Stags' Leap Winery

Established in 1893 on the watershed of the Stags Leap Palisades, Stags’ Leap Winery is one of California’s earliest wine estates. The 240-acre property is located nine miles north of the city of Napa and is planted to 90 acres of vineyards. A unique terroir and ideal microclimate support a classical standard of viticulture, land use, and winemaking that is as relevant today as it was over a century ago.


The Stags’ Leap name originated in the late 1880s with the founding Chase family, and is attributed to a native Wappo legend of a stag leaping to escape hunters. The mountains behind the property on the eastern side came to be known as the Stags Leap Palisades.


The Stags Leap Palisades are the most prominent geographical feature in the area and are part of the Vaca Range that stretches along the eastern side of Napa Valley. Erosion from the palisades is the source of the volcanic soil acknowledged as a contributing factor to the modern reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon in the Stags Leap District.


From the hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit to the oak barrels aging in caves carved out of the solid rock of the mountain, our winemaking methods are time-honored and simple. Our goal is to convey the essence of this world-class terroir from the grape to the glass, to create handcrafted wines that tell an authentic story of the land on which they are grown.