In the hierarchy of California vineyards, how does the Stagecoach Vineyard rate? Thanks.
It’s pretty high up there.
You can get single vineyard Stagecoach wines for ~$40, there aren’t a lot of other single vineyard Napa wines for that price, so as it goes for single vineyard designates it’s at the bottom price wise. If a wine is sourced from there the marketing team makes sure you know it.
However, I’ve never had a Stagecoach wine that I really liked, could be the vineyard or could be the winemaker.
Stagecoach is a vineyard from which Crushpad sources grapes. I don’t know much about Stagecoach at all, but every time I hear Stagecoach, my first thought is that it’s a Crushpad wine.
Good Syrah
Surprised to hear it downplayed. If I see a 100% stagecoach wine, I expect 100 bucks or better, e.g. Alpha Omega Cab.
Stagecoach is the source for many wonderful wines and is such a massive vineyard it literally crosses about 3-4 AVAs. Moving South to North. Atlas Peak, Oak Knoll, Stag’s Leap and although not an AVA Pritchard Hill. Pott, Keplinger, Paul Hobbs, Kale Wines, and many more outstanding producers source fruit from the vineyard.
Pahlmeyer has been one of the longest standing clients of the vineyard and year in and year out the fruit is some of the best we see in our cellar. We take a number of the Pritchard Hill blocks.
Below is a link a neat map of the vineyard.
http://www.stagecoachvineyard.com/vineyards/bordeaux_region and another here http://www.stagecoachvineyard.com/images/2012.08.17_Stagecoach_block_map_legal_size.pdf
The vineyard is so massive it could have its own AVA.
Here is a listing of all the wineries using the fruit.
I have had some great wines from Stagecoach Vineyard, both Cabernet & Syrah.What I am on the fence about if certain vineyard designate wines merit any additional monies because of such. Everyone want to be the next ToKalon I guess, but one things remains, great wines is great wine.
Jean Edwards does a good job with the fruit in their Cabs. Their 2004 is pretty awesome.
12/31/2012 rated 94 points: Pretty nose of ripe black cassis, anise and cardamom. Did I say pretty?
Palate shows a super expressive, quietly elegant Napa Cabernet with tons of finesse and structure. Tannins seem nicely resolved and complicated. Overall balance is perfect. A contemplative wine that makes you want to just sit and enjoy; when you do you will find layer upon layer of all things Cab-good; I get some soft pillowy gushy blackberries, plum and cedar with a hint of rubber leather. The black fruits just ride the full distance and remain in play for a minute plus, beckoning you back. I know Karen is proud of this one and rightfully so. Great job and I could not think of a better way to end my 2012 than with a pleasing classy Napa Cabernet from Stagecoach vineyard made by passionate people.
It is absolutely gigantic, which is probably why Crushpad gets some. When I think of it, I think Krupp Brothers, whose M5 cab is incredible, as well as Jean Edwards and Paul Hobbs. The Syrah from Krupp is very interesting as well. I imagine that there are better and worse parts of the vineyard, seeing as it is roughly the size of New Jersey.
Almost 2 square miles in area.
Had a 2011 Alpha Omega Stagecoach Vineyard Cab recently and it is the best 2011 Cali wine thus far for me. Super good wine. It would surpass a lot of 2010 California Cab wines for me…
For AO, i prefer the To-Kalon (north and south) much more than the Stagecoach… so if you buy them all, then sure, but if you only get a few, i’d get the TK
If the word on the street is that Pritchard Hill had an amazing 2011, I guess it would only be natural that just a bit further south had a good season as well.
Mike and Dusty - thank you for your kind words about our wine!
We have sourced from Stagecoach since 2004 and our block is located in the Pritchard Hill region of the vineyard (which is a sweet spot). With over 700 planted acres hard to generalize about the wines coming from this vineyard - there are many micro-climates, some blocks are newer so age of vines is a consideration along with so many winemaking styles. The fruit goes to many producers (at all levels of the business) and the price/ton varies quite a bit based on block. There had been a waiting list for cabernet fruit - don’t know if this is still true.
Based on what we have tasted thus far, I would concur on 2011 cabs coming from the Pritchard Hill region - delicious.
BTW Crushpad is no longer in business.
We haven’t had the '11s but, tasting through the '10s at the winery, my wife and I both preferred the AO Stagecoach to their two ToKalon cabs.
Stagecoach IS huge and planted to a diverse selection of grapes sold to many different wineries, several that vineyard designate. From what I have tasted from there, made by winemakers I follow, have been very good. Please don’t get me started on Crushpad, or its ilk.
I’m surprised that anyone would attach a negative connotation to Stagecoach. As others have said it is so frigging huge that crushpad getting some grapes years back really is of little relevance. Crushpad got To-Kalon fruit too.
Anyway, I tend to rate it below a few other vineyards like To-Kalon, but that is perhaps because so many different wines come from Stagecoach that they’ll have a hard time ever being universally great. But I’ve had examples, made by various producers that were fantastic, so in the hands of the right person I think it has great potential. Most are cabs, but I liked some of the earlier Krupp Brothers syrah too.
On that note, has anyone tried the Decades 5 100% petit verdot from Stagecoach? The pricepoint doesn’t make for a blind experiment, but Jean Hoefliger is listed as the consulting winemaker. There are so few excellent 100% P.V.
I had tasted the '09s so maybe it’s a vintage difference… but wife/i bought the to-kalon for 09 (and 10 for that matter) 
Could be. Palates differ, too, of course. I think we both liked the Stagecoach and the GIII best, among the single vineyard cabs. I was a little surprised, actually. That said, they were all quite good.