To blend or not to blend, that is often a winemaker’s question. Elevage, our proprietary blend, explores the idea that multiple personalities can indeed coexist harmoniously in the world of wine. Take the austerity of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, blend it with the roundness of Merlot, add the aromatic highlights of Petit Verdot, the savory notes or Cabernet Franc and voila, a complex symphony is written. The term “Elevage” refers to the raising of a wine much like one would raise a child. It perfectly captures the relation between winemaker and wine. It is also our annual homage to the classic texture of Stags Leap District.

The Vintage 2022 was a tale of two harvests. The first harvest ranged from August until about mid-September and was intense and fast paced. A Labor Day heat spike propelled us into what we thought would be a very frantic and mad dash to finish harvest. Little did we know Mother Nature had other plans. The rain in mid-September basically created a gap and a sudden halt to harvest. The second harvest started here. The fruit that came in after had beautiful mild weather in early October and lots of time to get to perfect ripeness. Fifty one days elapsed between the first white grape being picked and the last Cabernet Sauvignon on our Estate coming in. That is an unusually wide span for a harvest. We are enchanted with the wines of the vintage. They are deeply colored, silky, and graceful in texture, with exquisite fruit forward aromatics.