Marchesi Antinori acquires iconic Napa Valley's Stag’s Leap

• Marchesi Antinori has taken full ownership of Napa Valley’s iconic winery Stag’s Leap.
• Stag’s Leap laid the foundation for the emergence of cult wines after winning the Judgement of Paris in 1976.
• Antinori’s innovations in the ‘Super Tuscan’ revolution of the 1970s and recent acquisition of Stag’s Leap position both for continued success in the fine wine investment market.

Marchesi Antinori, one of the oldest and largest wine companies in the world, has gained full ownership of the iconic Napa Valley estate Stag’s Leap. Wine Spectator has reported that the current sale includes ‘the winery, the brand and inventory, and close to 300 acres of Napa vines, including the Fay and S.L.V. vineyards’.

Antinori has held a minority stake in Stag’s Leap since 2007, when Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased it from founder Warren Winiarksi.

Some of the most prominent wineries owned by Antinori include the Super Tuscan Tignanello and Guado al Tasso, as well as Antica Napa Valley.

Stag’s Leap performance

Stag’s Leap was among the pioneering Californian wineries that laid the foundation for the emergence of cult brands.

It was its S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 – the winery’s second vintage, and first produced at the estate and in commercial quantities – that won the Judgement of Paris in 1976. Stag’s Leap put Californian wine on the map by winning over its French competitors, which included the First Growths Château Mouton Rothschild 1970 and Château Haut-Brion 1970.

In the fine wine market, demand for Stag’s Leap has grown considerably over the last decade, with prices for its Cask 23 increasing 59% and for S.L.V. – up 61% on average.

The brand has been helped by the relative value for money it offers compared to other Californian ‘cult wines’. The average price per point for S.L.V., for instance, is just £19, compared to £472 for Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2014 vintage has enjoyed particularly strong price performance. Stag’s Leap S.L.V. is up 80.5% since release. Cask 23 has risen 77.4% over the past two years, placing it among some of California’s biggest risers.

Antinori’s overarching impact

If Stag’s Leap has greatly contributed to the emergence of California’s cult wines, Antinori’s innovations played a large part in the ‘Super Tuscan’ revolution of the 1970s. Both have managed to re-define ‘fine wine’ outside the confines of Bordeaux, in USA and Italy respectively.

With history that can be traced back to 1385, Antinori has been one of the most successful wine companies. Its Tignanello ranked as the 49^th most powerful wine brand in the world, due to high trade volume and value. Liv-ex noted that it was helped by the remarkable value for money it offers being ‘the cheapest Italian wine in the top 100, with an average case price of £1,076’.

While it is yet to be seen how the full acquisition of Stag’s Leap will play out, it seems like both Antinori and Stag’s Leap are poised for continued success and reaching new heights in the fine wine market.

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