2022 FAY Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon

ABOUT FAY

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars purchased this incredible vineyard from Nathan Fay in 1986. Today, FAY, along with S.L.V., produces the grapes for Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ iconic Estate Cabernet Sauvignons.  Each vintage our winemaker bottles special wines to highlight select parcels from these estate vineyards, exclusively for wine club members. These specialty wines are a way to take club members “on a walk through the vineyard with the winemaker” to experience the unique characteristics that define the winery’s world-class vineyards. 

VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING

There are 26 main Cabernet Sauvignon blocks within the FAY vineyard. The grapes for this bottling are from FAY blocks 7AB, 8C, & 9 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 20 months in 100% new French oak barrels.  This wine is 98.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5% Cabernet Franc. 

TASTING NOTES

The 2022 FAY Hillside opens with spiced plum and dried fruit, followed by notes of boysenberry and cherry cola, with subtle touches of brown sugar, molasses, and green tea. On the palate, it’s rich and ripe with a rounded texture, showing layered dark-fruit flavors that carry through to a savory, persistent finish marked by ripe blueberry and dark berry character.