Article: Warren Winiarski ponders his legacy.

The following article is from SFGate.com. It's a good read. It covers not only some of Warren Winiarski's thoughts and regrets, but it also, to my mind, fairly accurately reflects what has been happening to Napa's wine industry over the last 30 years.

After the leap: His celebrated winery sold, Warren Winiarski ponders his legacy - and his next move

Was it the 1973 Stag's Leap that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting? I always thought it was the 1974 vintage.

Was it the 1973 Stag's Leap that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting? I always thought it was the 1974 vintage.

1973 is what you find if you google for the Paris tasting.
/A

Thank you, Anders. Boy do I feel stupid - I guess I can stop holding my 1974 Cal Cabs.

Thank you, Anders. Boy do I feel stupid - I guess I can stop holding my 1974 Cal Cabs.

Jon,
'73 was an outstanding year in Napa, too, though it was overshadowed by the hype surrounding '74. Many people who's judgment I trust have stated that '73 had the potential to exceed the quality of '74 in the long term. Whether that's come to pass I can't say, as I haven't had enough from either year to judge. Regarding '74, I'd drunk up (assuming that you were serious). Many '74s started to show their age a decade or so ago. On a numerological note, has anyone else noticed the similarity of reaction to '74, '84 and '94 in Napa? All were proclaimed potential "year of the decade," all were abundantly fruity and forward, but lacking in structure when compared to nearby years ('73, '85/'87, '91) and all have begun to show some problems as they got older.

Mark Lipton

I confess that I only have a handful of 74s left (Mondavi mainly) and, yes, they are showing their age as you'd expect. In 1985 or '86, the guy that first got me interested in wine told me that it was the '74 that won the French competition so I set aside some 74s and finished my '73s! He was right about a lot of things, but not that.

Many '74s started to show their age a decade or so ago. On a numerological note, has anyone else noticed the similarity of reaction to '74, '84 and '94 in Napa? All were proclaimed potential "year of the decade," all were abundantly fruity and forward, but lacking in structure when compared to nearby years ('73, '85/'87, '91) and all have begun to show some problems as they got older.

Mark,
what 74s do you think have problems? The only ones I've tried in last few years were Mondavi Reserve and Mayacamas, both were excellent. John Gilman did a feature on 70s CalCabs in a recent View from the Cellar,of the 74s I think only the BV Latour did poorly (apparently bottled over time, with one batch not so good). Even some modest wines showed well. Mostly I see surprisingly youthful notes for 1974s.

They added some pictures to the original article. I downloaded the label from '73. Figured it'd be a nice touch.

wi_stag_leap_label.jpg

Mark,
what 74s do you think have problems? The only ones I've tried in last few years were Mondavi Reserve and Mayacamas, both were excellent. John Gilman did a feature on 70s CalCabs in a recent View from the Cellar,of the 74s I think only the BV Latour did poorly (apparently bottled over time, with one batch not so good). Even some modest wines showed well. Mostly I see surprisingly youthful notes for 1974s.

Dale,
It took me a while to locate the article I recalled, but it was a 25th anniversary tasting reported in CGCW v. 23, #12. Yes, the Mondavi, Caymus, Martha's, Monte Bello and Montelena all did well, but others -- BV, Diamond Creeks, Clos du Val, Mayacamas, Raymond, Spring Mountain, Cask 23 -- all showed signs of being over the hill, often because their tannins were going to (or had already) outlived the fruit.

Mark Lipton

The fall of the House of Mondavi was bad enough but now Stag's Leap? Thank goodness there are still plenty of non corporate wineries in Napa doing their thing and succeeding. I'd like to give a shout out to all the small family owned and operated wineries in Napa!

Many people who's judgment I trust have stated that '73 had the potential to exceed the quality of '74 in the long term.

A few years back, there was a big library release of the 1973 Chappellet [which I understood to have been Philip Togni's last vintage as winemaker].

There was, of course, some bottle variation, but I was lucky to be able to sample a few pristine bottles - and, to date, the 1973 Chappellet stands out as one of the best wines [maybe the best older red] I've ever had in my life.

Changes thus far have been minor: new French oak barrels, a grape sorter, a new planned visitor's center.

In the greater panoply of minor changes... NEW FRENCH OAK ?!?!?

That was good for a chuckle.

"There was no articulated sense of destiny," he continues, sounding much like the University of Chicago political science lecturer he once was...

1968: He helps pass legislation for Napa County's agricultural preserve...

1990: The Winiarskis help support the passage of Measure J to limit development in Napa County...

Wow, mercantilist to the core.

Well at least he's been consistent over the last half-century.