100pts Jeb Dunnuck

Aged 21 months in new barrels, the tiny production 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is brooding and inward yet has incredible purity in its darker currant and cassis-like fruit as well as subtle smoked tobacco, crushed stone, liquid violet, and graphite-driven nuances. These carry to a deep, layered, sensationally concentrated Cabernet that has sweet yet building tannins, a seamless mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It needs to be hidden for a decade if you can, but this is a legend in the making and will have 50+ years or more overall longevity if well stored.

97pts James Suckling

So pure, supple and creamy in texture, this refined and elegant wine delivers deep, powerful flavors on a very polished frame. Creme de cassis, baked blueberry, dried cranberry, graphite and espresso crema nuances. Full-bodied. Graceful enough to drink soon, but will reveal more complexity and intrigue with further aging. Best from 2029.

97pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A blend of Fay and S.L.V. barrels—with the proportions favoring Fay this vintage—the 2021 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon shows a bit more toasty oak at this stage of its development but also some attractive violet and herb shadings, cassis, cherries and blueberries. It's medium to full-bodied and silky textured across the mid-palate, then lingers elegantly on the finish. It's a super effort, one that nicely captures the overall feel of the Stags Leap District AVA.

97pts Wine Spectator

This is loaded with gorgeous flavors of boysenberry, mulberry and blackberry puree that maintain a sleek and refined feel as violet, iris and anise notes add range, lift and energy. A super fine-grained feel completes the seduction on the lengthy finish, where subtle minerality chimes prettily. Drink now through 2042. 2,175 cases made.

95pts Wine Enthusiast

Black cherry, red plum, cedar and fresh tobacco combine in this wine for an experience that is both savory and pleasingly earthy. Fine while textural, satisfying tannins and juicy acidity carry into a long and alluring finish. Delicious. 

Tasting Notes

The 2021 CASK 23 combines the signature perfume notes of FAY vineyard with the structure and dark fruit of S.L.V. Inviting aromas of dark currents, blueberry compote, black cherry, tobacco, and spices lead to a flavorful and dense mid-palate with rich and refined tannins and a persistent finish with flavors of dark chocolate, anise, and black fruits. 

About the Wine

The story of CASK 23 began during the harvest of 1974. Back then, the winery enlisted the help of celebrated winemaker André Tchelistcheff. As he tasted through various lots of new wines from that year, one lot from S.L.V. was so beautiful and deliciously distinct the winery decided it should be bottled separately. Today, CASK 23 blends distinctive fruit from the S.L.V. and FAY vineyards, resulting in a wine of extraordinary depth and richness balanced by restraint.

About the Vineyards

CASK 23 is a tale of two legendary vineyards – S.L.V. and FAY – that come together in a complex, yet harmonious blend. S.L.V., the winery’s first vineyard, stunned the wine world when it won the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976. And FAY is the site where Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted in the Stags Leap District in 1961. These sites continue to grow fruit that winemaker Marcus Notaro artfully combines into a wine that draws you back to the glass sip after sip.

Vintage Notes

The 2021 growing season will be remembered for being the second consecutive year of very dry conditions during winter and spring and for challenging weather during bloom and heat, cold, wind, and rain during flowering. This resulted in a reduction in yield and more variability on the clusters themselves. We had classic Napa Valley weather during the heart of the growing season with moderate temperatures and cool sea breezes in the afternoon and evening all summer. Early September saw a mini heat wave that pushed ripeness along, then a return to beautiful weather for the remainder of harvest. Berries were a little smaller than usual with loose clusters. Overall, the 2021 vintage was fantastic for quality and will be regarded as a benchmark year for Napa Valley.

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon