96pts Jeb Dunnuck

I'd put the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 up with the crème de la crème in the vintage. It's not massive yet shines for its balance and elegance, bringing ample plum and cassis fruit as well as graphite, scorched earth, and violet, floral nuances. Aged 20 months in 100% new French oak, it has beautifully integrated oak, fine tannins, and again, a non-2022 like purity and freshness.

96pts James Suckling

An extra level of intensity and concentration elevates this flagship wine of the iconic estate founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970. So deep with black fruit, dark oak spices, earth and iron undertones. It offers a quiet strength, balanced tannic structure, rich flavors and a long finish that will carry it far into the future. Drinkable now but best from 2030.

95pts Decanter

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 20 months in 100% new French oak. Heady black currant fruit lures you in, layered with espresso and perfumed violets. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, framed by plush, juicy dark berry fruit, with hints of coriander crema and cola. Fine tobacco and sandalwood build alongside loamy earth, superfine tannins are nicely integrated, and the finish grows fruitier, revealing blue-fruit aromatics and candied pastille. The first vintage of Cask 23 was released in 1974, with André Tchelistcheff serving as a consultant. While tasting barrels of S.L.V., Tchelistcheff identified one so exceptional that it was bottled on its own, named after the barrel it was aged in —Cask 23. Initially bottled only in the best vintages, this changed in 1990 with the introduction of FAY as another single-vineyard expression. Since then, Cask 23 has become a blend of the two single vineyards, FAY and S.L.V., aiming to achieve a balanced, harmonious expression, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

95pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

True to form, the 2022 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits floral notes (violets) on the nose, plus hints of sage to go along with cassis fruit. It's impressively full-bodied and velvety in the mouth, with a lingering finish that just lacks the zest and energy of the 2021 version.

94pts Vinous

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is the best of the three 2022s from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Obviously the blend of top barrels from the two sites is an advantage. Floral notes lift a core of red-toned fruit, dried flowers, cedar and spice. The blend favors Fay by a touch, and that comes through in the wine's restrained personality. Like all the 2022s here, the Cask 23 is more finesse than power. Its balance is sublime, and the long, understated finish is terrific.

Winemaker Notes

The 2022 CASK 23 offers a compelling bouquet of complexity and depth, with aromas of ripe currants, blackberry compote, and dark plums layered over notes of dried herbs, figs, and a touch of tobacco. The palate is structured and flavorful, yet marked by a refined, savory texture. Elegant and expressive, it dances across the tongue with vibrant flavors of currants, black fruits, and delicate floral nuances. Polished tannins provide a silky framework, culminating in a long, graceful finish that exudes both power and finesse.