ARTEMIS Unveiled

In recent months we have been criss-crossing the country introducing Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' new vision for our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: the 2001 ARTEMIS.

Named for the Greek goddess of the hunt, ARTEMIS targets a higher goal for our traditionally non-estate Napa Valley Cabernet by including nearly 30 percent of our own estate-grown grapes in the blend. That includes 20 percent from FAY, the historic vineyard first planted by viticultural pioneer Nathan Fay in 1961.

"This is a new goal for our Napa Valley Cabernet," Warren Winiarski said when the new bottling was released. "Previously this wine has been made from selected non-estate vineyards and was intended to represent the Napa Valley as a whole. With the 2001 vintage we have elevated our sights to focus not on a valley-wide style, but on the terroir-based style of our FAY vineyard, which is characterized by a harmonious balance of opposite qualities. It's the same style that is beautifully expressed in our estate wines: FAY, S.L.V. and CASK 23."

The estate portion of the new wine was harvested from recently replanted and now maturing vines that came into full production in 2001. More estate fruit will consistently be available for future vintages of ARTEMIS. Working with a few long-term associate growers throughout the Napa Valley, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars will continue its rigorous selection of grapes to complement the estate-grown fruit that forms the heart of the new blend.

As a sign of its pedigree, ARTEMIS is attractively presented in the same distinctive embossed bottle used for our estate wines: FAY, S.L.V. and CASK 23.

"The fact that ARTEMIS has such an abundance of estate fruit, particularly the 20 percent from FAY, gives it that characteristic estate profile," Warren says. "People love the idea, and the wine is rapidly gaining momentum in the market."

Warren has been introducing ARTEMIS to retailers, restaurateurs, and wine journalists at a series of events held at our winery and in cities around the country. But the wine's New York City debut was almost derailed when a kitchen fire temporarily closed Per Se, superstar chef Thomas Keller's brand-new Manhattan restaurant, just days before our February 24 and 25 launch events there.

We discovered that celebrity chefs are willing to lend each other a hand, just as wineries in the Napa Valley so often do. Another top Manhattan restaurant, Daniel, graciously allowed us to hold our events there instead, and Chef Daniel Boulud did an extraordinary last-minute job. The launch took place as planned, and Chef Keller even made an appearance to show his support.

The show went on: Chef Thomas Keller, Warren Winiarski, and Chef Daniel Boulud at the ARTEMIS launch in New York City.