1994 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  2/8/2011, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (STAGS LEAP Petite Syrah) 1994 Stags Leap Dear Friends, This is an unusual offer but it’s good to change things up a bit. Before the cult Napa craze of the mid 1990s there were the original “cult” wines that built their reputation on eccentricity and a mailing list or restaurant-only mantra before hundreds of other wineries caught on to their methods. Sean Thackrey’s Orion was one of them (along with Dehlinger and a few others) but another was Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah – a wine that combined the funk and typicity of the Stags Leap sub-district with a deep/black color and tone that became a blueprint for many famous producers to come – producers that took that model and applied it to Cabernet. In essence, Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah was a model of ink and depth in the 1970s and 1980s (with low alcohol) before massive extract became popular...and they age – in certain vintages like an iceberg with decades of evolution and potential in front of them. Which brings us to 1994. The one-two punch of 1994/1995 remains (arguably) the most important back-to-back tandem of the last 20-30 years in California wine. The two vintages were responsible for an explosion in the popularity of expensive domestic red wine and while 1995 is the stronger and more sturdy of the two, 1994 still has its legion of fans (much like 1995 and 1996 in the Medoc). Coming up on age 17, the 1994s are either at peak, slightly past or still ascending the hilltop – there is no uniform stance on the vintage – each wine requires tasting. Considering the reputation of the year, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at one of the original mavericks of Napa Valley produced during a golden era that may never come again – 1994 Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah. I tasted two bottles of this wine, both from the winery cellar and both in what I would call “mint AAA” condition (above mint). The corks looked like 2009 corks with nary a spider line or movement up the sides. The ullage was very high, what you would expect of a wine at 3-4 years of age not 16-17. Both bottles were decanted for 30 minutes and both were still black as night with an alluring red hue buried within the night sky. My assessment is as follows: Bottle #1 – Good; took 6-8 hours to come around but never quite opened on the first night. Night two was far more expressive but still only good to v. good. Excellent color/appearance and weight but the palate was somehow held in suspended animation while the wine and aromatics were just past peak and ever so slightly oxidative. Certainly enjoyable and an interesting study but not $100+ enjoyable. Bottle #2 – Stunning; after 3-4 hours this wine came alive like a low-alcohol electric sledgehammer. Incredible scents of earth, tobacco, spice, pure fruit and Dunhill/resin/aged cedar with a palate-staining purple quality that is almost impossible to believe at this age. 60-90 second finish of purity and textural extractive with little sense of age or other. One of the best examples of this wine I’ve tasted as the eccentric mystery is there in spades but so is the sheer wow factor of deep fruit aligned to low alcohol. Reminds me of a junior mid-1980s Grange. The disparity of the two bottles is not as unusual as you would think – it is somewhat par for the course at 15-20 years of age for any wine (every bottle ages on a separate track due to cork, etc). I told the winery about my experience and they said their TNs are a lot closer to my bottle #2 notes – they said if I left bottle #1 alone for another 2-3 days, it would have turned much closer to bottle #2 (well, I didn’t, so we’ll never know but they have far more experience with this wine and vintage than I). A potentially exhilarating experience that is worth taking a flyer on (especially considering the incredible provenance). I don’t have my laptop but I'm sure there are community TNs on this as well – there have to be at this age? This parcel has the exact same “mint AAA” provenance as what I tasted – cellared for over 15 years by the winery. The 1994 and 1995 versions of this wine have become very difficult to source which makes this even more interesting: 1994 Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah - FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 12/person until we run out To order: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to arrive in 3-4 weeks (please check OARS for local pick up after March 15th). It will ship during the Spring shipping season. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA CA4970 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.