It was the blind tasting that shattered centuries of French dominance and put Napa Valley on the world’s wine map. Now, exactly 50 years later, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars—the estate whose 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon famously triumphed over France’s finest—is partnering with The Bastion Collection to bring that historic moment back to life. The result is an intimate, three-city dinner series at Le Jardinier restaurants, where legacy meets the plate.
In a blind tasting organized by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier, top French judges chose unknown California wines over Bordeaux’s and Burgundy’s most hallowed labels. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon took top honors for red wine, a victory that didn’t just win a competition—it redefined global perceptions of American wine. Now, half a century later, that same vineyard—the S.L.V. (Stag’s Leap Vineyards) estate—takes center stage once more.
A Dinner Series Worthy of the Anniversary
From May through early June, The Bastion Collection’s acclaimed chefs at Le Jardinier (known for its Michelin-starred, vegetable-forward artistry) have crafted an exclusive five-course menu designed to complement a rare vertical tasting of S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon. Attendees will be among the very first to taste the newly released 2023 vintage, poured alongside previous benchmark years.
Each dinner is hosted by Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ own winemaking team, offering guests unfiltered access to the minds behind the magic.
The lineup:
- New York City – Le Jardinier NYC
- Thursday, May 7 | 6:30–10 PM
- $295 per guest
- Hosted by Winemaker Marcus Notaro
- Book via OpenTable, Resy, or SevenRooms
- Miami – Le Jardinier Miami
- Thursday, May 14 | 6:30–10 PM
- $350 per guest
- Hosted by Marcus Notaro
- Link to book available via the restaurant’s website
- Houston – Le Jardinier MFAH (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston)
- Thursday, June 4 | 7–10 PM
- $400 per guest (excluding tax and tip)
- Hosted by Luis Contreras
More Than a Dinner
For Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the 50th anniversary isn’t just about looking back. Under the direction of Winemaker Marcus Notaro, the estate continues to balance richness and elegance, softness and structure—the very qualities that stunned French judges in 1976. The winery is rolling out a series of exclusive offerings and events this year, honoring its breakthrough moment while pushing Napa Valley toward its next chapter of innovation.
But there is something uniquely intimate about this dinner series. To sit inside a Le Jardinier dining room—where light, art, and gastronomy converge—and taste S.L.V. Cabernet from the same ground that changed wine history… that is not a tasting. That is a pilgrimage.
Spaces are limited. Reservations are available through OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms. For those who understand that great wine is bottled history, this is the spring’s unmissable seat at the table.
