The FAY vineyard is the land where the story of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars began back in 1969 when Warren Winiarski tasted Nathan Fay’s 1968 homemade Cabernet. Warren knew, instantly, that he had found what he was searching for—classic elements of fruit and structure, suppleness and balance. It was a style that Warren refers to as “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” As luck would have it, an adjoining prune orchard was for sale. The Winiarski’s purchased the land and planted a vineyard—now known as S.L.V. — and soon after, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was born.

Tasting notes

There is ”plenty” to love about this stylish wine, starting with generous aromas of violets, blackberry, nutmeg, and black licorice reminiscent of “Good ‘n Plenty” candy. The aromas are followed by an alluring mix of dark fruit flavors that envelop the palate with accent notes of chocolate and vanilla. The 2005 FAY Cabernet Sauvignon is smooth and silky, with a richness and persistence all the way through the slightly smoky oak finish. Enjoy this expressive wine with Moroccan spiced lamb or duck with Port-cherry sauce.

Wine maker notes

With its excellent quality and abundant crop size, the 2005 vintage has the potential to be among the best of the decade. Heavy rainfall after bud break and during fruit set made for a nervous start to the growing season. Fortunately, temperatures rose following bloom and remained moderate throughout the summer. The late spring rains and moderate temperatures reduced the need for irrigation, and some of our blocks were dry farmed throughout the season. In September, warmer weather arrived with an Indian summer that provided ideal conditions for the final push to ripeness.

Technical notes

In 1986, Nathan offered to sell his vineyard to the Winiarski family. In his honor, the vineyard was named FAY. By the time we acquired the vineyard, many of the vines were nearly a quarter-century old and nearing the end of their best growing years. We embarked on an ambitious replanting program, experimenting with rootstocks, row orientation, and trellising to attain optimal expression of the terroir. Our replanting efforts are now fully realized and all vineyard blocks are in production. Vineyard blocks on the eastern slope, closest to the Palisades, contribute structural components derived from the volcanic soils there, while the more aromatic components come from the vineyard blocks on the western alluvial upland. When blended together, we achieve the classic expression of ”an iron fist in a velvet glove.”