Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Professional Ratings

• 98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The deep purple-black colored barrel sample of 2016 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon features compelling, youthful notes of freshly crushed red and black currants, black cherries, kirsch and mocha with nuances of Marmite toast, roasted nuts, underbrush and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a very firm frame of super ripe tannins supporting the multilayered flavors, finishing on an epically long, lingering fragrant earth note. Beautiful.
  Range: 96-98
• 95 Wine Enthusiast

  This gorgeous wine combines the best of two historic vineyards—Fay and S.L.V.—into one cohesive, refined whole. A soft entry of woody spice and toasted oak leads the way to an expansive midpalate of currant, crushed rock, dried herb and elegant tannins begging for further time in the bottle. Enjoy 2026–2036.

• 95 Wine Spectator
  Well-detailed, with a deep, solidly built core of currant, blackberry, bramble and apple wood notes, showing good energy through the richly layered finish. Youthful, but slowly takes on a more seductive feel as this airs in the glass. Best from 2022 through 2035.
• 95 James Suckling

  Shows extremely complex aromas of blackberries and currants with pine needles and black olives. Subtle, yet complete on the nose. Full body, extremely fine tannins and good balance. Very long and caressing on the finish. Goes on for a long time. Better after 2021.

• 95 Decanter
  The grapes for this wine come from Stag’s Leap’s two esteemed estate vineyards, with 56% of the fruit sourced from Fay and 44% from SLV. Deriving perfumed notes from Fay and structural backbone from the SLV, the wine was then matured in new French oak for 20 months. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045
• 92 Wine & Spirits

  This is Marcus Notaro’s top selection from SLWC’s two estate vineyards, the rockier hillsides of SLV and the alluvial wash at Fay. It’s a powerful 2016 that sustains a brisk sense of freshness. Plump and floral, with a gentle intensity, its flavors come on with the continuous flow of an infinity pool. That quiet, round insistence should hold the wine for years to come.