classic Napa cab. opaque purple-blue, medium plus viscosity. aromas of dark fruit, wet leaves, tobacco, oak; on the palate: red/blue fruit, cassis, black tea; tannins are fine and well-integrated, with a silky mouthfeel; fruit may be a little over the hill, but it's still drinking beautifully -- texture has really come together in a way you don't get from younger juice. it's good to be reminded why we lay bottles down. that said, this isn't going to improve any more, and fruit is probably already post-apex; drink now.
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Not sure if this is the correct stags leap, the label pictured is correct (stags Leap wine cellars), which is the wine I am drinking. Stags leap winery is a separate entity. That being said this particular bottle was DOA, completely void of fruit all that was left was an oaky mess. According to CT this has been in my cold cellar since late 2007 and I consumed another one back in 2012 which I rated 89. I am actually showing a bottle of 04 Stags Leap Winery somewhere in my inventory according to CT. I guess I will run across it eventually. FYI the same bottle (s) picture for the 04 Stags Leap Wine Cellars is the same as the 04 SL Winery!
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Soft nose of ripe dark red/blue fruit, oak, and a mysteriously fragrant spice/floral/tobacco note. Soft again on entry,with dark fruit and wet earth, and flavors of dark chocolate shavings that finish with fine-grain tannins coating the tongue.
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I never thought that these fruit-forward wines would do well in the cellar, but I was surprised that this cabernet hung on to its pedigree after 7 years in the bottle. Dense dark berry fruit, cassis and still sporting some fine tannin.
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Great time to drink this wine. Decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking. Very full bodied, with a hint of coffee and tobaco. Compared in a tasted to a 2002 Cakebread Benchland Select Cab - i liked this one better.
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A solid 91 pt effort from an iconic Cali producer. Dark purple in the decanter this paired wonderfully with grilled strip steaks. Jus the right amount of fruit and tannins to match the medium rare meat. A nice wine for a special Saturday night on Satuday Pond Maine with family.
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(from memory) Dark purple, rich and deep nose of black currant, tobacco, plum and earth, tight on the attack, followed by spicy red and black fruits, tannins and mocha, finish is suave but a bit thin and disjointed
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Popped for burgers and a night of ACDC on dcd---suave, mellow with some sweet tobacco on the finish. Very pleasant and an enjoyable sipper while Bon and Angus rocked on!
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Drank with friends for dinner. One of the 15 succulent, delicious Napa Valley Stag's Leap appellation Cab's I like so much. Dark red. Nose of plum and earth. Plum & dark cherry flavor with a hint of chocolate and a wonderful chewy mouth feel. Well balanced firm tannins plus a bit of spice and a long finish. This is drinking nicely now but the prominence of tannin indicates this will improve with another 2-3 years time - so I will hold my remaining 3 bottles for a while.
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Needed about an hour in the decanter. A good wine with very firm tannins and a medium finish. Should continue to improve with 2-3 years of additional bottle age.
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Dark crimson w. bluish rim. Fairly light nose of cassis. Concentrated but smooth dark berries and notes of chocolate. Not so spicy - nice balance and fairly elegant. Maybe it lacks a little punch...
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A little fruity (new world) but under control, nice fruit and overall balance. Tannins and oak a little strong, but doesn't upset the overall smoothness.
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This wine is still a little on the young side exposing a solid fruit core yet bolstered by a wall of tannin. It was opened and left in the bottle for two hours before we approached it. Lay it down for a few more years why don't you.
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Classic Stag's Leap. Drinking young right now, and only got better over the 2 hours we had it open. Typical Napa Cab flavor profile: cherry, vanilla, currant, some blackberry, and earthiness. Nothing too complex, but good mouthfeel, soft round slightly green tannins. Overall, a solid Napa Cab, but probably not worth the price.
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Cherried crimson in color with aromas of blackcherry velvet and currant. Medium body with luscious velvety tannins. This is an elegant vintage with flavors of earth, mocha, cherry, and currant. The finish is long and savory. This bottle was tasted 24hrs after it was opened.
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nice wine. Good nose of red fruits and dark compote with some earth and smoke. The wine was well balanced, had nice acidity to keep me smacking my lips and providing a long finish. The tannins provided a solid, but fairly straight forward structure. A not overpowering fruit started the profile across the tongue followed by a deep, dark flavor on the undersides of the tongue and across the top of the palate. Throughout a fruity acidity, raspberry, was consistent. In addition, this wine developed and softened as it sat in the glass. It was a solid partner to a steak dinner.
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3/9/2023 - rcasaw wrote: 89 Points
Drinkable but past it’s prime
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6/16/2016 - joncohen wrote: 91 Points
classic Napa cab. opaque purple-blue, medium plus viscosity. aromas of dark fruit, wet leaves, tobacco, oak; on the palate: red/blue fruit, cassis, black tea; tannins are fine and well-integrated, with a silky mouthfeel; fruit may be a little over the hill, but it's still drinking beautifully -- texture has really come together in a way you don't get from younger juice. it's good to be reminded why we lay bottles down.
that said, this isn't going to improve any more, and fruit is probably already post-apex; drink now.
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5/7/2016 - wineshaman wrote: flawed
Not sure if this is the correct stags leap, the label pictured is correct (stags Leap wine cellars), which is the wine I am drinking. Stags leap winery is a separate entity. That being said this particular bottle was DOA, completely void of fruit all that was left was an oaky mess. According to CT this has been in my cold cellar since late 2007 and I consumed another one back in 2012 which I rated 89. I am actually showing a bottle of 04 Stags Leap Winery somewhere in my inventory according to CT. I guess I will run across it eventually. FYI the same bottle (s) picture for the 04 Stags Leap Wine Cellars is the same as the 04 SL Winery!
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4/20/2016 - ataraxy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely.
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12/18/2014 - difran wrote: 89 Points
Drank with other Napa wines. This placed behind beringer private reserve and Montagia.
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2/11/2014 - jshearer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Soft nose of ripe dark red/blue fruit, oak, and a mysteriously fragrant spice/floral/tobacco note. Soft again on entry,with dark fruit and wet earth, and flavors of dark chocolate shavings that finish with fine-grain tannins coating the tongue.
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2/14/2013 - Wheelz wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful complex cab.
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11/15/2012 - Gunman wrote:
Well balanced. Black cherry and currant, some tea and leather. Very fine tannins. Might last a few more years, but drinking beautifully right now.
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9/29/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
A little bretty in the nose, with currats/cassis, tea, tobacco, hints of chocolate on the finish. Ready to drink!
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8/19/2012 - rbfleming wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits, tobacco. Plenty of tannins and nicely balanced. This is a wonderful rich wine
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5/13/2012 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 85 Points
I never thought that these fruit-forward wines would do well in the cellar, but I was surprised that this cabernet hung on to its pedigree after 7 years in the bottle. Dense dark berry fruit, cassis and still sporting some fine tannin.
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3/10/2012 - pdicorpo wrote: 92 Points
Great time to drink this wine. Decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking. Very full bodied, with a hint of coffee and tobaco. Compared in a tasted to a 2002 Cakebread Benchland Select Cab - i liked this one better.
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9/13/2011 - alexc wrote: 90 Points
Beautifully balanced now. Drinking well; only sorry this was the last of my case.
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11/15/2010 - alexc wrote: 89 Points
This is
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9/25/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
A solid 91 pt effort from an iconic Cali producer. Dark purple in the decanter this paired wonderfully with grilled strip steaks. Jus the right amount of fruit and tannins to match the medium rare meat. A nice wine for a special Saturday night on Satuday Pond Maine with family.
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7/11/2010 - duchamp wrote: 91 Points
(from memory) Dark purple, rich and deep nose of black currant, tobacco, plum and earth, tight on the attack, followed by spicy red and black fruits, tannins and mocha, finish is suave but a bit thin and disjointed
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5/22/2010 - BradA wrote: 88 Points
Popped for burgers and a night of ACDC on dcd---suave, mellow with some sweet tobacco on the finish. Very pleasant and an enjoyable sipper while Bon and Angus rocked on!
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6/17/2009 - FPNova wrote: 90 Points
Drank with friends for dinner. One of the 15 succulent, delicious Napa Valley Stag's Leap appellation Cab's I like so much. Dark red. Nose of plum and earth. Plum & dark cherry flavor with a hint of chocolate and a wonderful chewy mouth feel. Well balanced firm tannins plus a bit of spice and a long finish. This is drinking nicely now but the prominence of tannin indicates this will improve with another 2-3 years time - so I will hold my remaining 3 bottles for a while.
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2/1/2009 - Gfritzh wrote: 89 Points
Needed about an hour in the decanter. A good wine with very firm tannins and a medium finish. Should continue to improve with 2-3 years of additional bottle age.
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1/6/2009 - Surferdude wrote: 90 Points
Very nice!
Maybe a little young, but I was thirsty! Great Cab!
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8/4/2008 - pmik wrote: 90 Points
Dark crimson w. bluish rim. Fairly light nose of cassis. Concentrated but smooth dark berries and notes of chocolate. Not so spicy - nice balance and fairly elegant. Maybe it lacks a little punch...
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7/24/2008 - beachnic wrote: 90 Points
Well made cab with some complexity and overall good mouthfeel to it. Overpriced at $50. Would be very solid in the mid $30ish range. 90+pts
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4/27/2008 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
A little fruity (new world) but under control, nice fruit and overall balance. Tannins and oak a little strong, but doesn't upset the overall smoothness.
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3/14/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
a tasting of new releases: nose: nice nose of dark cherry, other dark fruits, anise, and some oak too
taste: very firm but not overwhelming with anise, dark cherry, cranberry, and oak tones
overall: very well structured and firm with good weight and feel on the palate
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3/5/2008 - n8540 wrote: 90 Points
A little young still, but a solid offering. Great nose and flavor. Tannins are fairly strong on the finish but should mellow with time.
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2/21/2008 - GreatLibations wrote: 88 Points
This wine is still a little on the young side exposing a solid fruit core yet bolstered by a wall of tannin. It was opened and left in the bottle for two hours before we approached it. Lay it down for a few more years why don't you.
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2/16/2008 - Combee1 wrote: 90 Points
Classic Stag's Leap. Drinking young right now, and only got better over the 2 hours we had it open. Typical Napa Cab flavor profile: cherry, vanilla, currant, some blackberry, and earthiness. Nothing too complex, but good mouthfeel, soft round slightly green tannins. Overall, a solid Napa Cab, but probably not worth the price.
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1/14/2008 - GreatLibations wrote: 87 Points
Cherried crimson in color with aromas of blackcherry velvet and currant. Medium body with luscious velvety tannins. This is an elegant vintage with flavors of earth, mocha, cherry, and currant. The finish is long and savory. This bottle was tasted 24hrs after it was opened.
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12/23/2007 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 90 Points
Decent bottle. Lots of blackfruits, spice. Well balanced with approachable tannins.
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11/20/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 90 Points
This was nice to drink. Needed some decant time to flush out the fruit from the heat and high tannins. Overall a good drink, but not really worth $37.
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10/21/2007 - phandel wrote: 94 Points
Had this with dinner (shredded lamb & new potatoes) at Dan & Jen's: Good amount of fruit, not a lot of tannins. Wonderful nose. Medium+ complexity.
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10/21/2007 - jdoakpark wrote: 88 Points
Nothing special
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10/21/2007 - Tudz Drkl wrote: 87 Points
nice wine. Good nose of red fruits and dark compote with some earth and smoke. The wine was well balanced, had nice acidity to keep me smacking my lips and providing a long finish. The tannins provided a solid, but fairly straight forward structure. A not overpowering fruit started the profile across the tongue followed by a deep, dark flavor on the undersides of the tongue and across the top of the palate. Throughout a fruity acidity, raspberry, was consistent. In addition, this wine developed and softened as it sat in the glass. It was a solid partner to a steak dinner.
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9/26/2007 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 88 Points
Fruity and diffused, not bad, perhaps a bit young.
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9/24/2007 - BeBe wrote: 75 Points
Disappointing, especially for the price. Had been saving this but upon opening it tasted flat and uninteresting. Big let down.
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