Venge’s 2022 Annapurna Vineyard Cabernet comes from just four acres in the Stags Leap District, at the intersection of Yountville Cross Road and the Silverado Trail. The Cabernet vines are more than 25 years old, and Kirk Venge bottles the site as 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is Stags Leap brought into remarkably tight focus: one vineyard, one variety. Annapurna sits squarely in the climatic push and pull that defines Stags Leap. The Palisades warm the vineyards during the day, while the surrounding hills channel cool marine air through the district as evening approaches. That daily swing helps Cabernet build ripeness while preserving acidity, giving Annapurna the plushness and energy Venge identifies with the district. The winemaking is built to keep that vineyard character front and center. Venge harvests in the cool morning hours, whole-berry destems, cold soaks, then ferments with native yeast in open-top fermenters before aging the wine in French oak. It is bottled unfiltered. At $49.99 against a $125 retail reference, this is a serious single-vineyard Stags Leap Cab at a price that is very difficult to ignore.