Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 13,5% abv; 5,8g/l acidity; Cab Sauv 94% Merlot 6%; 16 months in French oak 57% new; 37% grapes come from SL's own vineyards, the rest are bought; 38,90€ at our monopoly Alko.
Seeing any American wines apart from the jug wine category here is rare, so I was happy to get to taste this famous winery's wine. But I don't really know what to think of it. It was poured just after opening without decanting and it changed rapidly in the glass. The first few minutes were very pleasant with a lifted Cabernet aroma with a pleasant herbaceous touch countering the sweet, red cherry aromas. The palate was unashamedly sweet and fruit forward, again with my associations going more toward red cherry than darker fruit flavors. Soft tannins but rather bright acidity so it was refreshing despite the sweetness. In fact it seemed like wine that would be easy to drink with a meal - rather different from the stereotypical view one easily gets of American wines (i.e. that they would all be massive, cocktail wines and too heavy to have with food).
But - you just knew there was going to be one! - it became oaky and toasty, obliterating all the fun, lively aromas it had had when just opened. Why is it so often that the first few minutes can be so wonderful and vibrant and then wines show only oak? Which side of the wine should I believe when it comes to wondering how it will turn out?
But all was not lost yet. I came back to this glass 15mins later and it had morphed once again, this time into an almost Pauillacian wine with its dark fruit, baked bean, lifted and very slightly and pleasantly green aromas - I shocked myself with my association: Pichon Lalande! Though the palate was still much sweeter than any Bordeaux I've had.
I hate having only 20mins to taste a wine (and even more not having any food with it) - it's like judging someone's character only having shook their hand and saying how do you do. So what do you who know Californians think of Stag's Leap? I'm assuming the schizophrenic character I noted is due to youth and insufficient time open. But which side is more true of the wine: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? I have no idea whether I like it or not.
-O