2020 ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon

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.

VINEYEARDS & WINEMAKING

Imagine taking an aerial tour of Napa Valley, flying over the patchwork of vineyards that have made the valley and its wines famous. The grapes for ARTEMIS are sourced from a unique collection of these sites. The 2020 blend is derived from a spectrum of fruit grown for Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars by independent growers from across the Napa Valley including: 53% Atlas Peak District; 11% Arcadia Vineyard in Coombsville, 9% Battuello Vineyard in St. Helena, 4% Rancho Chimiles in Wooden Valley, along with some grapes from S.L.V. and FAY. Each site lends its personality to the aroma, flavor, structure and texture of the finished wine. This wine is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon with 1% Merlot for another layer of complexity. The wine was aged for 14 months in 50% new French Oak and 4% new American Oak, with the balance in older French oak barrels. The wine was very lightly filtered at bottling.

VINTAGE

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. 

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.

FOOD PAIRINGS

Enjoy this Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled tri-tip, braised short ribs, or pasta with wild mushrooms and prosciutto.