Stanton Wine - Reviews

Find out what experts and recent reviewers have to say about our wine!

Stanton Vineyard crew enjoying a light moment at our home wine cellar

Stanton Vineyards Napa Cabernet 2005 ($75)
The Wine Insiders: 93 Points

TASTES: "This is a truly remarkable wine! Big, bold and age-worthy with deep layers of fresh blackberry, and cherry with rich tones of cassis and licorice. A blend of approximately 5% Petit Sirah gives this beautiful creation a unique level of depth and smooth concentration we love. Bursting forth with ripe flavors to enjoy tonight but plenty of elegant, plush tannins that will keep this well "built" wine together as it ages gracefully for the next 5 - 7 years!"

PORTHOS INSIDER SCOOP: The Prisoner winery owner Dave Phinney hand crafts an extremely limited amount of this wine for his most loyal "Prisoner" fans.

PORTHOS The Wine Insiders
May, 2008

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2005 Stanton Vineyards Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep in the heart of New World Cabernet's epicenter, there's a trade tasting of all the Oakville wineries every April. This year, one of the biggest wow factors for us was Stanton's new 2005 Cab. A grape grower by trade, Doug Stanton brought some his best Oakville fruit to the brilliant Dave Phinney (Orin Swift), who turned around and made an astonishing wine. It is unquestionable pure liquid genius, a standout among standouts. Superlative, sexy, sinfully delicious, this one you reach for when something extra special is needed. $75.00

St. Helena Wine Center
2008

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BLOCKBUSTER CABERNET!
An amazing Cabernet that we would put up against the best of them!
Wine Room 98 points
2004 Stanton Vineyards
Oakville Cabernet

$74.99

LIMITED – Last 5 Cases!

Wine grower Doug Stanton has released his ’04 Oakville Cabernet, once again crafted by the very talented Dave Phinney. The ’04 is perhaps the tightest and most muscular offering to date; but once it opens up, there is no mistaking this dazzling wine for anything other than Stanton Vineyards Cabernet. Dark ruby in color, with a an initially massive nose, eventually begins to reveal layer after layer of exquisite scents, beginning with dense red currant, boysenberry and jammy raspberry, then comes a spectrum of plums that slides from red to black, ending with tones of black currant and cassis, all with Stanton’s unique spice box fingerprint of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, surrounded by sweet tobacco leaf, blood orange soufflé and just a hint of vanilla. On the palate it shows off its youthful acidity with perfectly integrated flavors and overall, the wine is superbly balanced, with incredibly fine, silky tannins. Give the wine a year or two to crack out of its shell (or some aggressive decanting) and enjoy it over the next couple of decades. From one of Napa’s top vineyards, comes one of Napa’s top wines, and a perennial staff favorite here. Only 328 cases produced.

The Wine Room
March 1, 2007

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Stanton Winery's Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

I can remember first experiencing Stanton Winery's Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon several years ago at an Oakville Cabernet tasting, where Stanton was placed against some of the most prestigious wineries from the area, like Dalle Valle, Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Opus One, Far Niente, and Rudd. Upon first taste I knew I had found an instant favorite, and I am extremely happy to say that their newly released 2004 vintage is no exception to the standard of quality I first found years ago. The Stanton family has been growing grapes in the valley for sixty years, and in 1971 the family planted 41 acres in Oakville, nestled in the Napa Valley, where ideal temperatures and sandy and loam soils produce rich, supple Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. In 1999 the family began selecting the best grapes for their own Stanton label, which has quickly gained a reputation as one of the preeminent Cabernet producers in the valley. For the exceptional 2004 vintage winemaker Dave Phinney has blended 7% Malbec from a few select rows and aged the wine in 100% new French Oak for twenty months. This full bodied vintage is loaded with dark currant-plum, vanilla, ripe cassis, blackberry, oak, blueberry, with a luscious long finish. Only 328 cases of this extraordinary vintage were produced, come get it while you can!!

2004 Stanton Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (328cs produced).............$79.95

California Wine Merchant
February, 2007

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2004 Stanton Vineyards Oakville Cabernet

Winemaker, Dave Phinney has become one of our favorite winemakers. The Stanton family has been growing grapes in Napa since 1947. In 1971 Doug Stanton’s father John planted grapes on 41 acres in Oakville on valley floor land that has gravelly, sandy clay and loam soils producing grapes of rich suppleness & texture. This `04 is comprised of 93 % Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 7% Malbec from a few select rows.

We poured this at a recent Friday Night Wine Tasting and sold every bottle we had. It was a staff favorite that night and one of the most talked about wines at the tasting. Full-bodied, luscious, rich and well-structured, loaded with ripe dark currant-plum fruit, vanilla and a touch of baking spices with a long rich finish.

Only 328 Cases Made.

$79.99

Wine Street
January, 2007

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STANTON CAB 2004

Last year at the Oakville tasting in Napa Valley I met owner Doug Stanton and told him he had one of the best wines in the room. I tasted Plumpjack, Dalla Valle, Opus One, Screaming Eagle & Joseph Phelp's Backus Vineyard, to name just a few. Doug's wine stood out as one of the best in the room. The Stanton family has been growing grapes since 1947, selling them to wineries who sell the finished wine for twice as much. Last year Doug hired Dave Phinney to make Stanton. This is one of the finest wines of the vintage. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Petit Verdot give this wine it’s intense flavors and aromas of dark berry, cedar, chocolate and toasty oak. Only 328 cases for the world. We have some, but not much. As I talk with my winemaker friends they all say that Doug grows some of the finest grapes Napa Valley. One visit and you’ll know what a nice guy Doug Stanton is. One taste and you’ll be a believer.

Red Carpet Wine
January, 2007

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California's Best of 2006

Stanton, 2003 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon -- $65 (188 cases)

STEVE PITCHER, Wine News
December/January 2006-07

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2004 Stanton Vineyards Petite-Sirah

An absolute brutal animal of a wine, black color, viscous, clings to the stemware like motor oil, this wine slooowly opened over the course of the evening, but was in serious need of 24hrs of air, I would have loved to have been able to save a little to try today, but the bottle was drained pretty quickly, my kind of monster (92-96pts)

MARK SQUIRES, eRobertParker.com
November, 2006

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2004 STANTON, Petite-Sirah, St. Helena, Napa Valley

In our never-ending mission to bring the venerable Petit Sirah grape back to its rightful place as one of California's most important varietals, we've unearthed a rare gem from a small producer many of you may already be familiar with. This estate-grown wine is made from a small Petit Sirah vineyard in St. Helena, "softened" (but not tamed!) by a small dose of Oakville Cab. It oozes deep black and red currant, dried cranberry, and spicy flavors in a hedonistic display of fruit. If you have any doubts, call us, and we'll talk you into it. Made by Dave Phinney of Orin Swift fame.

Groezinger Wine Merchants
September 2006

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Strap on your helmet; this stuff is stunning!
2004 Stanton Vineyards
Petite Sirah (St. Helena, Napa Valley)
Wine Room 97 points
$44.99 / bottle
Just Arrived - Limited!

Doug Stanton has just released his much anticipated first Petite Sirah! The color of liquid midnight, with an electric purple/red rim is nearly mesmerizing. Beautiful aromas of black fruits, blackberry jam, crème de cassis, and dark chocolate, with notes of rose, lilac and acacia flowers with brown spices flow from the glass. Pure and driven, with massive loads of fruit and spice with a long, long, sumptuous finish. This is a singular wine; certainly one of the most aromatically compelling Petites we’ve ever come across. Youthful and edgy, give it 6-12 months to integrate fully and then strap on your helmet! A tiny 212 cases produced from Stanton’s newest vineyard.

FRANK HANSON, JR., The Wine Room
September 15, 2006

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STANTON, PETITE SIRAH, ST. HELENA 2004 $45.00

This is the first release from Doug Stanton from his St. Helena Estate. You know about his Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon which has been a big hit at the Taste Of Oakville the past few years. But more about the Cabernet when the 2004 is released. This Petite Sirah is inky. Indigo is really more like it.. Give this wine at least 2 - 3 hours in a decanter and you’ll be very happy.

ACME Fine Wines
Early September 2006

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2003 Stanton Cabernet Sauvignon - Oakville ($69.95)

This beautifully elegant and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, handcrafted from a few specially selected rows in the family's Oakville vineyard, has intense flavors and aromas of dark berry, cedar, and powdered cocoa. Perfect for either savoring now or laying down for a few years, this small production wine is an indicator that the '03 vintage is coming out incredibly promising. I encourage all Oakville Cab lovers to try this one while still available. 188 cases produced.

Staff's favorites, California Wine Merchant
January 2006

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Wine Room Staff 96+ Points
Absolutely STUNNING!!!
2003 Stanton Family
Oakville Cab
$69.99 / bottle
Extremely Limited, In Stock

The Stantons have been growing and selling grapes in Napa since 1947 (Joseph Phelp's first late harvest Riesling came from a Stanton Vineyard in Yountville in 1975) and in 1971 John Stanton planted 41 acres in Oakville, which have been purchased by great Napa properties such as Richard Partridge and Delectus. Now Doug Stanton is at the helm, and he selects a few of the best rows every year to go into the family label.

The 2003 is every bit as elegant and complex as the 2002 was, and at the same time, a bit bigger. Like Sherwin Family and D.R. Stephens Estate, Stanton is all about finesse in the wine. Incredibly complex, the nose scintillates with a constantly shifting constellation of aromas, from deep red currants, to ripe raspberry, to crème de cassis, to plums all underlain with notes of sweet, leafy tobacco, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The mouth is seamless, complex, integrated and wonderfully balanced. Quite a feat considering the wines robust alcohol is at 14.9%, but Stanton manages to balance it with perfect ripeness, superb acidity and big, fully matured tannins.

JASON CARTER, The Wine Room
January 2006

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2003 STANTON, NAPA VALLEY $66

Doug Stanton hired Dave Phinney to take over his project at the end of 2002. He was a smart man. His first few vintages were tremendously successful with other winemakers, but bringing on Mr. Phinney, one of the best winemakers in the valley, was using his noggin. The Stanton family has been farming grapes for over 50 years selling them to wineries such as Joseph Phelps for their Insignia proprietary wine and to Opus One. Like many smart growers, Doug held back some fruit from the open market and decided to make his a few hundred cases under his own label. This vintage, unfortunately, is smaller than most since 1999, his first vintage. Only 188 cases of this 97% cabernet sauvignon, 7% petite verdot blend were produced. We never enjoy having to limit the number of bottles we can offer each individual, but in some cases we must. This is a 6 bottle maximum purchase offer per person.

ACME Fine Wines
January 2006

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2003 STANTON, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley-$65.00 (180 cases made)

Doug Stanton, vine guy, and David Phinney, wine guy, appear to have a great thing going here. Ever since we first introduced you to Doug back in '99, and Dave back in '00, they've been two of our most popular and reliable suppliers of crowd pleasing alcoholic beverages. Since '02 they've been working together, like peanut butter and jelly. You guessed it- ITS PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME once again with this release. In classic Phinney style, the wine is rich and super ripe, with a hint of Petit Verdot thrown in for good measure. Gargantuan Cab from the Oakville hillsides, this one shows, jammy black fruit accented with milk chocolate, sage, toasty oak, and hints of Petit Sirah like characteristics. A truly hand made micro production, the gently pressed juice is aged in French and American oak barrels, about two thirds of which are new, for about 22 months. Stanton's Cab disappears from our shelves faster and faster each year, so whether you're a long time fan or a curious newcomer, you'd better get it while it's hot. With a good decanting you can get into this one now, or cellar it for the next 5-8 years.

Groezinger Wine Merchants
January 2006

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2003 Stanton Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a great new vintage from this producer: the wine is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petite Verdot; only 188 cases were made from this single vineyard in Oakville. The Petite Verdot brings excellent deep color to the wine, and nice blackcurranty fruit. The wine is dark in the glass, exhibits classic Napa currant/cedar fruit, and finishes with a chewy mouthful of extracted berries and quality tannins. A super selection for the cellar----and should be at it's best from 5 to 12 years from now. The 2003 Stanton Cabernet Sauvignon is $65.00/bottle.

GEOFFREY SMITH, St. Helena Wine Merchants
January 2006

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Stanton Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2002
91 points | $65.00 | 250 cases made

Pushes ripeness to the edge of jammy, with zesty wild berry, plum and raspberry notes. Intense and concentrated, with ripe and integrated tannins, finishing with a burst of ripe fruit, smoky oak and a touch of heat. Best from 2006 through 2012.--J.L.

The Wine Spectator
February 2005

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