Stags Leap Wine Cellars SLV Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Napa Valley 《Terroir Collection - ZTUS029》

Region : Napa Valley 

Grapes : 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol : 14.5% vol

Website: https://www.stagsleapwinecellars.com/

🏅Wine Advocate 93-95 pts

🏅Wine Spectator 94 pts

🏅Wine & Spirits 92 pts

🏅Vinous 91 pts

🏅Wine Enthusiast 91 pts

🏅Vivino 4.6

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

1969

The founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars firsttastes with Nathan Fay, whose scenic vineyard below the rocky promontory of theStags Leap Palisades, so named because of the legend of the stag whosuccessfully eluded hunters by leaping to freedom across the district'slandmark peaks, was the first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in what laterbecame the Stags Leap District.

1970

The founder purchases the 44 acre property, whichwas primarily a prune orchard, next to Nathan Fay's vineyard, named theproperty Stag's Leap Vineyards, and replanted it to Cabernet Sauvignon and alittle bit of Merlot. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was born.

1972

The first vintage of S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon isproduced.

1973

The first winery building is completed, and the nowhistoric 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon becomes the first wine made in the newred wine facility.

1974

The first vintage of CASK 23 is produced afterconsulting winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff, while tasting through the lots ofwine from this vintage, decided that one lot, which was in the large woodencask numbered 23, was so beautiful and deliciously distinct that it should bebottled separately.

1976

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars wins the CabernetSauvignon category in a blind tasting staged by Steven Spurrier, an Englishwine merchant in Paris, among French wine experts between American and Frenchwines. This later became known as the famous Judgment of Paris. Learn More

1986

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars purchases FAY vineyardfrom Nathan Fay.

1989

The Stags Leap District in Napa Valley isestablished as an American Viticultural Area.

1990

The first bottling of FAY Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignonis produced from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

1996

A bottle of the history-making 1973 S.L.V. CabernetSauvignon is placed in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s n

🏅Wine Advocate 93-95 pts

A barrel sample, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon S. L. V. offers up aromas of pepper, spice box, lavender and potpourri with mulberries, black cherries and black berries at the core, plus plum preserves and bay leaves hints. Medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, the palate is firm and earthy with a long, minerally finish.

🏅Wine Spectator 94 pts

Juicy and vibrant in feel, featuring a mix of blueberry, raspberry and red currant fruit flavors that play well with the light graphite, bergamot and floral nuances. The solid backdrop of roasted apple wood is well-integrated. Best from 2020 through 2035.

🏅Wine & Spirits 92 pts

Plump, earthy and rich, this is a generous vintage from the rocky soils that have washed down the hill above S.L.V. Oak plays a major role in the scents and the tannins at this stage in the wine’s development, but a firm presence of earthy, cherry-scented fruit rises up through the smokiness and leaves a clean sense of ripeness. This should be at its prime ten years from the vintage.

🏅Decanter91pts
This has a discreet blackcurrant and blackberry nose with bright and freshherbal notes in the background. The palate has a sharp graphite element,velvety mouthfeel and sweet integrated tannins, as well as having warm bakedplum pie flavours.

🏅Vinous 91 pts

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon S.LV. packs a serious punch. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, lavender andspice all meld together. There is good depth to the fruit, albeit in a more mid-weight style than is the normbut even that can't fully compensate for aggressive tannins and a sense of roughness that very clearly runsthrough the wine.

🏅Wine Enthusiast 91 pts

This is an estate-grown, 100% varietal wine that showcases a soft, broad experience that's approachably rich and well-balanced. Perfumed in cherry, cassis and vanilla, it has a subtle, savory character on the midpalate of dense smoky oak and firm structure.

$1550/bottle