Stags' Leap Winery Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon The Leap 2020

James Suckling

Cassis, fruit cake, and violets followed by ground vanilla beans and mint chocolate with underlying crushed rocks and black ink notes. Full-bodied, firm yet finely grained ripe tannins with good freshness to it. Outstanding concentration with framed structure. Opulent yet harmonious. A blend of 92% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit sirah, 3% malbec and 1% merlot. Aged for 20 months in 65% new French oak barriques. Give this more time to come around. Try after 2027.

Lisa Perotti Brown

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon The Leap waltzes out with gregarious notions of black cherry preserves, boysenberries, and creme de cassis followed by hints of rose oil, chocolate box, and cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate is filled with bright, crushed, black and blue fruits, framed by lively acidity and fine-grained tannins, finishing with great length and purity.

Decanter

Fragrant dried thyme and mulberry notes with red liquorice, toasted coconut and iron shavings. Full-bodied with a real purity of blackberry fruit and mixed-berry compote. A dusty tannin backbone and a long mineral finish underscore the satiny fruit profile.

Vivino

(44 bedømmelser – set d. 11/2 2025)

The Wine Independent

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon The Leap waltzes out with gregarious notions of black cherry preserves, boysenberries, and creme de cassis followed by hints of rose oil, chocolate box, and cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate is filled with bright, crushed, black and blue fruits, framed by lively acidity and fine-grained tannins, finishing with great length and purity.

James Suckling

Aromas of blackcurrants, black licorice, thyme and violets. Full-bodied with silky, taught tannins. Juicy and vibrant on the palate with well-balanced acidity. Berry flavors. Great tension here. This has a lovely life ahead of it.

Natalie Maclean

Stags' Leap Winery The Leap 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is dry, full-bodied and fragrant with black currant, blackberry, chocolate, baking and cedar spice aromas and layers of flavours with a flinty, stony finish fresh on the palate. Tannins are firm and chewy. Showing great promise now, but would benefit from some mellowing out time in cellar.

Wine Review Online

I often find myself in the position of tasting 100% varietal wines and wishing that the winemaking decisions had included the blending in of small amounts of complementary varieties. Not so in this case, as winemaker Christophe Paubert wisely chooses to let this fruit announce itself clearly and unashamedly. It's a wine that can benefit from some taming time, but you'll want to give it a go in its youth for its exuberance and complexity, enjoying the full force of blackberry, cassis, cherry, pepper, cedary spice notes and hint of espresso. I'd call this a value priced bottle in its neighborhood.