Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars

I visited Stag’s Leap this past weekend, and wanted to share an unforgettable experience. I’ve been an Artemis Club member for just a few short months, but each time I visit Stag’s Leap, I am more and more impressed and humbled at how amazing the service, wine, and overall atmosphere is. This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I were lucky enough to be treated by Josiah to Stag’s finest tasting collection. Not only was Josiah attentive and caring, but he constantly had us laughing to the point of tears. We had planned to only spend a short 30 minutes or at the winery, but found ourselves enjoying an amazing two hours on the outdoor patio looking out into the beautiful S.L.V and FAY vineyards. Thank you Stag’s for being our weekend topper, and thank you Josiah providing us with the best tasting we’ve ever had. Cannot wait to come back again soon!

We had a great experience but the price for the tastings is a bit high. We didn’t do the tour. We are locals and we have been to several wineries in Napa and Sonoma and definitely had better wines for a fraction of the cost. We would not come back here for the wine itself but it would be good experience for first timers interested in knowing how Napa Valley got so famous.

I’m impressed every time I come here. I am now a member because I love their Cab. Not to mention the beautiful property they have. Such a nice place to escape busy San Francisco life. I always leave happy. And their shipments are always a fun surprise!

was great experience
Took friends from out of town, and was treated very well. Wine was above average and worth the tasting and purchase.
also learned much from staff about wine growning process

I give Stag’s Leap 5 stars for their winery experience. I’m not a great judge of white wine, but the red wine I find nice but on the pricey side for what it is. The tasting room projects a pretentiousness, but then delivers with floor-​to-​ceiling glass and views of the vineyard and Stag’s Leap «mountain». The patio is situated perfectly to catch some sun while taking in the views.
The staff is friendly and educated about the wine.

We had family from out of town. They wanted to go wine tasting at O’Brien as it was in TripAdvisor’s top wineries. I go by Unilocal reviews. O’Brien required reso as its a private residence as they were booked. I remember Stag’s was close to Yountville, where we’d have lunch reso after.
We were instantly greeted. Big parties needed adva reso but they took us. We just needed to split our party in 2 groups. No biggie.
Cameron Zamora was our wine connoisseur. He was so knowledgeable not only about the wines but also the history of the winery and very detailed oriented. His timing on when to pour, when to check in on us was spot on. Cameron was professional yet personable throughout.
We took home a few bottles of Cask 23 in the end, less 20% off with free wine club enrollment, and comp’d wine tastings (valued at $ 105 for 3).
Their winery moved to a beautiful location across the way. Gorgeous views of lush greenery from the tasting room.

This was my second visit and I’m always in awe of their beautiful new tasting room. The wall of glass offers spectacular views of their vineyards and the mountains behind. The tasting room staff is very knowledgeable, answered lots of questions and most importantly they were fun to be around. I will always look forward to return visits.

I failed at the planning so when the ladies and I got turned around from another vineyard… and since I’ve been curious to try this place out… I figured a call would suffice to see if they require reservations and if they’re allowing walk-​ins… and the lady on the phone was not only friendly but very helpful.
The location was gorgeous… freezing but very nice ambiance. I loved the setting of the tasting and the staff were friendly all throughout. The ladies and I opted to do the $ 40 tasting… I forgot what they called it as but it was all Cabernet Sauv. Their pours were a bit on the small stingy side… but I’ll let it go. My two friends were loving it! I’m more of a Pinot gal but I was able to enjoy it… was a fan of their Fay… for sure! It’s in competition with Caymus :)
Will probably bring thr bro here since he loves the Cab Sauv… didn’t get a bottle this time out but probably will on the next visit.

What used to be the lesser travelled Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley, is getting bigger and more populated each time we visit. Thankfully, the trail still manages to embody a more understated, wine country charm than the better known Hwy 29 extravaganza that parallels it to the west. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, frequently confused with Stags’ Leap Winery (their neighbor with whom they had a very litigious past over the similarity of their names), is one of those. It should not be missed.
There is no appointment necessary here, and the vibe is warm, welcoming, and oozing of immodest pride. The 4 options for tasting and/​or cave tour range from $ 25 to $ 95. I believe the fee was waived for our $ 40/​pp Estate Collection tasting upon making a purchase.
December 2015: Surrounded by red and gold autumnal vineyards and a rocky palisades backdrop, we entered the dramatic, stone faced Visitors’ Center. Proudly mounted and encased in glass at the entry was a bottle of *the* Cabernet Sauvignon that rocked the entire wine world in 1976. By winning (for the first time in California’s history) the well deserved, number one spot in a very prestigious Paris wine competition, it is the pride and joy of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Stepping further inside is the elegant Great Room, a stunning tasting room with large, stony flying buttresses supporting glorious windows that render a unique estate view that will take your breath away. The interior is enhanced with hammered copper sconces, shimmering quartzite floors, and tables of sparkling crystal glassware (was it Riedel?) poised to start your first pour.
After tasting a more recent release of the estate grown Fay Cabernet Sauvignon, which we instantly loved, we overheard murmurs of a most extraordinary lot that was even better, older, and nearly sold out. The secret stash was an exceptional Cab blend, called the Fay Golden Rectangle, not mentioned in any of the tasting lists. This Fay wine is so unique there is no vintage printed on the label. The explanation is this, they continually bottle, adding new to old, ever changing the balance and characteristics of their Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend, ever embodying the best of the best. No vintage is identifiable because it encompasses too many years. This was the wine we purchased.
We got a wine club membership at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars that day. No hesitation and strictly because of the Fay Golden Rectangle. We now have a medallion that identifies us as a club member and entitles us to certain perks.
A great winery, this is a beautiful showplace that you should allow to interrupt your casual drive along the trail, even if you care not to imbibe. Make sure you are going to the correct Stag’s Leap, the one with Wine Cellars in its name.

Our experience here was great. We stopped in for a tasting of the best reds they had to offer and boy did they impress! The views from the tasting area are picturesque of the property. Overall, some of the best reds we had on our trip, very knowledgeable staff and a great overall experience. We shipped bottles home and signed up for the club! Best wine in my opinion was the SLV

If you ever have the opportunity to acquire a Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ Challenge Coin (honoring the Paris Tasting of 1976), grab it! Then return the coin to the tasting room on your next visit to Napa. You won’t regret the experience. We received ours when we attended a 5 course meal paired with STWC wines in New Orleans. And returned the coin on this trip.
This was our first visit to the new tasting room. We’ve been to the old room a couple of times in the past. We checked in with the hostess, led to a table and handed off to Jo-​Jo. We started with a glass of the 2013 Artemis while Jo-​Jo cleared away the extra glasses on the table. He returned with bottles of the 2012 Fay, 2012 S.L.V. and the 2012 Cask 23. He explained each one as he poured them. That was followed by a second pouring of the 2012 Fay to compare with a taste of the 2005 Fay. He ended the tasting with a pour of the 2011 Fay Apologue to again highlight the difference not just between vineyards, but within a vineyard. When I asked for the bill, Jo-​Jo covered the coin with his hand and told us the coin comped the tasting. Nice! We left with a very pleasant memory of our tasting at STWV.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars — NOT to be confused with Stag’s Leap Winery — is one of my favorite collection of wines to drink. Hands of Time, Artemis, Fay, S.L.V. and Cask 23 are great productions of red wines.
We scheduled a tour and tasting — reservations highly recommended.
We were welcomed with a warm greeting, and our tour started on time. We had the opportunity to learn about the Stag’s Leap District, the history of the winery, explored the caves, tasted a few grapes, and ended with a tasting back inside.
We had the opportunity to taste their 2012 wines. The tasting experience was great, and I believe they were willing to comp a wine tasting or reduce the cost if wine was purchased, which we did.
We also purchased a Wine Case Luggage for the airplane. Although it was more expensive than another winery, we did end up purchasing it from here because we do love the wine.
I would definitely come again, and you should stop by as well.

MUST GO TO! Service was great and everyone was friendly. There are 2 tasting flights ($ 25 or $ 50) and we chose the $ 50 flights worth it. My favorite was the SLV 2005 which isn’t on the list but our server pour a glass for us when we said we like the 2012 SLV more than FAY. We will be back!
They offer free tours I believe 1030AM and 1PM. Call early to make reservations!
FYI We went to the wrong Stags Leap Winery, it should be the Stags Leap Wine Cellar!

Started Thursday at Stags Leap Cellars. We were greeted by a great statue and were walked to our tasting table.
We each got a Estate tasting and Napa Valley tasting. We tried a blind tasting between us and that was quite interesting. The server gave all of us a tasting of the Cask 23 — their $ 245 bottle Cab.
Tasting fees were waived with a two bottle purchase. We bought a total of six bottles of the Artemis to waive three tastings and they threw in two boxes (which was awesome).
A short video of our trip to Stags Leap and Round Pond:

On our trip, we purchased over 50 bottles of wine. Out of the 16 wineries that we visited, we would definately go back to four — in no particular order (Hendry, Viader, Hamel Family, and Phifer Pavit — they all get 5 star reviews). We would go back to four (Round Pond, Twenty Rows, Alpha Omega, and Stag’s Leap — all 4 or 5 star reviews). Once is enough for five (Tamber Bey, Del Dotto, Hestan, V. Sattui, Domaine Chandon — mostly 3 star reviews). And would never go back to three (Cline, B. Cellars, and Cakebread). I hope my math is correct. Feel free to check out my other reviews of all the wineries mentioned.

Oh wow, what a let down. After looking at their website (which doesn’t say anything about needing a reservation to visit their tasting room), we were very excited to come by and visit them. We pulled in and were immediately told that reservations are required and were turned away. My father in-​law was visiting from the east coast and this was his first (and probably last) time in Napa, so we were incredibly disappointed.
I’m completely fine with a winery being private or reservation only, but please do everyone a favor and let people know so they don’t go out of their way to get there only to be turned away. Left a very bad taste in our mouth.

$ 25 for the collection tasting flight or $ 40 for the estate collection tasting flight? Duh. When you add up the total cost of the 4 bottles in the estate collection, it amounts to $ 545 versus $ 160 for the collection for the collection flight. Respectively, the bottles in the estate collection are $ 50, $ 125, $ 125 and $ 245. So, it’s well worth the extra $ 15 to go big. I also appreciate that they actually gave me 4 clean glasses prior to the tasting rather than giving me just 1 glass and letting my taste buds get all confused between samplings.
My sommelier knew her stuff, including all about the Judgment of Paris (look this up if you’re going here or thinking about which vineyards to hit). These people did America proud in the 70s and made the French look life fools. They sell copies of a book that talks all about it.
After the tasting, I moved on to another vineyard, but couldn’t help but to go back and buy a bottle of the 2012 Merlot from the collection tasting ($ 45/​bottle).
If they try to talk you into buying their $ 75 wine case that you can check in with your luggage at the airport, the cheapest place you can supposedly buy them in the Valley is at Grgich Hills Estate in Oakville for $ 50. For what it’s worth, even Amazon’s prices are around the same range at Stag’s Leep so it might be worth your while if you plan on buying wine to take home. It’s only worth it if you’re going to stuff it with 12 bottles though.

Cask 23 is an amazing wine! Case in point: I had purchased a bottle back in 2000 and left it sitting in a closet for 15 yrs before remembering it was there & would you believe it was absolutely perfect?! Color me impressed!
So after that lovely bottle was drained dry, it was time to come back to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for replacement bottles… plural this time
The setup is like a restaurant — the outside patio has a posted sign, asking you check in w/​their concierge before being seated… walking inside, you are also asked to check in at the front desk to be placed on their reservation list, to be taken back to their tasting room
Tastings were something like $ 40 — $ 60 but I could be wrong (wasn’t paying such close attention once I saw the starting price of $ 40) …I’m not paying $ 40 for a tasting, unless there’s a Michelin Star meal attached to it!
I knew I wanted the Cask 23 & we had already imbibed a full day of other tastings, so it especially wouldn’t have been worth our $$$ at that point, as everything was tasting the same (we’ve all been there!)
These new Cask 23 babies went straight into the wine fridge — no long forgotten closets for you! And since this review is for the winery & not the actual wine, have to say 3-​Stars is pretty generous

Stag’s Leap — great wines, fabulous views, wonderful staff!
I’ve been a fan of this vintner for many years, and with my son and his wife here on a visit finally had an opportunity to stop in for a visit. Founded in 1969, this producer helped put California wines on the international map with the 1973 Cabernet taking first overall, and six other California reds in the top ten at the famous 1976 blind tasting in Paris. The French were shocked and a new era was born.
History aside, this is a must on your Napa tasting agenda. The views from the lovely garden/​patio area are very special, ask your host about the legend of Stag’s Leap. The tasting room and grounds are beautiful.
Our host Nat was engaging, knowledgeable, gracious and just plain fun to talk to, he really made the afternoon special.
We opted for the reserve tasting, but also sampled a couple of whites to start. I won’t run through the list here, but all were excellent. We joined one of the wine clubs and left with a half dozen special bottles to savor at an appropriate meal/​occasion.
Don’t miss this special place!!!

I had the privilege of attending a special event at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars which included a lunch, wine tasting, and private tour of the winery. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is obviously located in the Stag’s Leap District AVA which takes its name from a great story. There is a rock outcropping on the hill overlooking the valley with a large notch over which a stag leaped to escape pursuit by Native Americans. This lead to name the region Stag’s Leap.
This winery was the one to produce the famous wine that won the Judgment of Paris and continues to produce top notch wines. The sprawling winery has a new tasting room and several art sculptures around the parking lot. On my trip, we were able to visit some of the private rooms and barrel aging areas including the impressive caves. Stag’s Leap created a cave network with sparking ceilings, a floor designed to look like an aerial view of the region, and even a Foucault Pendulum.
We were lucky to have a wonderful catered lunch on the property near a lake. Stag’s Leap took great care of us, and they had the best «portable» toilets I have ever seen! If you have a chance to experience this, I would highly recommend it.
The wine is excellent as you would expect. Their focus is on Cabernet Sauvignon, but I was especially impressed with the Sauvignon Blanc. Overall, I am not a big fan of the Stag’s Leap style of wines — something in the wine just affects my palate differently than others — but everyone was very impressed with the wine and the overall experience.

We were in Napa just for the day so we only had time to check out a few wineries (which is a good thing I guess since that $$$ adds up!). Since it was the first time in Napa for all of us, we visited all big guns like Mondavi and Chandon where you get your samples and just sort of walk around yourself on the grounds. Those were pretty fun, but we also wanted to switch it up a bit and check out one of the medium sized wineries too.
This tour had a more intimate feel and was a completely different experience. We started off with a tour group of only about 15 people and they told us a little about the history of the winery and the pointed out interesting facts about the vineyard. Then our scintillating tour guide showed us the rest of the grounds and inside the cellars.
Afterwards, our group was able to get our own table on the terrace that was overlooking the vineyard. The view was so scenic and beautiful, better than any restaurant patio you can get in a regular city. We tried the Estate collection tasting flight, which included their 2013 Arcadia chardonnay, 2012 FAY cab, 2012 SLV cab, and the perfect rated 2012 Cask 23 cab. Our server even threw in an extra glass of a slightly more aged version of the SLV to see if we could tell a difference in the taste. I’ll be honest… I’m no wine connoisseur, so I wasn’t able pick up that seductive chocolate cherry flavor in the SLV, but I can say that I didn’t hate this wine as much as I do with most other red wines that I’ve tried.
Our server was really cool too. He brought out each of the wines in intervals and gave a little description of each. He seemed pretty knowledgeable but said things in a way that made sense to a group full of novice wine drinkers. At the end, a few of us were interested in buying a few bottles to bring home to Chicago and he even offered to give us a sample of the Artemis so we could decide for sure what we wanted to get.
Overall, our group had a great time at Stag’s Leap and it was probably the most memorable of all the tours that we went to in Napa.