Stags' Leap
Napa Valley Merlot
2018
About this winery
On one of California’s earliest wine estates, a unique terroir and ideal microclimate support a classical standard of viticulture, land use, and winemaking that is as relevant today as it was over a century ago. An intimate valley within the greater Napa Valley, Stags’ Leap is a place of natural beauty, storied buildings and gardens, a lively history, and a reputation for elegant wines showing finesse and intensity. Estate Founder Horace Chase partnered with his uncle, W. W. Thompson, on...
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Product notes
The Napa Valley region enjoyed a stunning, near picture-perfect 2018 growing season including good winter rains, mild spring weather, and steady temperatures throughout that allowed for even flowering and bud break. These ideal growing conditions were followed by a cool, even, and slow-paced harvest which allowed the winery to vinify wines at a gentle pace. The resulting 2018 wines are of very high quality with lower alcohol, concentrated flavors, color, and excellent acidity.
Production notes
The grapes for this Napa Valley Merlot underwent a 2-3 week maceration period designed to extract ideal flavor, color, and tannin from the skins. Using traditional winemaking techniques, Winemaker Christophe Paubert aged this Merlot in high-quality French oak barrels (35% new) for 19 months. The new oak imparts structure, ageability, and a slight spice complexity that still allows the fresh fruit flavors to take center stage.
Tasting notes
With freshness emphasizing its southern Napa origins, the 2018 Merlot exhibits a bouquet of ripe black cherry, black currant, and juicy plum alongside warmer hints of vanilla spice and crème brûlée. Savory, fresh chaparral notes of lavender, rosemary, mint, and thyme sit alongside richer tones of cherry kirsch and macerated raspberry, supported by bittersweet chocolate, anise seed, and cola nut, delicately interwoven from the oak integration. The palate is full of depth and plushness with mouthwatering fruit flavors, polished structure, refreshing acidity, and fine grained, velvety tannins, leading to a lengthy supple finish—showcasing a wine that is well balanced and layered, exemplary of the true elegance of Merlot.