STAGS’ LEAP WINERY •6150 SILVERADO TRAIL, NAPA, CA • 1 .800.395.2441 • STAGSLEAP.COM • FACEBOOK.COM/STAGSLEAPWINERY

2 0 0 9NAPA VALLEY PETITE SIRAH

Established in 1893, Stags’ Leap Winery is one of the oldest wine estates within the acclaimed Stags Leap district, continually producing wines expressive of its unique terroir. With an enduring wine making philosophy of minimal intervention, and by using the finest grapes from our own 85-acre vineyard and from quality-focused growers, Stags’ Leap wines embody a natural balance, exhibiting both intensity and finesse.

V I N T A G E & V I N E Y A R D S

The 2009 growing season in Napa Valley was notable for its lack of significant weather events. A dry winter gave way to rains in early spring, and temperate weather at the time of bud break brought little in the way of frost damage. Flowering and fruit set were facilitated by dry weather in late spring, and a relatively moderate summer gave the fruit ample time to ripen slowly to its full potential. There was a brief rain event in early/mid-October, but by that time the vast majority of the grapes were safely in the winery.

“Its beauty is in the variety of sourcing,” says Winemaker Christophe Paubert of his Napa Valley Petite Sirah. Grapes from our 30-year old estate vines form the backbone of this wine. Paubert likes to add grapes from both northern and southern Napa Valley vineyards to intensify and broaden the wine’s profile to include floral, spice and fruit characteristics.

W I N E M A K I N G

The 2009 Petite Sirah was made using the same time-honored techniques that have made this wine practically synonymous with Stags’ Leap Winery. Avoiding over extraction, Paubert allowed the wine to go through a relatively short maceration period (9 days on average) following fermentation. He then aged the wine for 14 months in American oak barrels (25% new), the spiciness of the oak complementing the natural spice character of the varietal. The final blend includes small amounts of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, Rhone varietals that bring further complexity to the finished wine.

T A S T I N G N O T E S

With a triumvirate of fruit, floral and spicy characteristics, this warm, juicy wine opens with black cherry, blueberry and strawberry flavors supported by distinct notes of vanilla, violets and spice. The powerful red and black fruit flavors persist on the palate, backed by refined tannins and balancing acidity. Bold yet restrained, this wine displays the plush elegance for which our signature Petite Sirah is known.

SOURCING

Napa Valley

VARIETAL COMPOSITION

80% Petite Sirah

20% Other (Syrah, Grenache, and

Mourvèdre)

VINIFICATION

100% American oak barrels (25% new)

for 14 months

ANALYSIS

Alc: 14.1%