Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2012 S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

Critical Acclaim:

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. Estate Grown is a beauty. A layered, lush, Pomerol-inspired Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers up notes of Christmas fruitcake, forest floor, underbrush, plums and red and blackcurrants. Sweet tannins, a succulent, fleshy mouthfeel, beautiful concentration and texture, and a long finish result in a sumptuous, irresistible mouthful of Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy it now and over the next 10-15 years. Score: 92-94 points -- Wine Advocate, Oct 2014

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon SLV stands out in this range for its precise, chiseled fruit and overall elegance. At the same time, there is plenty of depth and density in the glass. Ash, smoke, graphite and crushed rocks add nuance, but a hint of sweetness on the finish is a bit distracting. Score: 91 points -- Vinous, Oct 2014

Winemaker's Notes:

S.L.V., also known as Stag’s Leap Vineyards, is the winery’s first vineyard. Planted in 1970, this vineyard achieved international fame when three-year-old vines from the 1973 harvest produced a wine that stunned the wine world when it bested some of France’s greatest wines in a 1976 blind tasting known as the “Judgment of Paris.” Today, this history-making vineyard continues to produce wines with layers of complexity, spicy intensity and excellent structure—promising long life and ageability.

The 2012 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon offers intriguing aromas of cocoa power, wild blackberries and currants. The wine has a plush entry that fills the mouth with dark blueberry and wild berry flavors along with hints of spice. The palate is rich and concentrated with big, yet round, tannins that lead to a finish of black currant with hints of sweet oak. The wine’s structured tannins, rich fruit, and pleasing minerality point to this wine’s ability to age. Enjoy with coffee marinated Wagyu beef with a fig glaze, Osso Buco or a hearty wild mushroom risotto.