2021 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 12A, 10A, 8C, 7 and 5 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.  This wine is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. 

VINTAGE

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, the 2021 vintage was fantastic for quality and will be regarded as a benchmark year for Napa Valley. 

TASTING NOTES

The 2021 FAY Hillside wine offers hints of violet along with dark fruit notes like sweet Bing cherry and fig. It is complex and has a rounded palate with mineral flavors and floral notes. This wine is well-balanced and features a full-bodied finish.