Cliff Lede Vineyards said it has bought three hectares (7.5 acres) of vineyard from the Andelin family in Napa Valley’s famous Stags Leap District American Viticultural Area (AVA).
It represents a rare opportunity for the winery, given that the purchased site lies adjacent to the eastern border of Cliff Lede’s Rhythm vineyard.
While Cliff Lede has farmed and leased the Andelin-owned vineyard site since the winery was founded in 2002, the prospect of ownership proved too good to miss.
‘We have been interested in maximising the potential of this site for quite some time and jumped at the opportunity to expand our Stags Leap District estate,’ said Jason Lede, general manager.
‘We intend to replant the vineyard with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, utilising the same level of precision farming and clonal selection of our neighbouring blocks, which have really impressed us in recent years.’
The Lede family recently sold its Savoy vineyard holdings in Anderson Valley further north in California, to further sharpen its focus on Napa Valley.
‘Growing and producing Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley is what we do best and it’s what we are most passionate about,’ said Jason Lede, chief operating officer and the son of the winery’s founder, Cliff.
After its latest purchase, the winery has more than 64.7 hectares (160 acres) of vineyards in Napa Valley, encompassing those in Stags Leap District plus also an 8.1-hectare site (20 acres) in Calistoga and a 35.2-hectare estate in Carneros, acquired in 2013 and 2020 respectively.
Decanter’s Jonathan Cristaldi recently gave a 100-point score to Cliff Lede’s ‘Poetry’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, upgrading the wine from 99 points after tasting it for a second time in late 2024.
Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Poetry 2021 is from an eponymous vineyard site also in Stags Leap District AVA.
‘This is precisely the tension-filled, youthful Napa Cabernet that restaurants should showcase to demonstrate the versatility and elegance of the region’s best wines in pairing with food,’ wrote Cristaldi.
News of Cliff Lede’s purchase follows Antinori’s announcement that its Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars winery has bought Arcadia vineyard in the Coombsville AVA, reuniting two properties once owned by the late, great winemaker Warren Winiarski.
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Source : https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/california-wine-region/napa-valleys-cliff-lede-seizes-chance-to-buy-prime-vineyard-552607/
