CASK 23 2023

First released with the 1974 vintage, Cask 23 was born under the guidance of consulting winemaker André Tchelistcheff. While tasting through the barrels from S.L.V. Vineyard, Tchelistcheff identified one cask so extraordinary that it was bottled on its own and named after the barrel itself–Cask 23. Initially produced only in the finest vintages, the wine evolved in 1990, when FAY Vineyard was introduced as a standalone bottling and Cask 23 became a blend, designed to deliver a more balanced, harmonious expression of the vintage itself. In 2023, the blend comprises 70% FAY and 30% S.L.V., both estate vineyards in the Stags Leap District. Fermented entirely in stainless steel and aged for 21 months in 100% new French oak, this is a wine of considerable power, yet never overbearing. It is the most tannic and robust of the lineup in 2023, offering a full-bodied palate layered with violet and rose petal aromatics, deeper cocoa-powder tannin intensity than the S.L.V., and beautifully polished, velvety tannins that build steadily through the finish.