2014 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
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Tasting notes
The entry level cuvée from this great estate is a stunner that readers will be thrilled to have in the cellar. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Merlot, its dense purple color is followed by a ripe, muscular, sexy wine straight-up loaded with notions of ripe blackberries, blackcurrants, damp earth, spring flowers, violets, and spicy oak. This big, rich, quintessential Napa beauty can be drunk today or any time over the coming 15-20 years.
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Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Their basic Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is sensational and only hints at what consumers are likely to find with their more expensive and higher-end cuvées. This is just a stunner that is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec and Merlot. Dense purple in color, it has a beautiful nose of spring flowers, blackcurrants, subtle background oak and licorice and a long, opulent mouthfeel. This is a beauty that can be drunk now or cellared for another 15 more years. It is a heck of a wine and irresistible.
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Cliff Lede wine with rich fruit, tons of intensity and plenty of medium-term appeal. Savory notes add an attractive upper register, but the tannins are a touch firm, so readers will be best off cellaring the 2014 for at least a few years. This is a solid mid-tier offering from Cliff Lede. (AG)