Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Fay Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Cellar for up to 30 years. Decant 2 hours before serving. Stag’s Leap is synonymous with exceptional Napa Cabernet thanks to Warren Winiarski who gave up an academic career to study winemaking under Robert Mondavi. In 1976 Winiarski’s young project became world-famous after the Judgement of Paris tasting. A panel of respected French wine critics voted his Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 to first place, above many top Bordeaux producers like Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. Winiarski purchased the Fay vineyard in 1986 and experimented with how to grow Cabernet, trialing a variety of clones and root stocks as well as row orientations and trellis techniques. This helps create a wine with an especially complex flavour profile. Thanks to the silty, weathered soils, this single vineyard Cab boasts silky tannins, bright berry fruit, and a distinctive aromatic character. Cassis, boysenberry, and sweet cherry pie notes dominate on the nose, while the palate has a solid core of blackberry, blueberry and wild berry flavours. The finish is long and refined, with hints of woodsmoke and spice from the 20 months of oak barrel ageing. The chief winemaker at SLV, Marcus Notaro, describes this wine as an iron fist in a velvet glove, with robust tannins and a powerful structure overlaid with plenty of rich, soft fruit.

Price: £157.78 from 8wines UK