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Wine from Cliff Lede Vineyards
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Cliff Lede Vineyards was founded in 2002 by Cliff Lede following the acquisition of 60 acres in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. With a focus on producing wines from estate vineyards, Cliff engaged industry experts to redesign and replant the majority of the estate. The plantings were so specific and precise to each soil type and exposure that, to keep track without having to refer to a clipboard, Cliff decided to name each block after some of his favorite rock songs and albums. From “My Generation” to “Dark Side of the Moon,” he created what is known today as the Cliff Lede Vineyards “Rock Blocks.” The winemaking team gets creative with this innovation, annually crafting a small-lot Rock Block Series “mash up” of two or more blocks, featured in the tasting room and wine club.
Farmed by Director of Vineyard Operations Allison Wilson and her team, the estate is split into two distinct vineyards in the northern corner of the Stags Leap District appellation. The steep, southwest-facing hillside vineyard that surrounds Poetry Inn is the Poetry Vineyard. It reaches from the valley floor up to the highest elevations of the appellation. This site is composed of a combination of shallow volcanic soils on top of fractured shale, which produces extremely concentrated berries. This iconic vineyard is the sole source for the winery’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Poetry. Next to the hillside, The Rhythm Vineyard sits on the valley floor surrounding the tasting room and winery. The soil is predominantly gravelly loam thanks to the two rocky hillsides on the vineyard’s southern border. The plantings on Rhythm Vineyard include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon.
The modern winery, designed by world-renowned architect Howard Backen and completed in 2005, combines time-tested techniques with innovative technology. The winery utilizes a three-tier sorting line including an optical sorting machine, which sorts grapes based upon quality settings established by the winemaker. A custom crane system gently delivers the berries to tank by gravity before fermentation. In 2011, a 300–kilowatt solar panel field was installed to fully power the winery. Wastewater is captured for irrigation and an extensive cave system provides a naturally cool space for wines to age.
Cliff Lede Vineyards’ production is overseen by Director of Winemaking Christopher Tynan and Winemaker Travis Bullard. Wines produced include Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley; Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District; Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard; the Rock Block Series, Stags Leap District; Songbook, Napa Valley; and the flagship wine, Poetry, Stags Leap District, among others that are offered only to wine club members.
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Clif Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.
Our Stags Leap District and Calistoga estate vineyards build the foundation of this wine with support from valued grower sites located in Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain. Composed of small batches from a variety of blocks of varying age, this wine represents a diverse range of carefully selected rootstocks and clones. Yields are maintained at sparse levels, with a focus on canopy management and vine balance. The resulting blend boasts a remarkable depth and complexity that is quintessential Napa Valley.
Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours. The freshly-harvested fruit immediately underwent rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which included our cutting-edge optical sorter. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank using our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of délestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from four to five weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 48% of which were new, for twenty-one months.
Elegantly soft and lithe the 2021 coaxes the taster with warm dark chocolate and luscious black cherry aromas. More graphite, chocolate cake, crushed mulberries, and iron notes leap from the glass. The entry is filled with dark fruit flavors of cassis, blackberry, and blue berries and they’re all tinged with floral notes of jasmine and violets. The polished tannins along the finish feel Cashmere-like and beg the taster for another sip. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking
Review:
So silky and drinkable at the first sip, this well-concentrated wine feels tight and restrained with more tastes, holding its trove of black fruits, cedar, cinnamon and dark chocolate in a rich blanket of extra-fine tannins. Its complexity, layering and lingering finish are something special.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Vineyard Notes
The Poetry Vineyard, carved into a steep west-facing hillside, reaches from the highest elevations of the Stags Leap District appellation to the valley floor. This vineyard draws its uniqueness from shallow, volcanic soils atop fractured shale. Due to the stressful nature of the site, planted with high vine density and farmed to very low yields, the vines develop slowly and produce small flavorful berries. The vineyard is planted to legendary, proprietary heritage selections of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Production Notes
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five-pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which includes our cutting-edge optical sorter and a slow, individual berry hand sort. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank by our unique crane system, which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles.
Winemaker Notes
There is an effortlessness and ease to the 2021 Poetry that springs from the continuity and familiarity of its caretakers and the experience of the vines themselves as their roots dig deep into the shallow unforgiving terraces of rock and rhyolitic crevices. Wafts of warm summer mulberries, fractured rock, and violet perfume envelop the glass. Wild blackberry preserves form the flavor on the entry and combine with tantalizing, black truffle, sea salt, and steak au poivre juices. Plush tannin swathes the finish and wraps the tongue in a mineral laden, majestic embrace where the flavors linger long and pleasingly -Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking
Review:
“The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound at this youthful stage, slowly revealing layer upon layer of fragrant black and red fruits with loads of mineral sparks, supported by beautifully fine-grained yet firm tannins and seamless acidity, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of mineral and floral notes. This is gorgeous. ” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent 100 Points
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The aging is as Mounir ages his Burgundies: extremely long, never racked, no fining, no filtration. It would be easy to say that we expected the experience running one of Burgundy’s leading producers, Lucien Le Moine, would show in Mounir’s wines. But the actual results need to be tasted to be believed and understood: a wine with beguiling fruit and savory richness, yet extraordinary finesse and detail.
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2019 was another warm and dry vintage in the southern Rhône, marked by insistent drought and repeated heat waves during the season. With little disease pressure or frost, the crop was close to normal size, but bunch and berry-size was reduced during the growing season by the lack of water. The grapes were thus concentrated and rich in sugar and acidity, although potential alcohol levels were often quite high. Vineyards at higher elevations – Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas in particular — handled the heat better, and the wines from those AOPs are rich yet also remarkably fresh and energetic. Despite the initial concerns about the growing season, 2019 looks to be a watershed vintage in the Southern Rhône, producing rich wines with exceptional concentration and aging potential
Inviting aromas of sliced strawberries, red cherries and rose. Full-bodied with vibrant acidity and succulent fruit. Fine, structured tannins are vertically aligned with the fruit. More dark-fruited than the nose lets on and entirely delicious. I love the subtle spice here.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Very refined, with silky and fine-grained structure carrying alluring bergamot, rooibos tea, incense, dried cherry and lightly mulled raspberry notes along. A long sanguine thread weaves through the finish. Hard to resist now with so much charm, but this will benefit from cellaring. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
Intense, fresh and fruity bouquet, reminiscent of a tangy red fruit tart (wild strawberry, blueberry), slightly sweet yet underpinned by more concentrated, jammy and citrus notes. The aromatic complexity comes through after a few swirls in the glass giving us a medley of spice, warm cinnamon and peppers. Fleshy attack dominated by ripe, crunchy, plump red fruit that brings depth and creaminess. The fruity structure is gradually elongated by a chalky, mineral freshness that creates a lingering sensation of lightness and harmony on the finish.
Review:
Roederer's 2014 Brut Vintage is beautiful, offering up aromas of pear, mirabelle plum, red berries, warm biscuits and smoke. Full-bodied, layered and elegantly muscular, it's seamless and complete, with terrific mid-palate depth and amplitude. Framed by bright acids and enlivened by a pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a penetrating finish. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir, emphasizing Verzy, and pressure is a touch higher than in its more ethereal Blanc de Blancs counterpart. As I wrote of its 2013 predecessor, this is a wine that puts many prestige cuvées to shame.
95 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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