100

POINTS

ROBERT PARKER

"The spectacular 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 appears to be the finest Cask 23 since the glory years of the mid-eighties. It boasts a dense purple color, complex notes of spice box, Christmas fruitcake, blackcurrant jam, mulberries and spring flowers, as well as a full-bodied, opulent personality. It is a profound example of this iconic wine that went through a period of mediocrity in the mid- to late-1990s prior to being sold. Drink now-2038."

2012

Stag's Leap CASK 23

STAG'S LEAP DISTRICT - NAPA VALLEY

The story of CASK 23 began during the harvest of 1974. Back then, the winery enlisted the help of celebrated winemaker Andr? Tchelistcheff. As he tasted through various lots of new wines from that year, one lot from S.L.V. was so beautiful and deliciously distinct the winery decided it should be bottled separately. It was named CASK 23 for the large wooden cask in which it was aged. Today, the wine is a blend of the most distinctive fruit from the S.L.V and FAY vineyards, resulting in a wine of extraordinary depth and richness balanced by restraint. Over the years, CASK 23 has become one of the most highly regarded and collected wines worldwide. 

$250

*only 12 bottles available

The FAY vineyard is where the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars story began. Established by pioneering grape grower Nathan Fay in 1961, it was the first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in what is now the Stags Leap District. At the time, conventional wisdom maintained that the area was too cold for Cabernet Sauvignon. But tasting Nathan Fay's homemade Cabernet in 1969 was a defining moment for the founder of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Here was land capable of producing a wine that could rival the best in the world. Within a year an adjoining ranch, now known as S.L.V., was purchased. And, in 1986, the winery purchased Nathan Fay's vineyard and named it FAY in his honor.

$130

*only 24 bottles available