The 2009 CASK 23 combines the signature perfume notes of FAY vineyard with the structure and minerality of S.L.V. The wine offers enticing high notes of Bing cherry, red fruit, cassis and anise. The palate is broad and expansive with intense black cherry, blackberry and cassis fl avors along with pleasing vanilla and toasted oak accents. The wine has a beautiful texture with silky tannins, vibrant acidity and a long, persistent finish.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
Founded in 1970 by the Warren Winiarski family, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is considered a Napa Valley first growth producing world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignon from its historic vineyards. The winery first brought international recognition to California winemaking and the Napa Valley when its 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won the now famous 1976 Paris Tasting (also known as the “Judgment of Paris”) by besting some of the most celebrated wines of Bordeaux. Their three estate-grown.. read more
Wine Advocate #198 Dec 2011 - Antonio Galloni - The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 Estate is dark rich and intensely satisfying. Layers of dark fruit flow effortlessly from this big, textured Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2009 possesses gorgeous mid-palate depth and stunning overall balance, especially relative to other recent vintages. This is a super-impressive showing. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029.
Tasted Dec 2010 - Muted nose, though it opens to perfectly ripe, juicy blackberry and plum flavours, with liquorice, oak spice and vanilla. Keen acidity. The richest of the three Stag's Leap 2007s, seamless and succulent. (LM)
Issue Nov 15, 2012 - Shows impressive elegance, refinement, detail and complexity, with subtle currant, dried berry, dried herb and cedar notes, ending with a long graceful finish. Drink now through 2024. 1,800 cases made. –JL
May '12 by Stephen Tanzer - Bright ruby-red, the most saturated of these 2009 cabernets. Good floral and herbal lift to the aromas of currant, black cherry, soil and underbrush. A step up in pliancy of texture and depth, with good vinosity giving shape to the middle palate. Finishes with rather suave tannins, a whiff of herbs and sneaky persistence. Still, this is less expansive on the back end than the better vintages of past years from this winery.
One sip is all it takes to fall in love with this 100% Cabernet, which hails from the winery’s Stags Leap District vineyards. It’s soft, lush and opulent in blackberry, cherry, blueberry, cassis, dark chocolate and smoky oak flavors. Although it was aged in 100% new French oak, the oak isn’t at all heavy. Rather, it’s perfect, adding just the right touch of smoke… — S.H. (4/1/2012)
CASK 23 is a tale of two vineyards that come together in a harmonious blend. For the 2009 offering, slightly more than half of the grapes were grown in our FAY vineyard while the balance was from select areas in S.L.V. Specifi c blocks within these adjoining ranches provide distinct attributes to the wine. Vines planted in volcanic soils on the eastern hillsides of S.L.V. and FAY give CASK 23 its structure, concentration, spicy intensity and elegant tannins; those grown in the alluvial soils in the middle and lower sections of the two vineyards add vibrant fruit fl avors,a supple mid-palate and perfumed aromatics. Each lot was vinifi ed and aged separately in small French oak barrels for 20 months, allowing the characteristics of each block to develop, while adding subtle spice notes. In the latter stages of aging the lots were blended, becoming one in CASK 23.
