Stags' Leap Winery

Stags' Leap Winery is the other historic estate in the Stags Leap District, a property whose name differs from its more famous neighbor (Stag's Leap Wine Cellars) by a single apostrophe and whose history predates it by nearly a century. Founded in 1893 by Horace Chase, who built a grand stone manor house at the base of the volcanic palisades, Stags' Leap Winery was one of the first established wineries in what would become the Stags Leap District. The apostrophe wars between the two similarly named wineries became one of Napa Valley's most famous legal battles, resolved only when both were allowed to keep their names.

The estate covers 240 acres at the foot of the palisades, with vineyards benefiting from the thermal influence of the rock walls that rise dramatically behind the property. The palisades absorb heat during the day and release it at night, creating a microclimate within the district that is slightly warmer than the surrounding area. The soils are volcanic in origin, rocky and well-drained, producing Cabernet of power tempered by the district's characteristic elegance. The estate also grows Petite Sirah, a variety that is unusual for the Stags Leap District but thrives in the warm pockets near the palisades.

Winemaker Christophe Paubert, a Frenchman with experience in Bordeaux and the Rhone, brings a European sensibility to the winemaking. The estate Cabernet is structured and savory, with darker fruit and firmer tannins than many of the district's more polished wines. The Petite Sirah, the estate's signature variety, is inky, bold, and unlike anything else produced in the appellation. The Ne Cede Malis red blend, whose Latin motto translates to "yield not to misfortunes," is a proprietary wine that captures the estate's fighting spirit.

The tasting room on the estate property provides one of the most dramatic settings in the district. The 1893 manor house, now restored, stands against the backdrop of the volcanic palisades, and the grounds include mature gardens, a pool, and sweeping lawns that create a resort-like atmosphere. Tastings include current releases and reserve wines, with the setting providing constant visual reminders of the geological forces that shaped the terroir. At $60, the experience combines history, scenery, and wine at a fair price.

Stags' Leap Winery matters because it preserves the Stags Leap District's pre-modern history, a reminder that winemaking in this appellation did not begin with the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The estate's 1893 founding date makes it one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in the district, and the manor house, the gardens, and the Petite Sirah vines connect visitors to a Napa Valley that existed before Cabernet Sauvignon became king.