ABOUT THIS WINE
Planted by the Warren Winiarski family in 1970, S.L.V. achieved international fame when three year old vines from the 1973 harvest produced a wine that shocked the wine world by triumphing over some of France’s greatest wines in a 1976 blind tasting known as the “Judgment of Paris“. Today, this history-making vineyard continues to yield wines of multi—layered complexity, structure, and spicy intensity.
TASTING NOTES
Restrained but complex in the nose with black cherry fruit laced around notes of sandalwood, truffles, and nutmeg. The wine is firm and concentrated on the palate with flavors of warm raspberry and black cherry alongside spicy accent notes of licorice, cola, and cedar. The mouth-filling flavors are intense, but without excessive weight. Refined, earthy tannins are framed by bright acidity. The wine continues to gain depth and persistence with time in the glass, as it will in the bottle. This firmly structured wine is just the right complement to a meal of smoked sausage cassoulet or pan-seared steak with a wild mushroom ragout.
VINEYARDS AND WINEMAKING
Located in the heart of what is now the Stags Leap District, S.L.V. soils are made up, in part, of volcanic earth which contributes “fire“—like qualities of great structure, concentration, and spicy intensity. The vineyard has undergone a gradual, decade-long replanting program. This year’s blend includes the first fruit from the young vines of Block 3A and 3B, planted in 2001. The lots vinified from these youthful vines are already showing classic S.L.V. structure and rich cassis flavors. In contrast, another key component of this blend comes from fruit on vines over thirty years old. Block 4 was planted in 1972 and it is the last remaining block from the original planting. It continues to produce fruit of extraordinary character.
VINTAGE
The 2004 vintage was a good year in terms of climate, crop level, and potential wine quality. The vines broke dormancy early, with bud break coming in late February, approximately 15 days early. A warm, dry spring followed, marked by some record high temperatures in March which set the stage for an early harvest. However, summer ensued with cool, foggy mornings and warm, mild afternoons which allowed sugar levels, flavors, and acidity to come into balance. |
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RETAIL PRICE
$110
per bottle
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