Ratings & Tasting Notes:
98 points James Suckling, March 2026
This review highlights the wine’s aromatic classicism and structural balance, describing pine needle, blackcurrant, and cocoa layers, noting it’s “fresh, firm and well-balanced, with many years of enjoyment ahead.”
97 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
This review notes the wine’s expansive, generous character relative to the estate’s Fay bottling, describing mixed cherry and mocha flavors while observing “it does that without seeming heavy or overwrought.”
96 points Vinous
This review emphasizes the wine’s power and structure, describing black cherry, plum, and espresso notes, with “beams of tannin confer gravitas to this brooding, imposing young Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Cult Wines International Notes:
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars stands among the most historically significant estates in California winemaking, founded in 1970 by Warren Winiarski with the purchase of a 40-acre property in what would become the Stags Leap District AVA. The S.L.V. vineyard — Stag’s Leap Vineyards, planted that same year — is the site that produced the legendary 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon that stunned the wine world by defeating France’s top Bordeaux estates at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, a moment widely credited with putting Napa Valley on the global map. This 2023 release marks the 50th anniversary of that historic vintage, sourced primarily from Block 4 — the vineyard’s “grande dame” and the last remaining parcel from the estate’s original 1972 plantings. Winiarski passed away in 2024 at age 95; the winery is now fully owned by the Antinori family of Tuscany, with winemaker Marcus Notaro continuing to shape the estate’s celebrated style.
The 2023 growing season ranks among the coolest in Napa Valley over the past decade, a dramatic contrast to the drought-driven 2021 vintage. Ample winter rainfall replenished reservoirs and saturated the soils, while cool conditions delayed budbreak into mid-April. A classically mild Napa summer followed, cooled throughout by consistent sea breezes, allowing for a slow, even ripening period entirely free of major heat spikes. The result is a vintage the estate itself describes as exceptionally flavorful and expressive, with strong potential to age for decades — echoed in this wine’s blend of power and restraint.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Outstanding condition.
Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.
