Sunday, February 24, 2008
Food, Wine, Beer & Spirits
Stags Leap Year
Worth drinking more than once every four years
CREDIT:Courtesy of Stag’s Leap Winery
By Jason Tesauro and Phineas Mollod
In the mythological Judgment of Paris, a mortal, Paris, was asked to confer a golden apple, tossed by Eris, goddess of discord, containing the inscription Kalliste (“to the fairest one”) to one of three goddesses—Hera, Athena or Aphrodite. Like a bad episode of “The Bachelor,” all three ladies attempted to bribe the steadfast Paris: Hera offered the kingdoms and wealth; Athena, glory in battle; and Aphrodite, the hand of the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Lust won the day, and Paris chose Aphrodite, who helped him spirit Helen off to Troy, thus perpetuating the Trojan War and a great painting by Rubens.
The second most famous Judgment of Paris rocked the wine world in 1976, when a theretofore obscure California cabernet, 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (at one-third of the price), won a blind tasting in Paris over France’s top Bordeaux reds and a 1973 Chateau Montelena chardonnay beat out top white Burgundies, forever knocking France off its self-made perch of lone supremacy du vin. Afterward, Napa’s pushpin was firmly upon the map, and other regions soon followed in the realization that first-class wines could be produced in the New World. Thirty years later, the tasting was reenacted, and again California won the day, showing ageability and elegance.
In 2008, countless employers are graced with (and salaried employees are saddled with) an extra day, February 29th. But oenophiles rejoice; it’s just an additional day to sip. To commemorate Leap Year, we explored Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (unfortunately, not the 1973) and Stags’ Leap Winery. The Stags Leap District AVA (American Viticultural Area) is a specific area within the larger Napa Valley AVA, located slightly north of the town of Napa, and its most planted vine and its pride is its distinctive cabernet sauvignon.
WAR OF THE APOSTROPHES
Carl Doumani and Warren Winiarski both founded wineries in the early ’70s, and both named them Stags Leap for an outcropping of red rocks overlooking their vineyards east of Silverado Trail. Winiarski sued, but Doumani—who once refused to extinguish a cigar at the French Laundry—didn’t back down. In fact, he countersued, fueling an historic turf war known as the "War of the Apostrophes" because both wineries kept their names but with slightly different punctuation: Stags' Leap Winery for Doumani, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars for Winiarski.
Stags’ Leap Winery is known for petite syrah while Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is famous for “Cask 23,” “S.L.V.,” and “Fay”, cabernet sauvignons that eschew typically dense, cal-uptuousness in favor of silky and balanced, European-style wines. However, their merlot and chardonnay evince this same finesse. Here’s what we thought:
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2006 KARIA Chardonnay: golden perfume color, with a nice buttery toastiness/malolactic fermentation that is restrained and far from overreaching. Nose of oaky characteristics of vanilla, caramel, faint apricot, pear. Very expressive, crisp acidity, nice ABV of 13.5 percent. Barrel aging of 8.5 months sur lie. Pleasing finish of light creaminess and oaked crispness. $32.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2004 Merlot: Deep plum purple color. Vibrant nose of blackberry, cassis, mocha and sweet spice. Wonderful mouth feel. Warming in the upper chest, but not excessively hot at 13.8 ABV. New and mature wood give the wine grace and elegance while the purity of fruit lends enough power that even four days after uncorking, the wine is still a tigress in the glass. $42.
Stags’ Leap Winery 2005 Petite Syrah: Petite syrah, or sirah, was once thought to be another name for the lesser known Durif grape of France, but is now believed to be a cross between Syrah and Peloursin. At 14.2% ABV, this offering is a blend of 86 percent petite syrah, plus syrah, grenache and viognier. Inky purple with rich ruby edges and big, expressive florals on the nose including blackberry, black plum, cocoa and woody mushroom subtleties. Balanced wine, with great body and florals, with ordered tannins that offered a medium finish. $38. SP
Phineas and Jason are the authors of “The Modern Gentleman” and “The Modern Lover.” E-mail them at booze@sundaypaper.com.