Poetry Vineyard is a steep, southwest-facing, hillside vineyard that reaches from the highest elevation in the Stags Leap District down to the Silverado Trail.
Made up of a combination of shallow, volcanic soils on top of fractured shale, this vineyard receives plenty of sunshine and is the source for the winery’s flagship Cabernet, Sauvignon, Poetry. The vineyards on the valley floor surrounding the tasting room and the winery are referred to
as Twin Peaks Ranch. The soil is predominantly gravelly loam, and the vines are planted to red Bordeaux
varieties. This property forms the backbone of the Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.
The state-of-the-art winery, designed by Howard Backen, combines time-tested techniques with innovative technology.
It features a Pellenc optical sorting machine, which sorts grapes based upon quality settings
established by the winemaker.
Following an additional hand-sort, a unique crane system gently gravity delivers
the berries to tanks for fermentation, allowing for minimal processing of the fruit. In addition, Lede
commissioned American tank manufacturer Mueller to recreate distinctive truncated tanks similar to those at Château Latour, tapered to allow for a higher skin-to-juice ratio, resulting in greater complexity and a deeper concentration of flavors in the wine.