Chimney Rock 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Napa Valley 750ml

Stags Leap District is Napa Valley's smallest and most acclaimed sub-appellation, and its name carries a genuine piece of local legend — quick, nimble stags were said to escape indigenous hunters through the landmark rock palisades that still overlook the district today. Wine didn't truly define the area until the mid-1970s, when a small blind tasting in Paris changed everything: a 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from the district (produced by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, a distinct neighboring winery) beat out top Bordeaux estates including Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion, sending international attention rushing toward this small stretch of the Silverado Trail almost overnight.

Chimney Rock was established in 1984, right in the heart of that momentum, with the specific goal of capturing what the estate calls "the dualities of power and grace and finesse and muscle" that define great Stags Leap District Cabernet. Now part of the Terlato Family portfolio, the winery is guided by winemaker Elizabeth Vianna, who crafted the 2022 vintage entirely from Chimney Rock's own estate parcels — a blend of 76.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.8% Merlot, 3.5% Petit Verdot, and 0.4% Malbec, aged in 50% new oak barrels.

One detailed professional tasting note found "a great nose of ripe red and black fruits, chocolaty wood, tobacco, and cedar pencils. A classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it's medium to full-bodied and has a round, plush mouthfeel and outstanding length," adding "I'd be thrilled to drink a bottle any time over the coming decade. It reminds me of the 2019. Hats off to winemaker Elizabeth Vianna for a brilliant classic cuvée in a challenging vintage." Joe Czerwinski's review found "peppery-clove spice notes and hints of hickory layered atop blackberries and black cherries," describing the wine as "full-bodied, velvety and slightly open-knit but nicely concentrated, ending long, with hints of vanilla oak," recommending a drinking window of 2025 through 2035. Wine.com's own tasting adds "aromas of wild blackberries, blueberries and herbs de Provence" on the nose, with a full-bodied palate showing "coffee beans, tobacco and cigar box." Retailer accounts converge on "sultry notes of cherry, tobacco, vanilla, and caramel with hints of dried sage," describing a wine "silky in texture" through the mid-palate, "with a backbone of very fine grain tannins and a long finish." This is a genuinely classic, estate-grown expression of one of Napa Valley's most storied and smallest sub-appellations.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Chimney Rock Winery was established in 1984 on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, Napa Valley's smallest and most celebrated sub-appellation. The winery is a Terlato Family property, guided by winemaker Elizabeth Vianna, whose stated goal is to capture the district's distinctive dual character of power and finesse in every bottle.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon comes entirely from Chimney Rock's own estate parcels within the Stags Leap District — a blend of 76.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.8% Merlot, 3.5% Petit Verdot, and 0.4% Malbec, aged in barrels comprising 50% new oak.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling 91 Points:
"The nose is lifted and fresh, with aromas of wild blackberries, blueberries and herbs de Provence. The palate is full-bodied with notes of coffee beans, tobacco and cigar box. Drinkable now, but best from 2028."

Robert Parker 92 Points, (described by Joe Czerwinski):
"A blend of 76.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.8% Merlot, 3.5% Petit Verdot and 0.4% Malbec, Chimney Rock's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown Stags Leap District offers up some peppery-clove spice notes and hints of hickory layered atop blackberries and black cherries. It's full-bodied, velvety and slightly open-knit but nicely concentrated, ending long, with hints of vanilla oak." Drink dates 2025-2035.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Bright blackberries, black currant, and blueberries lead, joined by savory herbal notes reminiscent of herbes de Provence, alongside ripe red and black fruits, chocolaty wood, tobacco, and cedar pencils.

Palate
Full-bodied, velvety, and nicely concentrated, with peppery-clove spice and hints of hickory layered atop blackberries and black cherries. Sultry cherry, tobacco, vanilla, and caramel notes carry through, with dried sage and coffee bean adding complexity, framed by fine-grain tannins and a round, plush mouthfeel.

Finish
Long and outstanding, closing with hints of vanilla oak and cigar box — a genuinely classic, structured close built for extended cellaring.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Aged hard cheeses
• Rich, savory braises
• Dark chocolate desserts