Take in Stags Leap Palisades views from tasting room and patio of Judgment of Paris Cab winner.
The winery Warren Winiarski founded in 1970 merits a pilgrimage for its place in wine history alone. In a blind tasting in 1976 now known as the Judgment of Paris, French wine critics rated the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon best in its category. The judges scored it ahead of four entries from revered Bordeaux producers and five other California wines. Winiarski’s triumph and Calistoga-based Chateau Montelena’s win for best Chardonnay raised the Napa Valley’s profile worldwide.
Historic Vineyard
The wine that fared so well in Paris came from grapes grown in the historic Stag’s Leap Vineyard (S.L.V.). Its vines, mostly replanted since the 1970s, sit beneath the craggy Stags Leap Palisades. The winery’s name and the Stags Leap District appellation (the latter spelled without an apostrophe) derive from an indigenous legend about a stag who leaped through a notch in the palisades to escape pursuing hunters.
Dazzling Visitor Center
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars owns a second famous field, the adjoining FAY Vineyard, which sits in view of the glass-and-rock FAY Outlook & Visitor. The center, designed by architect Javier Barba of Barcelona, contains exhibits describing the winery’s Paris win and subsequent history.
One Plus One Equals Three
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars makes separate S.L.V. and FAY wines, along with Cask 23, a blend from the two. Recent vintages of the three wines have received high praise from critics. The winery also makes several Winery Exclusives—available for purchase only online or at the tasting room—from its two renowned vineyards and others from Napa Valley subappellations beyond the Stags Leap District. In 2023, the Italian group Marchesi Antinori, which held a 15% stake in Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for a decade and a half, purchased the winery outright.
Cellarius Kitchen Experience
Most tastings include the S.L.V., FAY, and Cask 23 Cabernets. For the Cellarius Kitchen Experience, as of late 2023 offered on weekends only, the executive chef, Travis Westrope, prepares and presents several courses paired with generous Cabernet pours. Participants learn about the winery’s history and tour the caves, which Barba also designed, before being seated in a private dining room with a view into the kitchen.
Why go: historic operation; wines from fabled vineyards; small-lot Cabernets available only at winery.
Info
5766 Silverado Trail, Napa 94558
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This story first appeared online in 2017; it was most recently updated in 2023.
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