Ryan Colthorp

9.1

Straw color. Salted lime. Creamy. This was an excellent Assyrtiko that we enjoyed at Rizes in Santorini. — 16 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Artemis” Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Artemis is the gateway wine of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, one of Napa Valley’s most iconic producers, forever linked to the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris. The 2021 vintage is exceptionally polished and graceful, showcasing Napa valley-floor fruit with balance and finesse. Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot layered in for additional complexity and structure.

Aromas & Flavors
Welcoming aromas of baked blackberry, cassis, and black cherry unfold alongside cedar, subtle vanilla, graphite, mocha, and baking spice. As the wine opens in the glass, deeper secondary notes emerge while maintaining freshness and elegance.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with rounded tannins and balanced acidity. Silky textures glide effortlessly across the palate, finishing long with dark fruit, oak spice, and a refined herbaceous edge.

Food Pairings
Excellent with grilled ribeye, herb-crusted lamb, braised short ribs, hearty mushroom risotto, aged cheddar, or gouda.

Verdict
A graceful and refined Napa Cabernet that continues to demonstrate why Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars remains a benchmark producer. The 2021 Artemis is already entering a beautiful drinking window now, approachable, polished, and elegant, while still carrying enough structure to evolve further with additional aging.

Did You Know?
The original Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris, the blind tasting that shocked the wine world and helped establish Napa Valley among the great wine regions globally.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly the kind of Napa Cabernet that reminds people elegance and power can absolutely coexist in the same bottle. Cheers! — 3 months ago

Courtney Bristol

9.2

Artemis never disappoints. Full bodied. Dense. Dark fruits. Yum. — 2 years ago

with Scott

barak heller hayun

9.1

juicy & zippy and quite fantastic — 4 years ago

erto l

9.2

in goes the corkscrew and out is the cork
pour in the glass, sniff and “damn…”
pour in da Boss’s glass, sniff and double “damn… gimme more”. twenty minute battle of short pours later and it all gone:-)
seriously though,
bottle shows MUCH better than previous in November 2021. the acid is just right now. few left to consume over next few months (why wait if it perfect now (‘sides acid dropped a lot in six months)) If i get one for meself (sorry Boss) maybe i’ll update the tasting notes.
Or get yer own “damn” bottle(s) and know for yourself:-) — 4 years ago

Jodi Suguitan

9.2

Gardenia, Oak, citrus, and minerality, well integrated. At Karamolegos — 6 years ago

Steve Rura

8.9

The last time I was in Greece was 2024. Takes me back! This one’s from Santorini. I feel like this bottle would be €10, but I paid $30. Still quite good. Lemony and a little prickly at first, sea salt with some Muscadet qualities. With crackers, olives and roasted red peppers as an aperitif. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

First a note about the 2012 Napa vintage. Good, right? Yes. While the fruit was abundant & nicely fruity, for me, lacked tannins, skin/juice ratio out of balance which created a lack of tannic depth and will not cellar like 13 or 14 etc..

When I visited w/ The Stag’s Leap Winery Winemaker, he told me, they normally make 75,000 cases of Artemis. In 12, they made 100,000 cases. They grow their own fruit but also contract fruit. While there are terms in their contracts w/ growers to refuse fruit, they could not refuse any. The fruit was that good. They even had to take Artemis out of tank early so they could finish their higher-end Cabernets.

This 12 JC Muds Kitchen was made by Charles Hendricks. His second to last vintage at JC. One of the more unknown & underrated Napa Winemakers. James & Coleen misstepped in the separation but understand Coleen’s reasons. Charles Hendricks Apprentice, went his own way. Can’t say I blame him, just not a fan of his post work. Ok, but not the follow up I wished.

Nose; a dark core of currants/cassis, ripe/lush, blackberries, both plums, mulberries, dark, sweet cherries, black raspberries, strawberries and haunting blueberries, softly, layered baking spices, anise to black licorice-liqueur, sandstone/limestone, steeped fruit tea, melted, dark chocolate baking bar, sweet tarriness, French espresso, withering/candied/slightly floral, dark & red flowers framed in lavender/violets.

The palate fruits are; ripe, juicy, fresh, dark core of; currants/cassis, ripe/lush, blackberries, both plums, mulberries, dark, sweet cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, haunting blueberries & pomegranate high tones. Softly, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark, mid spice intensity w/ heat, anise to black licorice-liqueur, sandstone/limestone, steeped fruit tea, melted, dark chocolate baking bar, sweet tarriness, French espresso, dry leather/tobacco, graphite, dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dry river stone, dry crushed limestone rocks, dry oak barrel shavings, withering/candied/slightly floral, dark & red flowers framed in lavender/violets, near perfect acidity with a well knitted/toned/balanced, elegant finish w/ great length that lasts two-minutes and long sets on spice & dry minerals. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured. The 2019 “Nykteri” is a blend of 90% Assyrtiko with the balance comprising of some Athiri and Aidani. This was utterly beautiful with bright, powerful lemon citrus fruits and tremendous minerality. The acidity, which was in the medium+/high category, was sneaky well hidden. There was very deft use of large format oak (a combination of used and new) that combines well with the sur-lie style and makes this drop dead gorgeous. The finish was packed with minerals, saline and went on forever. A killer pairing with grilled octopus and coquettes with arseniko from Naxos and apaki. — 3 years ago

Adam Usdan

8.9

Dry acidity nice finish lemon — 4 years ago

Roger Ray

9.1

"a rare white wine from the island of Santorini" - an amazing blend with a variety of tastes - the winemaking process draws out tastes of salt, flint, peach, and chamomile. Makes me want to be back in Greece again. — 6 years ago

Donna Adams

9.4

Brought home from the Artemis Karamolegos Winery in Santorini. 100% Assyrtiko 2017 from three specific small vineyards on Santorini. Two in Pyrgos and one in Megalochori. Love this wine, very drinkable. Has that minerality that assyrtiko gives, but smoother than some. — 7 years ago

Scot Walker

9.2

Dark fruit in the nose with plums, black cherries, leather and blackberries in the palate. Paired well with steak au poivre. Drank in 2026, could use aeration to fully enjoy the wine. — 2 months ago

Marcus Chacos

9.5

I absolutely love this. It is, for a chardonnay drinker, a dessert wine, and I drink an entire bottle to myself 😁😇🤣🤕. — 8 months ago

DeLinda Goodman

9.6

Santorini was-6. Dried grapes to make. My very favorite so far. Reminds me of Malbec. — a year ago

daniel nutter

10

Absolutely 10/10, dry, sour, light, nice chilled. — 2 years ago

Ali Copp

8.9

Brought home from Greece $10.40

Good. Clean, crisp, lemon, minerality.
One of our fav grapes there — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is the last wine Bart and Daphne Araujo made from start to finish before selling their winery and vineyard to the Artemis Group. All the Eisele signatures are there, but the volume is just turned down. Dark berry fruit, gravel, spice, earthiness and leather lend striking aromatic nuance throughout. This mid-weight, supremely elegant Cabernet Sauvignon is sublime. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. Superb. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022)
— 4 years ago

Rod Carril

9.0

Great, great, great! A case is a must! It’s the go to white! — 6 years ago

Allison Andersen

9.0

Terra Nera mandilaria — 7 years ago

with Samuel