United States · California

Stags' Leap Winery

Stags' Leap Winery (distinct from the more famous Stag's Leap Wine Cellars) is one of Napa Valley's oldest continuously operating estates, with origins dating to the 1890s in the Stags Leap District. The manor house and winery sit within the distinctive rocky palisades that give the appellation its name, and the estate was purchased by Beringer Wine Estates in 1997 before passing to Treasury Wine Estates. The Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate's most important wine at auction — 83 lots averaging $181, with the 2005 vintage the most traded, and a top price of $1,907. Audentia, a single-vineyard Cabernet blend from the estate's best block, averages $109 across 17 lots. Twelve Falls, a more accessible blend, averages $60 across 18 lots. The Stags Leap District's rocky, volcanic benchland soils produce wines of distinctive softness and approachability compared to mountain Napa — less tannic grip, more silky texture — and the estate's Petite Sirah has historically been a signature variety. The estate's Viognier averages $63, reflecting a small but distinctive white wine program. Auction prices ranging from $6 to $1,907 span a broad commercial range, with the estate's identity anchored in the premium but not ultra-luxury Napa tier.