Stags’ Leap produces a quantity of Cabernet Sauvignons that vary from excellent to excellent, so it’s a pleasure right this moment to have an opportunity to strive their 2019 Restricted Version Reserve, which attracts grapes from quite a few their Napa Valley vineyards. This yr’s bottling is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, and a couple of% Cabernet Franc.
It would be best to decant this wine or give it a little bit of time to breathe. At first pour, it’s tight and a bit one-dimensional, however with some air it opens up properly. The wine pours inky purple within the glass. The nostril is subtler than the palate, however each supply juicy, well-integrated notes of plum, cassis, blackberry, and tea leaf. The wine has a silky mouthfeel, and its excessive acidity guarantees it’ll pair effectively with steak or perhaps a pork ragu. The end is medium to lengthy, barely drying, and introduces a lightweight notice of milk chocolate. Altogether, I might need appreciated a bit extra complexity at this value level, however it is a good instance of what Stags’ Leap does so effectively. This could be a superb bottle to carry on to; one other two years within the bottle ought to deliver added depth.
A- / $100 / stagsleap.com
2019 Stags’ Leap Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Restricted Version Reserve Napa Valley
$100
