Surprisingly, the 1995 Cask 23 Proprietary Red Wine is light, acidic, and excessively polite. The tart acid that is so much an annoying component of these 1995s is present in the Cask 23, giving it a lean, clipped and compact feel on the palate. I do not believe this is what fans of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars have come to expect. Nevertheless, the spicy, coffee, herb, cedary, redcurrant nose offers promise. There is good depth, but much of it is shielded by the wine's tart veneer. This wine should turn out to be graceful and elegant, but I am concerned about the textural deficiencies.(Tasted in barrel.)Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' red wines have always been among my favorites, but I was surprised by the pronounced level of tart acidity found in the 1995s. High acidity, together with a low PH, causes a wine's texture to become compressed. The result is a wine that tastes too compact and lean. The 1995s possess excellent to outstanding raw materials, but does this vintage (the 1994s are also high in acidity) signal a change in the winemaking philosophy at Stag's Leap? I hope not.Tel. (707) 944-2020

Surprisingly, the 1995 Cask 23 Proprietary Red Wine is light, acidic, and excessively polite. The tart acid that is so much an annoying component of these 1995s is present in the Cask 23, giving it a lean, clipped and compact feel on the palate. I do not believe this is what fans of Stags Leap Wine Cellars have come to expect. Nevertheless, the spicy, coffee, herb, cedary, redcurrant nose offers promise. There is good depth, but much of it is shielded by the wine's tart veneer. This wine should turn out to be graceful and elegant, but I am concerned about the textural deficiencies. (Tasted in barrel.) Stags Leap Wine Cellars' red wines have always been among my favorites, but I was surprised by the pronounced level of tart acidity found in the 1995s. High acidity, together with a low PH, causes a wine's texture to become compressed. The result is a wine that tastes too compact and lean. The 1995s possess excellent to outstanding raw materials, but does this vintage (the 1994s are also high in acidity) signal a change in the winemaking philosophy at Stag's Leap? I hope not. Tel. (707) 944-2020