Author: monopoly

Wine Advocate Review
Rated 96-100
The flagship wine of the estate in reds is their Insignia, which has been one of the great Bordeaux blends made in California since the debut vintage in 1974. It usually has 30+ years aging potential, even in lighter vintages, of which the 2012, 2013 and 2014 are decidedly not. The 2013 Proprietary Red Insignia was scheduled for bottling after my visit. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest smaller proportions of Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, this is a smaller cuvee of about 12,300 cases. This could turn out even better than the 2012, although the final judgment will have to take place from bottle. An amazing, inky purple color offers up notes of pen ink, white flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur. Nicely coiled, its tense, but rich and extracted palate is full-bodied with layers of concentrated fruit, well-integrated wood, acidity and tannin, and a finish of a good 40-45 seconds. This stunner should hit its prime in 5-6 years and last 30-40 years. (Barrel Tasting Oct 2015)

Wine Tasting Notes
First produced from the 1974 vintage, 2013 Insignia marks the 40th vintage of our flagship Napa Valley wine. Deeply pigmented, the 2013 Insignia opens with heady blackberry and plum aromatics laced with baking spices, cardamom and espresso. Focused and fresh, this exceptionally concentrated wine showcases elegant tannin structure and a silky mouthfeel layered with dark fruit, sweet vanilla bean, cracked black pepper and bittersweet chocolate.

88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc

The availability of this product is limited and subject to change.

Wine Advocate Review
Rated 95+
Blended of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Dancing Hares Proprietary Red is boldly scented of crème de cassis, mocha, plum preserves and dried lavender with touches of black olives, spice box, Sichuan pepper and cigar box. Full-bodied with bags of black fruits and exotic spices on offer in the mouth, it has a firm yet velvety frame and just enough freshness, finishing very long. Drink 2020-2038.

Wine Tasting Notes
This estate blend features dark fruit aromatics- black current, blackberry, and plum. These fruit characters are balanced by black pepper, violet, lavender and a hint of licorice. In the mouth it has full body, balanced tannin and a long finish. This is a wine that will develop further complexity, balance and texture with botte age.

VinoUS Media Review
Rated 95+
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2011 Continuum is just as beautiful as it has always been. Crystalline, pure and wonderfully nuanced in the glass, the 2011 offers gorgeous aromatics, finely-sculpted fruit and fabulous overall balance. Sweet rose petal, dark-fleshed stone fruits, mint, spices and leather are some of the signatures. With several years in the bottle the 2011 is becoming more and more exotic, with a captivating interplay of aromatics, fruit and a classically inspired sense of structure. Once again, the 2011 Continuum shows just how strong the vintage can be in the right places. (Antonio Galloni)

Wine Tasting Notes
Continuum has a dense purple robe and vibrant violet rim lead to aromas of cassis, cardamom, espresso and graphite. A full-bodied wine, with a supple palate and finely sculpted tannins, 2011 shows damson plum, black cherry and roasted coffee notes and a long, complex finish. Our finest vintage yet, 2011 is a wine to savor and enjoy through all the seasons of its opulent, and age worthy life.

Wine Advocate Review
Rated 95+
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate exhibits graphite, blackberry and cassis, chocolate and a touch of mineral in a full-bodied, layered and impressively pure style. ItÂ’s a big wine for Stags Leap (15.4% alcohol), but gorgeously pure, with everything well-knit into a sensational equilibrium. This is only a baby, but promises to hit its peak in 7-10 years and last 25-30.

Wine Tasting Notes
The saturated, dense, inky/purple-colored Cabernet Sauvignon Estate reveals spectacularly sweet fruit (sucrosity) and purity as well as a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a lightness and ethereal complexity that are not the least bit heavy. This stunning 2013 should age effortlessly for 15-20+ years.

Wine Advocate Review
Rated 93
The two big Cabernets (meant to age for 2-3 decades) include the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale. These two offerings will improve in the cellar, and may well outpace my conservative ratings. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale is another brilliant effort. One only has to go back to older vintages to see how well this wine ages. It is often a candidate for one of the top three or four Cabernet Sauvignons made on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas Mountains. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of creme de cassis, cedar, licorice, tobacco leaf, and spice box. The wine is full-bodied, rich, and heady with superb concentration and depth as well as moderately high tannins in the long, 40+ second finish. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25 years. (Issue 26th Feb 2010, Source 187, The Wine Advocate)

Wine Tasting Notes
Rich, enticing and complex from the first swirl, this wine opens with aromatics of black cherry, black berry, toast, and creme de cassis. These notes gracefully introduce the palate with a harmonious blend of plump berry fruits, notes of cedar, and well integrated tannins on the long, lingering finish.

98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol 15%

Vinous Media Review
Rated 95+
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Star Lane Vineyard is bold, pungent and bursting with fruit. Deep and unctuous in texture, but with considerable aromatic lift, the 2014 offers a terrific expression of Happy Canyon. Black cherry, blackberry, grilled herbs, menthol, sage and licorice infuse the rich, inviting finish. (Antonio Galloni)

Wine Enthusiast Review
Rated 94
CELLAR SELECTION
This vintage is the first that was under complete control of winemaker Tyler Thomas, and his studious touch shows magically. There’s a powerful density of ripe but not sweet black fruit on the nose of this bottling, along with hints of violets, turned earth and leather. The structure is firm, dense and chalky but with a vivid acidity, offering ethereal, supple flavors of black currant and cocoa on the finish. Drink 2018-2034.

Wine Tasting Notes
While showing more purity of blackberry and other dark fruits than the 2013, floral qualities in the aromas suggest a young, tight wine. With air and time, more and more complexity emerges from the glass. The volume of flavor from the aromatics is paired with a tense but elegant palate that is driven by freshness and structure more than weight and richness. The finish is long and hints at a long life for this wine.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol 14.4%