Paul T- Huntington Beach

9.5

I should of waited a couple years instead of a couple weeks, still a very good wine. Get in line for your allocations if you didn’t sign up a couple years ago, — a year ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

One thing I enjoy about Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is their style. They make much better wines than a number of years back. After changing Winemakers, they continue to excel. However, their style has remained intact despite changes.

Chase Creek is normally a member only allocated wine but, I imagine some members have purchased a few bottles.

The nose reveals; used expresso grounds, dark currants, blackberries, dark slightly sour cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, haunting blue fruits, steeped tea, limestone minerals, anise, leather, fresh tobacco, cedar, pronounced herbaceous notes, rich, black turned, earth with dry leaves, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, dark withering flowers, fresh blue florals with violets.

The body is full and rich. The tannins just getting to nicely resolved with gritty, dusty and tarry stickiness. The big structure, good tension, length and nice balance are just nudging towards its peak. Used expresso grounds, dark currants, blackberries, dark slightly sour cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, a little more blue fruits than the nose, steeped tea, limestone minerals, dry underbrush, anise, dark sweet tarriness, leather, fresh tobacco, cedar, pronounced herbaceous notes, dark asian spices, rich, black, turned, earth with dry leaves, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, mocha powder, caramel, dark withering flowers, fresh blue florals with violets. The acidity is good but, not great. The long finish is big, bold, dark, elegant, well balanced fruit & earth and persistent for several minutes.

This will continue to improve over the next 7–10 years.

Photos of, their newer tasting room and Estate vines, their spotless cellar with the swinging pendulum ball that doesn’t stop, newer tasting room and their Fay Vineyard.
— 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the nose, candied red floral fruits of; boysenberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, black raspberries & blueberries hues. Sweet vanillin, slight liqueur notes, clove, touch of nutmeg, cinnamon, fruit tea, mixed berry cola, light soft spice, warm toast, loamy dry top soil & clay, soft volcanic crushed minerals, hint of rubber toy & dark red, blue florals with violets.

The body is medium stretching to full. Tannins are round, dusty, slightly sticky and 55-60% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance are in the first stages of hitting its stride. The palate shows the same candied red floral fruits of; boysenberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, black raspberries & blueberries hues. Sweet vanillin, slight liqueur notes, warm toast, clove, touch of nutmeg, cinnamon, dark chocolate, mocha, fruit tea, mixed berry cola, the spice is darker & has a nice medium intensity that show heat on the long set, graphite, Montecristo cigar, expresso coffee, loamy dry top soil & clay, soft volcanic crushed minerals, hint of rubber toy & dark red, blue florals with violets. The acidity is round and nicely done. The finish is well balanced, rich and lasts minutes. The 08 Fay Hillside really started to excel after two hours in the decanter.

Photos of, their patio showing nicely at twilight, Tasting room & Estate vines, the pendulum balls that never stops swinging in the cellars and if memory serves me well, their Fay Vineyard.

— 6 years ago

Peter Tripp

9.0

Punches above it’s weight. Blind pick at river valley coop. — 2 years ago

Steven Comfort

8.9

While still made in a popular style emphasizing ripe fruit, this wine shows nice acidity and it’s overly buttery or oaky. Wines like this give hope that the pendulum for Chardonnay is swinging away from over-ripe & buttery. — 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

On the nose, French roast coffee, dark currants, dark cherries, Kirsch cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, cherry cola with liqueur notes, blueberry hues, vanillin, cinnamon stick, light clove, toast, rich, dark soil, limestone minerals, sweet tarry notes, soft leather, hint of mint/eucalyptus, light graphite with bright red & dark florals.

The body is round, ripe and full. The tannins are nice rounded. The length, structure, tension and balance are coming into their own. Upon first pour, lots of French roast coffee, dark currants, dark cherries, Kirsch cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, strawberries, cherry cola with liqueur notes, blueberry hues, vanillin, cinnamon stick, light clove, cocoa powder, dark spice with just a touch of lifting heat, toast, rich, dark soil, dry stems, good presence of dry herbal notes (sage), limestone minerals, sweet tarry notes, soft leather, hint of mint/eucalyptus, light graphite with bright red & dark florals. The acidity is about as good as it gets. The finish is rich, ripe, well balance, very elegant as it opens and last several minutes.

While this is delicious tonight, it’s early on this wine. Give it another 5 and will cellar another 15 years plus.

Photos of, the newer Stag’s Leap Winery with the rock wall...all the stones used in the wall collected from the vineyards prior to planting. The cellar pendulum ball that never stops its motion once started, the newer tasting room and the twilight view from their tasting room.
— 6 years ago

Michele Wurl

8.9

Purchased from Friends Riviera for $18 — 7 years ago

Nicole Ratel

8.9

It’s the viognier 2020 white. Very fruitful and tasty — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

For me, there is one Napa winery that was great in the pioneer days and lost their edge for a time but, has seriously reclaimed it. That winery is Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It is largely overlooked with so many modern quality producers rising in the Napa Valley.

This 09 Fay is outstanding in a way that is truly unique to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

The nose reveals, dark currants/cassis, deeply extracted; blackberries, black raspberries, black raspberries, black plum, black cherries with faint, creamy raspberries on the high nose & glass edges. Dark expresso roast, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, caramel, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, black licorice to anise, medium intensity dark spice, limestone minerals, dark, rich earth, dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, steeped tea, fresh tobacco, graphite, dark liqueur notes, Provence herbs with dark, florals, fresh & withering, candied florals with bright violets.

The body is full, silky and velvety. The tannins are rounded, soft yet tarry and teethe, 40% resolved. There are 10-20 years of life ahead depending on how you enjoy & store wine. The tension, structure, length and balance are just starting to climb to its peak. Dark currants/cassis, deeply extracted; blackberries, black raspberries, black raspberries, black plum with skin, black cherries with faint, poached strawberries & creamy raspberries. Dark, well pressed, expresso roast, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, caramel, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark, Asian & India spices with heat, black licorice to anise, medium intensity dark spice, limestone minerals, dark, rich earth, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, steeped tea, fresh tobacco, touch of black pepper, graphite, dark liqueur notes, Provence herbs with dark, florals, fresh & withering, candied florals with bright violets and lavender. The acidity is phat, round and fountain drippy. The long finish is; big, round, elegant, ripe, ruby, well balanced and persists deeply for minutes.

Photos of, their tasting room & Estate vines, barrel room, non-stop swinging pendulum ball and aerial view of their Estate. — 5 years ago

Olivius Maximus

9.2

Good wine for decent price! — 6 years ago