Wine Wednesday: Two Napa Icons, One Historic Vision
Antinori Napa Valley and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars with Vinattieri 1385
Wine Wednesday
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM
This Wine Wednesday brings together two exceptional Napa Valley estates connected by one of the world’s most historic wine families. Antinori Napa Valley interprets the volcanic slopes of Atlas Peak through more than six centuries of Antinori winemaking experience, while Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars occupies a foundational place in the history of American wine.
Vinattieri 1385 was established in 2024 as the bridge between the Antinori family and American wine lovers. Its name reaches back to 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori entered Florence’s vintners’ guild, the Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri. More than 600 years and 26 generations later, the family continues to combine respect for tradition with a willingness to explore new regions and pursue ambitious ideas.
That philosophy led Marchese Piero Antinori to Napa Valley and, eventually, to the mountain vineyards of Atlas Peak. It also brought Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars fully into the Antinori family in 2023, uniting the family with an estate whose 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon changed the world’s perception of California wine.
Our tasting pairs two interpretations of Chardonnay with two distinctive Cabernet Sauvignons. Together, they offer a compelling look at elevation, vineyard selection, vintage character, and the balance between Napa Valley richness and structural elegance.
Antinori Napa Valley: Tuscany Meets Atlas Peak
Marchese Piero Antinori first visited Napa Valley in 1966. Two decades later, he invested in rugged land high in the Vaca Mountains, where the elevation and sweeping slopes reminded him of the family’s vineyards in Chianti Classico.
The Antinori Napa Valley vineyards rise as high as 1,800 feet above the valley floor. Their southwest-facing slopes sit above the fog line in weathered volcanic soils, receiving abundant sunlight while cool nights and air currents from San Francisco Bay slow the ripening process. This combination produces mountain wines with concentrated flavor, natural acidity, mineral structure, and considerable aging potential.
2022 Antinori Napa Valley A26 Chardonnay
Atlas Peak, Napa Valley
A26 is named for the 26th generation of the Antinori family, represented today by Piero Antinori’s daughters Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia. It is produced from a rigorous selection of the estate’s finest Chardonnay; less than 10% of its Chardonnay was chosen for the 2022 bottling.
The vines grow at an average elevation of 1,475 feet in Perkins gravelly loam formed from volcanic alluvium. Several small-cluster Chardonnay clones contribute aromatic intensity while retaining the acidity needed to balance the fruit’s mountain-grown concentration.
The wine is whole-cluster pressed, fermented in new French oak, and matured in barrel for seven months. Half of the lots undergo malolactic fermentation to build texture and length, while the remainder retain their bright natural acidity.
White peach, Meyer lemon, and marzipan lead into honeysuckle, toasted almond, cream, and subtle spice. Medium to full in body, it has a sleek, layered texture balanced by vivid acidity and a mineral undertone. The finish is long and detailed, combining ripe orchard fruit with citrus, gentle oak, and a refreshing stony quality.
Why We’re Pouring It
A26 challenges the assumption that Napa Chardonnay must choose between richness and freshness. Its elevation, small-cluster fruit, and selective winemaking provide depth without heaviness. It is an ambitious mountain Chardonnay with the texture to satisfy lovers of California wine and the precision to intrigue Burgundy drinkers.
2021 Antinori Napa Valley Townsend Cabernet Sauvignon
Atlas Peak, Napa Valley
Townsend is named for June Townsend, an Atlas Peak neighbor who sold her 40-acre ranch to the Antinori family in 1998. Located on a high, west-facing ridgeline overlooking Rector Canyon, the property was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1999 and 2000 and quickly proved to be one of the estate’s finest sites.
The concentrated 2021 vintage produced small, intensely flavored berries. The blend is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvested between early September and early October. Individual vineyard sections were fermented separately, allowing the estate to preserve the character of each parcel.
Following fermentation and 12 to 15 days on the skins, the wine completed malolactic fermentation and aged for 20 months in 100% new Taransaud French oak. The substantial élevage is matched by the depth and tannic structure of the mountain fruit.
Blackberry, black currant, and white pepper open the wine, followed by black cherry, violet, graphite, and crushed rock. The palate is full-bodied and focused, with spice, vanilla, menthol, and dark fruit carried by fine but powerful tannins. The long mineral finish suggests a Cabernet with decades of potential.
Why We’re Pouring It
Townsend represents the meeting of Atlas Peak’s volcanic mountain terroir and Antinori’s long experience with structured, ageworthy red wine. It is generous without being soft, powerful without losing detail, and an exceptional illustration of how elevation can bring both concentration and lift to Napa Cabernet.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars: A Napa Valley Legend
Founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars occupies a singular place in American wine history. Its 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked above celebrated First- and Second-Growth Bordeaux in the red-wine portion of the 1976 Judgment of Paris. That victory established Napa Valley as a source of world-class wine and transformed the international reputation of California Cabernet Sauvignon.
The winery’s home is the Stags Leap District, an appellation known for the combination of volcanic rock, alluvial soils, warm afternoon sun, and cooling evening air. Its Cabernet Sauvignons are celebrated for marrying intensity with unusually polished tannins, the quality often described as an “iron fist in a velvet glove.”
Karia and Artemis look beyond a single vineyard, blending carefully selected sites across Napa Valley. This broader approach allows the winery to combine the fragrance, texture, fruit, acidity, and structure contributed by several distinctive subregions.
2024 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Karia takes its name from a Greek word meaning “graceful,” an ideal description of the winery’s restrained approach to Chardonnay. The 2024 is sourced from Atlas Peak’s Antica Estate, Carneros, Coombsville, and Oak Knoll, bringing together mountain intensity and the freshness of cooler southern Napa Valley sites.
The wine is 100% Chardonnay. Ninety-two percent was barrel fermented, with the remainder fermented in stainless steel. It aged for eight months on its lees in French oak, 39% new, with only 13% undergoing malolactic fermentation. These choices add texture and subtle oak complexity while protecting the wine’s freshness.
White peach, lemon and lime zest, honeydew melon, and delicate flowers are joined by crème brûlée, clove, and vanilla. The palate is medium-bodied and velvety, with vibrant citrus, honeysuckle, crisp acidity, and a lingering finish touched by mineral freshness and understated oak.
Why We’re Pouring It
Karia provides a revealing contrast with A26. Both are serious Napa Valley Chardonnays, but Karia emphasizes regional blending, modest malolactic fermentation, and graceful accessibility. It shows how careful sourcing across several appellations can produce a wine greater than the sum of its individual vineyard components.
2023 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Named for the Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis represents the winery’s search for exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon throughout Napa Valley. The 2023 draws heavily from high-elevation Atlas Peak, complemented by fruit from Coombsville, St. Helena, Calistoga, the Stags Leap District, and other carefully selected sites.
The 2023 growing season was one of Napa Valley’s coolest and longest in more than a decade. Ample winter rainfall restored the soils, while warm days, cool evenings, and a slow ripening period produced expressive fruit with excellent acidity and long-term aging potential.
The final blend is 97.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Merlot. It matured for 14 months in French oak, 57% of which was new.
Ripe black currant, Bing cherry, and blackberry compote are layered with cedar, fresh tobacco, graphite, sage, and mocha. The palate is rich but energetic, with polished tannins, dark chocolate, cassis, savory herbs, and mineral complexity. Its finish is long and resonant, balancing generous fruit with the refined structure that defines the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars style.
Why We’re Pouring It
Artemis offers an unusually complete portrait of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Rather than focusing on one vineyard, it combines the strengths of several appellations: mountain structure, valley-floor richness, cool-climate freshness, and the elegance associated with the Stags Leap District. It is also a compelling value relative to the winery’s coveted single-vineyard Cabernets.
Mountain, Valley, Heritage, and Innovation
These four wines illuminate two complementary visions of Napa Valley. Antinori Napa Valley focuses on the elevation, volcanic soils, and concentrated fruit of its Atlas Peak estate. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars draws upon vineyards throughout the valley to create graceful, complete expressions of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Chardonnays contrast the depth and mineral tension of a highly selective mountain bottling with the elegance of a multi-appellation blend. The Cabernets place the precision and power of Atlas Peak beside a broader portrait of Napa Valley’s most important growing regions.
Together, the wines connect more than six centuries of Antinori history with one of the defining estates of modern California wine.
Wine Wednesday
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Explore. Taste. Learn.