2017 FAY Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARD & WINEMAKING
There are 26 main Cabernet Sauvignon blocks within the FAY vineyard. The grapes for this bottling are from FAY blocks 12C, 5A, 12A, 12B, and 7C on the hillside, closest to the Palisades and its volcanic soils. We call these the “power blocks” as they are the backbone of the FAY vineyard. The small berries and small clusters give the wine intense flavors, deep saturation and great grip. After fermentation, the lots were aged for 21 months in 100% new French oak barrels.
VINTAGE
The 2017 vintage was a memorable one with more than its fair share of historic challenges – but it resulted in very high-quality fruit at lower yields. We started with a wet winter that brought much-needed water after several years of drought. Spring and summer temperatures alternated between unusually cool and unusually hot with a record-breaking heat wave over Labor Day weekend. Just as harvest was reaching its final crescendo, on October 8th tragic wildfires broke out that burned throughout Napa and Sonoma counties. At Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the Atlas Peak fire burned right down to the edge of the estate vineyards. Thankfully the vineyard served as a giant fire break and the winery was undamaged and our employees were safe. We give a special thank you to the cellar and maintenance teams who demonstrated incredible dedication to wine quality in restoring power to the winery and caring for the fermenting wines under extreme conditions.
TASTING NOTES
This Cabernet Sauvignon offers dark fruit aromas with dark chocolate, cedar, spice, and raspberry notes. The wine has a rich texture with ripe fruit, hints of mineral and inviting cocoa and vanilla flavors that lead to a well-structured finish.