Premiere Napa Valley Live Auction

Highlights

• Ne Cede Malis
• Wines: 6 – Stags’ Leap Winery, 2010 – 2015 Petite Sirah, Ne Cede Malis, Stags Leap District, 750ml (Standard)
• 750ml

Description

Ne Cede Malis (Latin for “don’t give in to misfortune” and pronounced Nay KAY-deh Mah-lees) was the family motto of Stags’ Leap founder Horace Chase and a befitting moniker for this southern Rhïne-style wine. The old-field-blend vineyard, first planted in 1929, has survived various bears and bulls but somehow continues to give a small crop of grapes with concentrated aromas, flavors and the telltale Stags’ Leap firm-but-soft structure. Ne Cede Malis, sourced from the oldest block on the estate, is predominantly Petite Sirah, though it includes at least 15 other varieties in small amounts. Year after year, this gracefully aging block produces a small lot of wine—a truly unique field blend that simply could not be produced anywhere else. Taking a minimalist approach, winemaker Christophe Paubert likes to say that he “guides” rather than “makes” Ne Cede Malis. The carefully tended head-trained vines in this 5-acre single block include Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Peloursin, Syrah and even Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc, among others. After handpicking, the grapes were co-fermented, undergoing a short maceration prior to aging in American oak barrels (30% new) for 14 months. The oak’s spiciness, which could overwhelm a delicate wine, is easily handled and helps enhance the strength and depth of this powerful variety. You can experience the phenomenon of Ne Cede Malis yourself, as this lot includes a six-year vertical of six standard bottles each of the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 vintages.

Wine Facts

• Single vineyard wine
• Wine was dry farmed
• Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled