Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
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S.L.V., also known as Stag's Leap Vineyards, is the winery's first vineyard. Planted in 1970, this vineyard achieved international fame when three-year old vines from the 1973 harvest produced a wine that stunned the wine world when it bested some of France’s greatest wines in a 1976 blind tasting known as the "Judgment of Paris." Today, this history-making vineyard continues to produce wines with layers of complexity, spicy intensity and excellent structure—promising long life and ageability.
The 2017 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon offers generous aromas of dark chocolate, graphite, truffle, dried fig and a lovely touch of violet. Rich and refined on the mid-palate, the wine has a long and well-structured finish with a dusty cocoa powder note. The tannin structure, rich dark fruit, and pleasing minerality point to this wine’s ability to age. Enjoy with Moroccan-spiced Shrimp over sweet potato mash, grilled buffalo burgers with caramelized onions & Havarti cheese or baked chicken with hazelnut Mole sauce.
Want to taste Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars with Marcus Notaro and Steven Spurrier?
Wine.com host Gwendolyn Osborn leads a conversation with winemaker Marcus Notaro and wine visionary Steven Spurrier, highlighting Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 50-year history and its role in the 1976 "Judgment of Paris." Watch them taste the KARIA Chardonnay Napa Valley and ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. They’ll also discuss the S.L.V. Estate-Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, which was the single vineyard tasted in the famed tasting.
Ready to taste with Marcus and Steven? Watch the tasting here.
Interested in the tasting set? Click here to buy.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample, the very deep purple-black colored 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. leaps from glass with baked black plums, blackberry pie and black currant cordial notes plus hints of wild sage, charcuterie, tapenade and tree bark. Full-bodied, firm and grainy, the rock solid foundation well frames the broody black fruit and it finishes earthy. Barrel Sample: 93-95
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James Suckling
This leads with blackcurrants, stewed blackberries, eucalyptus and cloves. Some dried violets, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Very well integrated. Lovely ripe fruit and sweet spices on the finish. Delicious. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
Warren Winiarski planted the SLV Vineyard in 1970 and just three years later produced the wine that would infamously go on to triumph over the other lauded reds in the 1976 Judgement of Paris. This site produces a more punchy, weighty Cabernet than that of the Fay vineyard next door. It’s sappy, brambly and pointed on the nose, displaying the warmth of the 2017 vintage. The palate is black-fruited, with dusty tannins and a long, dry finish. Decidedly ripe but retains a classic firm structure. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040
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Wine & Spirits
The rocky hillside soils of S.L.V. produced a dark and savory cabernet in 2017, with peppery intensity that feels driven by alcohol at first. Then, as it settles and integrates, the alcohol becomes part of the dynamic whole, layered into the tannins to highlight their dark-chocolate succulence. It’s generous with blackberry fruit that still carries its youthful grapiness, structured to age and evolve over the next ten years.
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Wine Spectator
Compact, with a juicy core of blackberry and black currant fruit waiting to unwind. When it does, this will have lively licorice snap and singed apple wood notes. There's a subtle violet hint in the background to add some grace, but this has a nice sense of power overall. Best from 2021 through 2032.
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Considered one of the "first growths" of Napa Valley, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars produces renowned Cabernet Sauvignon from its historic Stags Leap District estate vineyards. Learn about Stags Leap history and estate-grown wines.
History of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was founded in 1970 with the purchase of a 40 acre property in the now famed Stag’s Leap District AVA in Napa Valley. The winery brought international recognition to California winemaking and the Napa Valley region when their 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Paris Tasting, also known as the "Judgement of Paris."
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Estate-Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' three estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons - CASK 23, S.L.V. and Fay - are among the most highly regarded and collected Cabernet Sauvignons worldwide. The Cabernet wines are fashioned to express richness balanced by elegant restraint, an approach often described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove."
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.