Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
| Stag's Leap Wine Cellars | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Napa, California, USA |
| Coordinates | 38°23′58″N 122°19′32″W / 38.399343°N 122.325543°W |
| Appellation | Stags Leap AVA |
| Other labels | Hawk Crest |
| Founded | 1970 |
| First vintage | 1972 |
| Key people |
Warren Winiarski, founder Marcus Notaro, winemaker |
| Parent company | Chateau Ste. Michelle & Antinori |
| Cases/yr | 130,000 |
| Known for | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc |
| Website | https://www.cask23.com/ |
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is a winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970 and based in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California. The winery was sold to a joint venture by Chateau Ste. Michelle of Woodinville, Washington, and Marchesi Antinori Srl of Italy for $185 million in August 2007. It is 50% owned by the Tobacco/Food Conglomerate Altria.
Warren Winiarski was introduced to wine while on a year-long trip to Italy studying the work of Niccolò Machiavelli. After returning to Chicago, he found an interest in wine and in the early 1960s began to experiment with making his own wine at home. He moved to the Napa Valley with his wife and children in 1968, and took up a job with Chateau Souverain. Following this, he moved to work at the newly started Robert Mondavi Winery.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was founded in 1970 after Winiarski purchased a 44-acre block of land for under $200,000 that was situated next to the vineyard owned by modern Napa Valley Cabernet winegrowing pioneer Nathan Fay. Winiarski decided on purchasing land in the region after tasting a homemade wine from Nathan Fay's vineyard, after tasting the wine Winarski stated “I said to myself, Eureka! That’s it. This wine satisfied what I hoped was possible in the Napa Valley. It had not only regional character but also elements of classic or universal character.”
The purchased plot was planted to prune trees, cherries and walnuts as well as a small amount of Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet, these were replaced with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines and the vineyard was renamed to "Stag's Leap Vineyard" or "S.L.V".
The first vintage produced from the new vineyard was in 1972 and was produced in a rented facility. Winiarski was in charge of making the wine, with assistance from Andre Tchelistcheff. The second vintage—the first that was produced at the estate and in commercial quantities— was from 1973. This '73 vintage was entered into and subsequently rated the top red wine at the now historic Judgment of Paris in 1976, launching the winery into the international spotlight.
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Wikipedia