Staglin Family Vineyard

Founded by Garen and Shari Staglin in 1985, Staglin Family Vineyard continues to produce premium Napa cabernet sauvignon, cementing its legacy within the valley. Its vineyard is located on historic land with winemaking roots dating back to the mid-1860s. Surrounded by Mount St. John, the tallest mountain in the Mayacamas Range, the vineyard's gravelly brownish soil provides excellent drainage for the cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, and cabernet franc vines across the land.

Numerous legendary winemaking figures, including David Abreu, Andre Tchelistcheff, and Bob Levy, have lent their talents to Staglin. Today, Fredrik Johansson— former apprentice to Thomas Rivers Brown of Schrader Cellars— oversees the estate's winemaking. Lauded by various critics, Johansson's incredible cabernet productions have earned a place amongst the estate's finest vintages.

Staglin Family Vineyard: Historic Napa Valley Land

In the heart of Rutherford lies Staglin Family Vineyard's base, filled with tremendous amounts of Napa Valley history. First purchased and owned by John Steckter, 367 acres were cleared, and a large house and barn were built in its place in 1863. John passed away forty years later, leaving his wife, Mary, to sell the land to Frank G. Manley, a mysterious gold and oil tycoon. After years of land passing through multiple hands, the Sullivan and de Latour family of Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) took over the vineyard in 1963, leaving famed winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff, to prune and watch over the land. While BV never used the land for their wines, it acted as an auxiliary vineyard and home to the legendary family. 

100 years after its winemaking origins, the Staglin family purchased the property and opened Staglin Family Vineyards. Both Garen and Shari developed a love of wine during their time at UCLA, and Garen, in particular, visited Napa Valley on numerous occasions while pursuing his master's degree at Stanford. He eventually became the CEO of Safelite, amassing a large net worth and the ability to open Staglin Family wine.

Staglin Wine Makes a Splash in Napa Valley

With a large 20-hectare vineyard on the base of Mount St. John, an alluvial fan of volcanic soils allows the 51 planted acres of vines to grow beautifully. Cabernet sauvignon is the main varietal planted on the land, though Staglin also has cabernet franc, petit verdot, and chardonnay on the vineyard, with additional sangiovese purchased. The soil on the land has been described as "bench land soils," containing gravel that provides excellent drainage for the vines. While chardonnay is not ideal for the terroir, it is Shari's favorite varietal, explaining why Staglin opted to grow the grape.

Underneath the steep Rutherford hills lies Staglin's winery, a 24,000 square foot facility in a natural underground cave. The space minimizes the environmental impact on the local ecosystem and provides perfect storage, cool temperature, and mild humidity for the wines. Thanks to these conditions, less electricity is used, and less wine is lost to evaporation.

Staglin Vineyards Winemaking

Staglin has farmed organically since its inception in 1985. The estate gained a CCOF certification in 2005, illustrating its commitment to organic and environmentally friendly winemaking standards. Each harvest, the grapes are picked in the cool, early mornings to preserve their natural freshness, acidity, and delicate flavors. After being sorted and destemmed, they are vinified in stainless steel tanks, concrete vats, and French oak barrels. Finally, the wine is aged in 90-100% new French oak barrels for 22-24 months. 

This process has paid off beautifully for Staglin throughout the past four decades, with extra elegance added on by some of Napa's top winemakers. Professionals like Luc Morlet, Bob Levy, Celia Welch, and Michel Rolland have all contributed their Midas touch to the wines from this vineyard. With consistent high ratings and a loyal support base, Staglin wine has remained at the top of Napa Valley's wine scene.

Staglin Cabernet Sauvignon

While Staglin produces six different labels, the estate cabernet sauvignon remains the flagship label, displaying the purest grapes from the vineyard and the incredible terroir. Celebrated for its deep, rich, and complex tastes, the wine is a favorite amongst Napa lovers and always offers the famed 'Rutherford dust' on the back of the palate.

The bottles have become a favorite of critics like Antonio Galloni and Jeb Dunnuck, each of whom regularly rates the bottle in the high 90s. When speaking about the 2011 vintage in his 2022 review, Galloni stated, "The grapes were picked in the cool, early mornings to preserve their natural freshness, acidity and delicate flavors." Similarly, Dunnuck rated the 2021 vintage a perfect 100-point score, calling it "The finest example of this estate I've ever tasted, a flat-out sensational effort."

Such high praise demands enthusiasts to try the bottle and compare their palates to world-famous critics. Browse our selection and add a bottle to your cellar today.