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There's a magical strip of the Napa Valley, often referred to as a valley within a valley. This is where some of the most coveted wines in the world have been grown and produced. It's the cap of the ribeye, if you will. The sweetspot. This honey hole of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has produced award winning wines for multiple generations, and the foresight of the district to work together in singing the gospel of the land sets them apart. Welcome the 2022 Stags Leap District Winegrowers Cabernet Sauvignon - A Collaboration.

Teamwork. A novel idea. Not everyone played team sports, nor have they worked in an environment where every contribution is weighted equally. But community is built over time, in times of prosperity and especially in times of crisis. What began as a high-level "bake sale" approach to raising money for promotion of the Stags Leap District, was forced to morph and elevate when the horrors of 2020 vintage left most wineries in the area without wine to sell. Prior to The Glass Fire, the participating wineries would each showcase one wine, brought to the fold and sold as a power-pack. Getting 15 of your favorite winery's wines together in one fell swoop is a flex, but it's also logistically challenging. Mother nature forced the district to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. A Collaboration was born.

Participating wineries, 15 in total, are tasked with bringing a single lot of their best performing Cabernet Sauvignon to the table—literally to the table—where a rotating group of 5 winemakers make up the Master Blending Team, much like a Royal Counsel. An interesting detail I loved learning about was that each of the five winemakers on the Master Blending Team were allowed to bring one "blender" from their cellar to add to the final blend, and it turns out in all cases an addition was not necessary. Think of this wine as the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime or Ferrari Daytona SP3 of Stags Leap District. Luxury wine made for the ultimate collector.

- 2022 Stags Leap District Winegrowers Cabernet Sauvignon - A Collaboration // Second vintage (2021 was the first vintage)

- $275 per bottle // available only in 3 packs and 6 packs // only 4 Barrels made

- Available for purchase via SLDW Website Only, 60 days, between October 15 - December 25, 2023: stagsleapdistrict.com/cabernet_collaboration

- SLDW Cab Winemaking Team, Second Vintage: Michael Baldacci (Baldacci Vineyards), Travis Bullard (Cliff Lede Vineyards), Ludovic Dervin (Stags’ Leap Winery), Elizabeth Vianna (Chimney Rock Winery) and Josh Wildaman (Pine Ridge Vineyards)

The packaging of the wine itself had to look and feel luxury, while also being mindful of ecological changes that are happening in wineries around the world. Gone are the days of putting top quality wine in overly heavy bottles, stuffing to the gills with unnecessary packaging additions, and pretending no one will notice. The packaging & label design was handled by CF Napa, and I have to say their contributions really jump off the bottle. Their catchphrase, Drink With Your Eyes®, is echoed the second you lay eyes on the label. 15-point antlers tell the tale of all participating wineries, elegantly portrayed and described. For shipping, an eco-conscious tissue paper envelops each bottle to keep the label prestine, laid in a bed of biodegradable pulp to keep the wine safe in transit. 

“The 2022 Stags Leap District Collaboration Cabernet Sauvignon is an unparalleled offering that captures the power and grace of wines from our region, along with the unwavering spirit of our neighborhood,” said Josh Widaman, President of the Board of Stags Leap District Winegrowers and Estate Winemaker of Pine Ridge Vineyards. “Together, our 15 vintner members selected some of their most prestigious lots to craft into a singular wine that is truly extraordinary."

Visit stagsleapdistrict.com/acquire_cab_collab to purchase the 2022 Stags Leap District - A Collaboration available in 3 packs or 6 packs only. This wine will sell out quickly. 

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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