The 7 Best Wines From Napa’s Stags Leap District AVA to Buy in 2026
Most wine lovers first learned about the Stags Leap District AVA after the 1976 Judgement of Paris, when Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon won the Best Red Wine award, but many don’t know that grapes were first planted in this part of California’s Napa Valley in the 1870s. The AVA is bordered to the west by the Napa River and rolling hills and to the east by the Stags Leap Palisades. Soil types include gravel and sedimentary loam closer to the river and volcanic rock distributed on the hillsides, a combination that adds distinct aromas, flavors, and minerality to the wines made here. There are only 16 wineries and a few winegrowers that tend 1,250 acres of vineyards. More than 90 percent of the vines grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other red varieties. Stags Leap District AVA is one of the smallest sub-appellations within Napa Valley, but the wines made here are extremely popular and well known for bold fruit flavors, smooth and silky tannins, and well-integrated acidity. Here are seven we’ve chosen for this week:
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Stag’s Leap Wine Cellar 2022 Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Stags Leap Legendary winemaker Warren Winiarski established Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in 1970 when he acquired the original 40-acre property. His 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon went on to win best red wine in the historic 1976 “Judgement of Paris.” In 2007, the Antinori Family and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased the property, then in 2023, the Antinori family acquired full ownership. Their 2022 Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and dried Mediterranean herbs. It is full-bodied yet juicy in the mouth with flavors of blackberry, cassis, cedar, and mocha.
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Amici Cellars 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Hirondelle Vineyard
Image Credit: Amici Cellars Amici Cellars was founded by Bob Shepard and John Harris and was named for the Italian word for “friends.” Bob and John are joined by an amazing team, including Melisa Devore, and winemakers Anthony Biagi, Matt Courtney, and Dante West. This super wine is made from grapes grown in the Hirondelle Vineyard, the first Stag’s Leap District vineyard in the Amici portfolio. It has aromas of violet, candied orange, new car leather, and freshly picked cherry, and flavors of black currant, red plum, dark chocolate, and black raspberry.
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Odette Estate 2022 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Odette Estate Odette Estate is part of the PlumpJack collection of wines. PlumpJack was founded by Gavin Newsom on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street in 1992, and since that time, the group has grown to include founder Gordon Getty, general manager John Conover, and a team of excellent winemakers. This outstanding Cab is made from grapes grown in the Stags Leap District and has aromas of black raspberry, black plum, ripe cherry, and a touch of tobacco leaf in the complex bouquet. It has silky soft tannins and flavors of cassis, violet petal, graphite, and blackberry.
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Shafer 2022 One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Shafer “One point five” refers to the founding partners, Doug and John Shafer, working together for a generation and a half. We tasted this stunning wine out of a half-bottle (375 ml) because we realized some of our readers prefer this smaller format for a variety of reasons. It is a blend of 92 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 percent Petite Verdot, 3 percent Merlot, and 2 percent Malbec, and has aromas of black cherry, mocha, and dried mountain herbs. It is full-bodied in the mouth with flavors of black plum, blackberry, and a hint of espresso in the long, long finish.
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Baldacci Family Vineyards 2022 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Winery Ranch
Image Credit: Baldacci Family Vineyards The Baldacci Family purchased their winery ranch property in 1998 and has been making wine for two generations now. The current winemaker is Michael Baldacci, and he strives to craft his 2022 Black Label Cab to highlight the unique volcanic and sedimentary terroir of the Stags Leap District’s Winery Ranch vineyard. It has enticing aromas of blackberry, cassis, blueberry, and rolled tobacco leaf. Voluptuous tannins lead the way for flavors of brown baking spices, black raspberry, and pencil lead.
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Cliff Lede 2022 Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Cliff Lede Cliff Lede’s Poetry vineyard is one of his most iconic and stunning to visit. It was designed by David Abreu to face west to maximize the last rays of sunlight and is carved directly into the hillside. It has soils consisting of volcanic rock and fragmented shale. David also chose to plant vines very close to each other to produce smaller but more flavorful grapes. The 2022 Poetry is stunning with aromas of red raspberry, black cherry, and dark chocolate that transition to full-on flavors of blackberry, plum, and black licorice.
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Silverado 2019 Solo Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Silverado Silverado was founded in 1981 by Walt Disney’s daughter Diane and her husband Ron Miller. The vines were originally planted in the 19th century, and the Millers released their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1986. Bill Foley and his family purchased the estate in 2022, and they continue the tradition of crafting fine wines from Stags Leap District fruit. The Solo 2019 is drinking nicely right now with a few additional years of bottle ageing. It has complex aromas of blueberry, cassis, cigar box, and a whiff of vanilla that seamlessly transition to flavors of cherry, black currant, and cherry liquor wrapped in silky smooth tannins.
