STAGS LEAP MERLOT NAPA VALLEY

Estate fruit is complemented by longtime partnerships with some of the best growers in the Napa Valley and Carneros. The primary wine grape varieties—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petite Syrah—are enhanced by plantings of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Grenache, and Syrah.

In the 1980s, the winery undertook DNA testing to uncover the identities and sources of heritage vines on the property, especially the1930s field blend planting of Petite Syrah and other Rhône varietals in the Ne Cede Malis* block. The results were contributed to the research being conducted by UC Davis on the origin of the Petite Sirah variety and have been used to graft new vines, allowing the winery to retain much of its prime genetic material.