The Stags Leap AVA is a beautiful part of the valley, topographically stunning due to the lofty Stags Leap Palisades to the east and the soft, rolling hills to the west. But the AVA is perhaps most famous for being the home of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, the winery whose 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon took first place in the red wine category at the historic 'Judgement of Paris' in 1976.
Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted in this AVA in 1961 by Nathan Fay and to this day Stags Leap's 1,200 acres of planted vineyards are mainly dedicated to the cultivation of Bordeaux grape varieties - with a bit of Chardonnay and Zinfandel thrown in. And while this year the AVA is only celebrating it's 25th anniversary, the Stags Leap District has been a grape-growing region since the late 1800s. Note to self...must find something, Stags Leap-ish, in the cellar with which to toast the AVAs milestone.
Three down, thirteen to go.
8 comments:
OK VG: I'm over here before I'm ready to be over here, because my curiosity is up over that "A ha!" over there; what's your true feelings? ;-)
NHW: I'm back over at your place...
Also, without breaking into my 2005 Cask 23 Stag's Leap to join with you in saluting their history, I found that out of something like 7,000 wines in NH I could only find something like 4 from that AVA. I just might have to buy another Artemis:)
NHW: I'll probably be hard pressed to find something from Stags Leap in my cellar. I know I have some Clos Du Val Zinfandel, but I'm pretty sure the grapes were grown in Carneros.
My burning question: is it Stag's Leap or is it Stags Leap?
Tomasso: For this post I'm going with no apostrophe, like the AVA sign. As for the two wineries who fought over the apostrophe...
http://vinsanity-vino.blogspot.com/2011/09/worth-doe.html
Is there a verdict that allows one to use the apostrophe? If so, it's stupid.
Tomasso: In the 'war of the apostrophe' the court ruled, after years of litigation, that the apostrophe could be anywhere one wanted it to be, or not. Yes, stupid indeed.
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