Stag’s Leap 1973 achieves new record auction price
A bottle of Stags Leap 1973, the wine that won the Judgment of Paris fifty years ago and put California on the fine wine map, has achieved a new world record, selling for more than five times its low estimate.
A bottle of the “legendary” 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap achieved US$22,500 against an estimate of US$4,000 – 6,000. It was the centrepiece of Christie’s online auction which featured 50 lots from the winery’s reserve cellar, showcasing its “pioneering legacy and its enduring influence on the world of fine wine,” Christie’s said.
The wine was made by Warren Winiarski, and became one of America’s iconic wines after outscoring some of France’s greatest red wines at the historic blind tasting. The event, organised by Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher saw nine esteemed French judges evaluate top reds and whites from France and California without knowing their origins, with California’s win sending shockwaves through the industry.
Juan Muñoz-Oca, estates director at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars called the result “a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of the 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon” and the vision of Stag’s Leap’s founder, Warren Winiarski.
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“Fifty years after the Judgment of Paris, it’s remarkable to see this historic moment and the wine at the centre of it continue to captivate collectors and reaffirm Napa Valley’s place among the world’s great winegrowing regions,” he said. He had previously said the sale marked some “of the most significant releases from our library cellar”.
Chris Munro, head of wine America at Christie’s said Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars holds “a singular place in the history of American wine” and the 1973 deserved its place “at the top table with the worlds iconic wines” during the 50th anniversary year of the Judgment of Paris.
Other lots in the auction included a Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon Salmanazar, which was paired with a private visit to Napa with winemaker Marcus Notaro, a behind‑the‑scenes estate tour, tasting, and dinner (pre-sale estimate: US$4,000–5,000) and a selection of rare vintages of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon from 1978, 1977, 1975, and 1974. A rare vertical lot was also offered featuring 16 rare vintages, including the Judgment of Paris 50th Anniversary S.L.V. Magnum, of which only 1,973 were produced.
However a rare 1974–2023 vertical, which Munro had called an extraordinary testament to five decades of winemaking excellence” and a rare opportunity “for collectors to engage directly with the legacy that helped redefine Napa Valley’s global standing”, sold below the pre-sale estimate of US$4,000 – 6,000. Similarly a 55-bottle lot of mixed Stag’s Leap wines from 1974-2023 with an estimate of US$10,000 – 15,000 failed to sell.
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