Elite Traveler Celebrates Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Beverly Hills

Elite Traveler and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars joined forces to share the story of its trailblazing Napa Valley red wines that took on the old-world producers with its Californian Cabernet Sauvignon and won.

A small selection of our high-net-worth readership enjoyed the summer sunshine on the Rodeo Terrace of the historic Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, where Stag's Leap Wine Cellars curated an extensive tasting of its most prestigious labels paired alongside a custom menu.

The event celebrated a bonified Napa Valley legend through the decades with a tasting of some of its best wines from the last 40 years.

The Rodeo Terrace of the historic Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel / ©BFA

The evening's theme was 'Experiencing a Napa Valley Legend Through the Decades' / ©BFA

The wines took guests on a journey through the decades of the Napa Valley winemaker / ©BFA

Marcus Notaro, head winemaker at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, speaks to guests / ©BFA

Leading the wine tasting was Stag's Leap Wine Cellar's head winemaker Marcus Notaro, who has almost 30 years of experience in red wine. Notaro joined Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in 2013 after developing his winemaking style in Washington.

Notaro's passion for Cabernet Sauvignon and his intricate understanding of its complexities shone through on an evening that included four of his favorite vintages from the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars collection. This included S.L.V Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from 1987, 1993, 2010 and 2021. It was the S.L.V. that originally catapulted Stag's Leap Wine Cellars into legend when its 1973 vintage beat the great Bordeaux houses in the Judgement of Paris in 1976.

Notaro manages the winemaking process from grape to bottle and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the individual parcels of land that make S.L.V. wines so special. The wines were paired with specially curated dishes that took guests on a journey through the decades that championed the best of Napa Valley produce.

To complement the night's exclusive festivities, the event also showcased a selection of haute jewelry from California-based jewelry designer, gemologist and goldsmith, Adam Neeley. Neeley has an esteemed reputation for crafting jewelry that is as innovative as it is exuberant, and guests were invited to try on some of his latest collection's most treasured pieces.

The S.L.V. 2021 was the youngest of the four wines on the night / ©BFA

Each wine was paired with a custom dish celebrating Napa Valley virtues / ©BFA

Gift bags with a copy of the Elite Traveler Spring issue were handed out on departure / ©BFA