Stags Leap District

Napa Valley · USA · Wine Auction Prices

The Stags Leap District is a narrow volcanic palisades district on Napa Valley's eastern edge, where heat-retaining basaltic soils and afternoon shadow from the Vaca Range create a distinctive microclimate for Cabernet Sauvignon: fully ripe, silky, and elegantly structured. The district gained international recognition at the 1976 Paris Judgment tasting, where Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon defeated First Growth Bordeaux in a blind tasting — an event that established California fine wine's international credibility and launched the Stags Leap District as a serious collectible appellation. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and the competing Stags' Leap Winery (apostrophe in different position) both occupy the district and have been a source of collector confusion and fascination since. Cask 23, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' flagship, blends the best lots from the S.L.V. and Fay vineyard parcels. Shafer's Hillside Select is the district's other benchmark: biodynamically farmed, hand-sorted, and built for 20–30 years of cellaring. Chimney Rock and Pine Ridge offer accessible entry points into the district's distinctive silky style.

Stags Leap District

The 1976 Paris Judgment — where Steven Spurrier assembled a blind tasting of top California and French wines — was won by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon, a watershed moment that catalysed international recognition of California fine wine.

Stags Leap District's volcanic basalt and tuff soils, combined with afternoon shadow from the Vaca Range palisades, create a distinctive late-afternoon cooling that preserves acidity and gives the appellation's wines their signature elegance.

Shafer Hillside Select is sourced entirely from steep, hand-farmed hillside terraces above the valley floor, fermented in small open-top tanks, and not released until 5 years after harvest — one of California's most age-worthy Cabernets.

The apostrophe dispute between Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (possessive of a stag) and Stags' Leap Winery (plural possessive) was famously resolved by the US Supreme Court as a shared name — both operations continue to trade separately at auction.

$215

Avg Price / Bottle

4,200

Auction Lots

2014

Top Vintage

$55 – $8.5k

Price Range

In the Glass

Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon is often called the most Burgundian in California: an elegant, silky texture with fine-grained tannins, red and black cherry fruit, mocha, and violet, with less opulence than Oakville but exceptional structure and longevity. Cask 23 is the textbook expression — balanced, complex, and age-worthy. Shafer Hillside Select adds greater power and concentration from the hillside terraces. All share the district's signature smooth tannins.

Red Wines

Wine	Avg Price	Lots Sold
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23	$195	1,400
Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon	$380	1,200
Chimney Rock Elevage Cabernet Sauvignon	$95	600
Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District	$75	500
Silverado Limited Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	$65	400

Top Producers

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Shafer Chimney Rock Pine Ridge Silverado

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