ARTEMIS Vertical Gift Set
ABOUT ARTEMIS
ARTEMIS, named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, is a wine that truly reflects its name. It’s the culmination of our hunt for the finest grapes from Napa Valley which, when combined with estate-grown fruit, combine to create a Cabernet Sauvignon that expresses the regional character of Napa Valley with the signature style of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. This approach results in a wine of lush fruit flavors balanced by extraordinary structure and elegance. Whereas our Estate Cabernet Sauvignons showcase the distinctive characteristics of each vineyard, ARTEMIS demonstrates how astute grape selection and skillful blending can create a wine that represents the sum of Napa Valley’s best Cabernet Sauvignon parts.
2021 VINTAGE
93 Points - James Suckling, March 2023
The 2021 growing season will be remembered for being the second consecutive year of very dry conditions during winter and spring and for challenging weather during bloom and heat, cold, wind, and rain during flowering. This resulted in a reduction in yield and more variability on the clusters themselves. We had classic Napa Valley weather during the heart of the growing season with moderate temperatures and cool sea breezes in the afternoon and evening all summer. Early September saw a mini heat wave that pushed ripeness along, then a return to beautiful weather for the remainder of harvest. Berries were a little smaller than usual with loose clusters. Overall, this may be the best vintage for quality I’ve seen yet!
2021 TASTING NOTES
The 2021 ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon offers inviting aromas of boysenberry, plum, currant, chocolate and baking spice. The rich and creamy entrance leads to a fresh and flavorful mid-palate. The wine is full-bodied with rich fruit flavors and integrated tannins that are persistent and plush.
2020 VINTAGE
93 Points - Wine Enthusiast, April 2023
A dry and hot growing season, coupled with a global pandemic, and multiple wildfires made 2020 a year we won’t forget. Due to the dry winter, we started more tillage than normal in February to preserve soil moisture and reduce competition. Rain right at bloom interrupted fruit set and provided a “natural fruit thinning” that brought the crop in balance relative to the dry soil conditions. We were excited during the heart of the growing season, as vines were in balance, and the timing of impactful viticulture practices (leafing, crop adjustment, etc.) was nearly perfect. Several heat events, including a three-day heat spike over Labor Day weekend, led to an early harvest. This was the year of the LNU Complex Wildfire and the Glass Fire Complex. As we do every vintage, we taste grapes daily in the vineyards and back up what we are tasting with lab analysis. We are fortunate to have ready access to our own lab as well as the tools necessary to make educated picking, winemaking and bottling decisions, ensuring overall wine quality. The warm weather this vintage produced wines with a riper character. We are very pleased with the resulting wines from the 2020 vintage (although there won’t be as many bottles) to carry our legacy forward.
2020 TASTING NOTES
The 2020 ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon offers intriguing aromas of olive, espresso, black licorice and red fruit. The wine is medium to full bodied, with a smooth mouthfeel filled with berry and dark chocolate flavors.
2019 VINTAGE
93 Points, James Suckling, December 2021
Spring in Napa Valley was wet with significant rain that increased canopy growth and caused some shatter during bloom in the vineyards. Our vineyard team worked diligently to balance canopies and fruit load, and to expose the fruit to the sun at the right time. Following this wet and cool start to the year that resulted in a lot of vigor, the summer gave way to near ideal growing conditions. Like 2018, a long growing season allowed for grapes to reach optimal ripeness. Yields were less than 2018 and harvest was later than usual. The main challenge this harvest was powering wineries with generators, as the power company shut off electricity to mitigate any potential fires due to high winds. Fires in upper Sonoma did not affect northern Napa Valley vineyards, and winds kept smoke out of the valley. Overall quality is quite high. Whites are aromatic and crisp, and Cabernet Sauvignon has beautiful dark fruit aromas, nice complexity, and more richness than 2018.
2019 TASTING NOTES
The 2019 ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon delivers expressive aromas of mocha, chocolate covered cherry, crushed raspberry, olive and thyme. Rich and flavorful, the wine is well-structured with fine grained tannins. The palate has a pleasing brambleberry note that leads to a long finish with a hint of oak spice.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Enjoy this Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled tri-tip, braised short ribs, or pasta with wild mushrooms and prosciutto.