Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars has a long and distinguished wine reputation and is considered a Napa Valley first-growth estate. We are best known for our estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons. Over the years, these wines have become some of the most highly regarded and collected wines worldwide. They are fashioned to express classic elegance, structure, and ageability, and to reflect the place in which they are grown.’

Founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970, the winery’s first release, the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, would go on to beat world-famous reds produced by first-growth Bordeaux châteaux like Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion at the 1976 Judgement of Paris. The winery is co-owned by Chateau St Michelle and Antinori.

The 2018 Hands of Time is an approachable introduction to the historic Stags Leap line.

Along a shady walkway on the tranquil grounds of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars one comes across a succession of limestone plaques, each bearing a handprint. These handprints comprise the Hands of Time exhibit, an enduring tribute to the many people who contributed to the winery’s history over the years and who have gone on to become celebrated winemakers and viticulturists in their own right. With a tradition of mentoring that dates back to our founding in 1970, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars has been a springboard for many a storied winemaker’s career. This wine is a tribute to our alumni whose unwavering vision of crafting elegant and balanced wines has been passed down from teacher to student, and through the hands of time.

This wine from the outstanding 2018 vintage is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, aged 16 months in 100% French oak barrels.

Overall, 2018 was a year where quality was excellent. Cool temperatures in September made for a extended hang-time, allowing grapes to ripen and mature slowly with ideal balance and nuance.

A food-friendly blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and a hint of Malbec, you’ll find aromas of blackberry, ripe plum and cocoa. Fruit forward with a touch of spice, this wine is an easy delight to enjoy on Taco Tuesday or beside the BBQ.

Decanter – 92 points

A more affordable pick here from the world-renowned Napa Valley winery. This has a delicious chocolate-cherry nose followed on the palate by a rich and sumptuous texture giving cool, menthol-laced blue and black fruit flavours – blueberries, plums and blackcurrants alongside floral touches of violets. It’s deep, dark and brooding but not at all heavy. Long length and mouthcoating tannins. This deserves a meat-heavy meal, steak or roast beef.

Drinking Window 2020 – 2028