Nose
This wine is classic Stags Leap District Cabernet, offering blackberry and black currant aromas on the nose, along with hints of white pepper, and a lively freshness that is reminiscent of camphor trees blowing in the wind.
Palate
Our 2014 The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon captures the distinctive personality of our estate vineyard and the outstanding vintage, which crafted a wine of great intensity, a multilayered mouthfeel and deep, pure, richness. On the palate, there is a beautiful balance of complexity and elegance, featuring juicy, mouthwatering blackberry compote, Bing cherry and black raspberry cream pie. With present tannins, this Cabernet exhibits the iconic power and longevity that have become synonymous with Stags’ Leap estate wines and drinks beautifully, representing the opulence and grace of the estate.
Growing Conditions
Despite drought conditions, the 2014 vintage proved to be ideal, with excellent quality reminiscent of 2012 and 2013. The winter was one of the driest on record in California, but substantial rains in early spring were timely and set up the vines for a strong start. Summer temperatures were milder than expected with no extremes, and after early budbreak and veraison, harvest was unusually early in 2014. Despite this, the overall dry season was ideal for producing a fresh Cabernet Sauvignon of wonderful quality.
Winemaking
The Leap is a barrel selection, a blend of the best Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, lots and cooperages in a given vintage. Each lot was held separately in French oak barrels (50% new) for 20 months before Winemaker Christophe Paubert hand selected the most expressive of them to blend just prior to bottling. Keeping each block separate allows close monitoring of each individual lot through aging, maximizing the depth and potential of the estate vineyards. Additionally, the lots undergo a long, (almost month-long), maceration period which adds color, tannin and complexity of flavors to the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Aging
French oak barrels (50% new) for 20 months
