Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

ws92-94wa92

BN#213035

Cliff Lede

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District opens with initial scents of rich raspberry, fig compote, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. Once decanted, abundant aromas of iris root, lilac, osmanthus, pie crust, fenugreek, citral, and huckleberry burst from the glass. Upon entry, the mouth is stimulated by black cherries, white pepper, and a plush fine-grained minerality. A dense richness crosses the breadth of the palate as a fine tannin slowly ebbs into lingering acidity, gradually diffusing with the fatness of the finish.

Wine Spectator

Great structure, density, concentration, focus and range of flavors; clearly one of the best wines of the tasting. Packed with firm, rich, vivid currant, fresh earth and blackberry flavors that are intense and persistent, and ending with rich, integrated tannins.

Score: 92-94. —James Laube, August 31, 2006.

Wine Advocate

There are 5,800+ cases of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and the rest a dash of Malbec and Petit Verdot, it is a beauty. It shows the elegance and finesse of the cooler southern end of Napa with beautiful floral, black raspberry, and currant notes mixed with some cedar, a whiff of tobacco leaf, spring flowers, and well-integrated wood. The wine is medium to full-bodied and cuts a nice, deep, rich, but delicate feel in the mouth. This is a stunner that should drink gracefully for 15 or more years.

Score: 92. —Robert Parker, December 2007.