Created by Nova Cadamatre, Master of Wine—the first female winemaker in the United States to earn the title—Fiadh Ruadh is her personal interpretation of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. After earning a degree in Viticulture from Cornell, working nearly a decade with some of Napa's most respected vineyards, and building the acclaimed Trestle Thirty One in New York's Finger Lakes, Nova expanded her vision with Fiadh Ruadh, pursuing a singular idea: Cabernet that speaks as clearly of place as it does of craftsmanship.
The project debuted with the 2018 vintage, sourcing exclusively from the volcanic soils of the Stags Leap District, where powerful structure meets remarkable elegance. The name Fiadh Ruadh—Gaelic for "wild red deer"—honors Nova's Scottish heritage while drawing inspiration from the legend behind Stags Leap itself, where a stag famously leapt across the cliffs to freedom. The red deer on every label represents independence, heritage, and the freedom to reinterpret a classic region through a deeply personal lens.
Production is intentionally small. Every vintage is sourced from exceptional vineyard sites, fermented with precision, and matured for approximately 22 months in 100% new Taransaud French oak, chosen to frame—not dominate—the fruit. The goal is never excess, but balance: wines with depth, refined tannins, and the structure to evolve gracefully for decades.
For Nova, Fiadh Ruadh is more than a Napa Cabernet. It's a statement that power and elegance don't have to compete—and that the vineyard should always have the loudest voice.
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