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CASE PRICE = $48.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)

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Notes from the winemaker:

Established in 2002, Cliff Lede Vineyards encompasses sixty acres in the famed Stags Leap District. Owner Cliff Lede, Vineyard Manager David Abreu, Consulting Winemaker Philippe Melka and Associate Winemaker Kale Anderson, have come together to form an unrivalled team, making the most of this remarkable property.

Vintage
The growing season started with low soil moisture due to an abbreviated rainy season that delivered sparse precipitation. Vintage 2008, like the previous year, would unfold under drought conditions. Spring and an early bud break were greeted by an extended cold spell through early May, resulting in delayed growth and multiple days of frost. Bloom time finally saw a warming trend, allowing berry development to progress rapidly under warm and clear summer days, with the fog absent until the onset of veraison. Ripening progressed slowly and evenly. Then, as summer gave way to fall, building temperatures led to an early harvest. On par with the low yields of 2007, the 2008 vintage relays balanced crop flavors and profound intensity.

Vineyards
Fruit was sourced from our estate Twin Peaks Ranch, as well as the hillside terraces of our Poetry vineyard, in which yields are maintained at sparse levels, ranging from 0.8 to 3.8 tons/acre. The wine is composed of small lots from many of our best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected rootstocks and clones.

Winemaking
Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours, and immediately subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered hand sorting process. The whole berries were gently delivered to tank by our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately five days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of delestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from three to four weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in 60% new French oak for eighteen months.

Analysis
Composition: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3%
Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
Alcohol: 15.1%
Bottled: July 2010
Release: February 2011
Production: 3732 cases

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93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2007 vintage):
"The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap (75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc) is everything that one expects in a wine from this sector that is known for elegance, harmony, and Margaux-like finesse. A perfectly balanced Cabernet, it exhibits a dense purple color along with a big, sweet nose of spring flowers, black and red currants as well as graphite. It is deep, rich, young, and promising with plenty of tannin, but an unmistakable, profound minerality. Although accessible, 2-3 years of bottle age will be beneficial, and the wine should age for two decades.

As the results attest, owner Cliff Lede, manager David Abreu, and up and coming winemaker Michelle Edwards are all obsessed with high quality. The ubiquitous Michel Rolland is also in the background for blending, consulting, etc. The 2007s appear to be stunning efforts." - Robert Parker (12/2009)

91 Points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (2007 vintage):
"Good full ruby-red. Cassis, minerals, mocha, brown spices and a hint of nutty oak on the rather reticent nose. Then supple, rich and sweet, with a lush texture and insidious intensity to the dark fruit and mineral flavors. The suave finish features fine-grained tannins and nice lift." - Stephen Tanzer (May/June '10)

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Smoked and Grilled Foods: Porterhouse, T-Bone Steak , Portobello Mushroom, Lamb Chops