Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars traces its origins to 1970, when Warren Winiarski, a former political science lecturer at the University of Chicago, purchased a 44-acre prune orchard in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley for under $200,000. Winiarski had been inspired by tasting a homemade Cabernet Sauvignon from neighboring grower Nathan Fay, who had planted the district's first Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 1961. After replanting the orchard to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Winiarski released his first commercial vintage under the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars label in 1972, with bonded winery operations formally opening in 1973. A name dispute with the similarly named Stags' Leap Winery, owned by Carl Doumani, was resolved by the California Supreme Court in 1986, with Winiarski retaining the apostrophe before the 's' as his winery's distinctive spelling.

• Land purchased in 1970; first commercial vintage released 1972; bonded winery opened 1973
• Winiarski planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on a former 44-acre prune orchard
• Named for the Wappo legend of a stag leaping to escape hunters along the Stags Leap Palisades
• California Supreme Court ruled in 1986 that both Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Stags' Leap Winery could use the regional name

On May 24, 1976, British wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a blind tasting in Paris to celebrate the American Bicentennial, pitting top California wines against French benchmarks before a panel of nine leading French experts. Winiarski entered his 1973 S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from vines that were just three years old at harvest. When the scores were tallied, the Stag's Leap wine received the highest point total among the reds, with 14.14 average points, surpassing Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970 in second place, followed by Château Montrose 1970 and Château Haut-Brion 1970. Time magazine correspondent George Taber was the sole journalist present, and his subsequent article broke the news to a global audience. The victory catalyzed worldwide recognition of California wine and encouraged producers across the New World to believe world-class wine was achievable outside Europe.

• 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon scored highest among red wines, ahead of Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion
• Tasting panel comprised nine leading French sommeliers, critics, and château owners
• George Taber's Time magazine article brought the result to international attention
• The 1973 S.L.V. bottle entered the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's permanent collection in 2012

The Stags Leap District is often described as a valley within a valley: barely a mile wide and three miles long, covering roughly 2,700 acres, bounded on the east by the dramatic Stags Leap Palisades and to the west by the Napa River. The district was established as an AVA on January 26, 1989, notably becoming the first viticultural area in the United States approved primarily on the basis of its distinctive soils. The two main soil types are volcanic-derived materials on the eastern benchlands, from ancient eruptions and erosion of the Vaca Mountains, and gravelly Bale loam on the valley floor, laid down by the ancient Napa River. The palisade rock faces reflect and store solar heat during the day, then release it at night, while cool marine air funneling in from San Pablo Bay to the south moderates temperatures. This combination of warm days and cool nights produces Cabernet Sauvignon with concentrated dark fruit and notably polished, refined tannins.

• Stags Leap District AVA established January 26, 1989; first U.S. AVA approved primarily on soil distinctiveness
• Soils combine volcanic-derived material from the Vaca Mountains with gravelly Bale loam alluvium
• Stags Leap Palisades reflect daytime heat and funnel cool San Pablo Bay air, extending the growing season
• Diurnal variation and well-drained, low-fertility soils yield concentrated fruit with naturally polished tannins

Since joining in May 2013, head winemaker Marcus Notaro has refined a style that balances richness and elegance, ripeness and restraint, working closely with Marchesi Antinori chief enologist Renzo Cotarella on final blends. The winery's approach centers on gravity-flow techniques that have been used since construction of the winery facilities in 1972, moving grapes and juice gently through the cellar without mechanical pumping to minimize oxidation and preserve delicate aromas. Sustainable farming has been a longstanding commitment, with the estate achieving Regenerative Organic Certified status in 2024 for its S.L.V. and Fay vineyards, the first certification of this kind in the Stags Leap District. André Tchelistcheff served as a consulting advisor in the early years, and the winery has also been a training ground for many notable California winemakers, including Paul Hobbs, John Kongsgaard, and Michael Silacci.

• Marcus Notaro has led winemaking since 2013, collaborating with Antinori's Renzo Cotarella on blending
• Gravity-flow cellar design, used since 1972, minimizes mechanical handling and preserves wine delicacy
• Regenerative Organic Certified status achieved in 2024 for S.L.V. and Fay vineyards
• The winery served as a training ground for notable winemakers including Paul Hobbs and John Kongsgaard

The estate's backbone is formed by three key vineyard holdings: the original S.L.V. (Stag's Leap Vineyard), planted in 1970, which produced the grapes for the Judgment of Paris wine; the Fay Vineyard, acquired from Nathan Fay's family in 1986, which nearly doubled estate holdings; and the Arcadia Vineyard in Coombsville, acquired in February 2025 from the Winiarski family entity. The top-tier Estate and Single-Vineyard Collection centers on Cask 23, the flagship reserve Cabernet Sauvignon blend sourced from S.L.V. and Fay, produced only in exceptional vintages since the 1974. The portfolio also includes the S.L.V. and Fay single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, Arcadia Chardonnay, and a Napa Valley Collection comprising Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Karia Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The winery produces approximately 150,000 cases annually.

• Cask 23 is the flagship reserve, a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from S.L.V. and Fay vineyards, made only in outstanding vintages
• S.L.V. and Fay are the estate's two single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings in the top-tier collection
• Fay Vineyard acquired in 1986, Arcadia Vineyard in Coombsville added in February 2025
• Napa Valley Collection includes Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Karia Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc

Warren Winiarski sold Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in 2007 to a partnership of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which took an 85 percent stake, and Marchesi Antinori, which held the remaining 15 percent, in a deal reported at approximately $185 million. The collaboration lasted 16 years, during which the estate continued to earn critical acclaim. In May 2023, Marchesi Antinori announced the purchase of Ste. Michelle's 85 percent stake, with the acquisition completing in July 2023, returning Stag's Leap Wine Cellars to family ownership under one of Italy's oldest wine dynasties. The Antinori family, which has been active in Napa Valley since 1985, has committed to a long-term regenerative and generational stewardship of the estate. Winiarski, who passed away on June 7, 2024 at the age of 95, is referred to within the winery simply as 'The Founder.'

• Winiarski sold in 2007 to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (85%) and Marchesi Antinori (15%) for a reported $185 million
• Marchesi Antinori completed full acquisition in July 2023, reuniting the estate under family ownership
• Antinori has been active in Napa Valley since 1985 with the Atlas Peak property now known as Antinori Napa Valley
• Founder Warren Winiarski passed away June 7, 2024, at age 95; he is honored within the winery as 'The Founder'