The aromas in this wine are elegant with sweet oak, butter, vanilla, apple, pear and a whiff of smoke. The palate gives flavors of Asian pear, nectarine, white apple, and grilled peach, along with vanilla and butter. Any oak is elegant and tremendously well integrated; this is bright and clean with lovely minerality. A sensational effort that is well balanced and still exudes California style.

WINE INFORMATION

The 2020 season will be remembered for factors beyond the typical harvest season. It was a warm, dry winter and the rain and cooler weather didn’t arrive until the end of March. While the mild spring season was a great early start, the winery working conditions had extensive safety protocols due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days, but then harvest was interrupted by wildfires across California, which came as grapes started to be picked. Fortunately, none of these vineyards were in the areas of active fire. The white wine harvest started in late August, with the wines showing excellent development in the cellars, reflecting the fine vintage year.

Grapes for this wine were sourced from the cooler southern appellations within Napa Valley, where fog from the San Pablo Bay helps to cool the vineyards throughout the growing season, allowing for ideal preservation of freshness and acidity. The majority of the fruit comes from the Carneros AVA which provides citrus, mineral, and crisp apple notes, with a smaller percentage coming from the Oak Knoll AVA, which contributes more tropical and stone fruit characteristics.

Grapes are gently whole-cluster pressed in order to preserve the fresh aromatics naturally occurring in the fruit. 25% of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and remains in tank until the final blend is assembled, 25% of the wine is fermented and aged in new French oak barrels, and the remaining 50% in seasoned French oak. This specific barrel treatment helps preserve the essential purity of the fruit while adding subtle notes of oak complexity. The 2020 vintage, as usual, did not undergo malolactic fermentation, which helps to further maintain the fruit’s natural acidity, terroir expression and aromatic freshness. The wine was bottled after just seven months of maturation with a weekly batonnage, putting the yeast lees in suspension to increase the mouthfeel, and prevent reductive aromas.

The career of Christophe Paubert, Winemaker and General Manager at Stags’ Leap Winery, has spanned the industry from sales to winemaking, and his impressive background includes positions at Chateau d’Yquem and Gruaud-Larose as well as projects in Chile, Spain and Washington State.

Chicken/Turkey, Duck, Fish-full flavored (salmon/tuna), Lobster & Crab