Lot Overview
- Region: 99% Stags Leap District, 1% Oakville (northern corner, off Silverado Trail)
- Vintage: 2023
- Varietal: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
- Oak Aging: ~80% new French oak
- Alcohol: 14.6%
- Cases Available: 200
- Cam Price: ~$16.50/bottle ($199/case)
- Retail Estimate: $100–125/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: Cliff Lede Vineyards — Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
- Wine Berserkers Guess: Cliff Lede Vineyards
- Drink Window: 2027–2042 (peak 2030–2038)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Sourced from an estate vineyard and winery in the northern reaches of the Stags Leap appellation just off the Silverado Trail — no-expense-spared production including a state-of-the-art winery, ~80% new French oak and a well over $100/bottle price point. Tight NDA, can’t say much more. Fairly confident this is their final bottling blend.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby, almost opaque with a hint of purple around the rim. Gorgeous bouquet explodes out of the glass with juicy blackberry, black cherry, graphite, cedar and a kiss of chocolate/espresso. Elegant yet powerful — classic iron-fist-velvet-glove Stags Leap Cab with a fleshy, ripe mid-palate structure supporting a sumptuous array of black and red fruits that unfurl in resounding waves in a long, persistent finish supported on graphite and mineral-laced tannins with a kiss of cocoa powder. Beautifully integrated and perfectly saturated with tremendous finesse throughout.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status: Just bottled August 28th. Allow minimum 12–18 months.
Claude’s Source Guess: Cliff Lede Vineyards — Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
Cliff Lede’s estate sits in the northern corner of the Stags Leap District directly on the Silverado Trail — matching Cam’s “northern reaches of Stags Leap just off the Silverado Trail” with geographic precision. Their 25,000 square foot gravity-flow winery and cave system, completed in 2005 and designed by Howard Backen, is one of Napa’s most celebrated “state-of-the-art” facilities — exactly the descriptor Cam uses. Their Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon retails at $100–125, fitting Cam’s “well over $100/bottle” tier, while their flagship Poetry Cab is $175+.
Cliff Lede is also the identified source for Lot 9 (their inaugural High Fidelity Carneros Chardonnay), confirming an established supply relationship with Cam across multiple programs. The 91% Cab/6% PV/3% CF blend composition is consistent with Cliff Lede’s known Stags Leap District blend profile. The tight NDA is typical for Cliff Lede’s négociant arrangements.
✅ Confidence: High — “northern corner of Stags Leap on the Silverado Trail” is precise geographic match, state-of-the-art winery confirmed, $100–125 price tier confirmed, and Cliff Lede already identified as CAM X source in Lot 9.
Drink Window
Early: 2027 — 14.6% alc and 80% new oak need 2–3 years minimum.
Peak: 2030–2038. Stags Leap District Cab at this quality tier typically peaks 7–15 years from vintage.
Hold: 2042. The structure and pedigree support nearly two decades.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2027–2042 (peak 2030–2038)