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December 2017 WINES&VINES 33 THE BIGGEST AND BEST OF 2O17 what we're doing on Fortis," Eliason said. "We're seeing no slowdown on $100-plus, $150-plus Cabernets as well." Another sign of Cabernet Sauvignon's dominance was the purchase in March by E. & J. Gallo Winery of the Stagecoach Vineyard property in Napa Valley. At a cost of at least $180 million, according to Napa County records, the vineyard gives Gallo a secure long-term source of primarily Cabernet grapes to include in its Napa Valley brands such as Louis M. Martini, Orin Swift and William Hill. The 1,600-acre Atlas Peak prop- erty contains more than 600 acres of vineyards with a variety of soil depths and types, exposure and microclimates. Stagecoach already was supplying grapes to Martini and William Hill, as well as about 90 other wineries. Some of the clients are quite large, though many are boutique operations. More than 30 wineries use the Stagecoach name on their labels. Gallo has promised to fulfill existing contracts, but it was not clear how many of those wineries would eventually lose Stagecoach as a source. Another deal that highlighted the growing demand for Caber- net Sauvignon was Constellation Brands' purchase of Napa Val- ley cult Cabernet producer Schrader Cellars, announced in June. Schrader wines are sourced from premier vineyards of Napa Val- ley including the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. And since Constellation already owned the Robert Mondavi Winery and its portion of the To Kalon Vineyard, the deal suggested that Schrader could expand its production, if desired. Schrader's highly rated and limited-production wines are sold direct to consumer through a mailing list with an offering also available in fine dining restaurants. The collection joins Constellation's newly established fine wine organization, TRU Estates and Vineyards. Is there a chance Cabernet sales could go the way of Mer- lot? While Merlot grew relatively quickly in the 1990s and then trailed off in the 2000s, retailer Fisch believes Cabernet Sauvi- gnon is here for the long haul. "I don't see it going away any time soon. Not for domestic wines. The way Americans eat, even if they're going to lighter foods, they still want Cabernet." E. & J. Gallo Winery announced the purchase of Stagecoach Vineyard in March.