the power that is typical of this site tempered by the restraint of this cold, late-ripening year.
96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Nov 2025)
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