Sterling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Calistoga Napa Valley 2016
Oh MAN! CHECK this out: our office/warehouse in Napa is quite close to Sterling’s warehouse. So we wandered over with a supreme pizza and a couple bottles of Sancerre one day and bribed our way into a little warehouse tour. GUESS WHAT WE FOUND?!
93 POINTS, Calistoga Reserve (we didn’t even know this WAS a thing), from the breathtaking ‘16 vintage here, and man all it took was bringing lunch over. 54% OFF “regular” retail - seriously the best price anywhere is like $78. Did you see ours?? The mind reels.
Cabernet people! Colossal no-brainer time, while we have it (not as much as normal…) at this price. What’s it like? Sourced from the coveted Frediani Vineyard and Bear Flats Vineyards in Calistoga, where it’s a bit warmer, you can WATCH the aroma fill your room (OK, I can, at the moment, anyway) with ripe berries, black cherry, caramel, candied roses, lavender, cedar, clove, blueberry…rich and soul-warming, toasty, and terrifyingly easy to drink. At this price? Sterling Reserve? We won’t say another word…there’s not enough!
A royal shade of purple leads to a plush, generous, mouth-filling wine with aromas and flavors of red fruits alongside ripe wild blackberries, cola, a touch of maple syrup and caramel. Velvety tannins with evident oak spice and vanilla lead to a lingering finish. Enjoy today, with the likelihood the wine will grow ever more complex over the next five years.
Winter rains helped signal the end of the immediate drought, but vineyards had grown stressed after multiple challenging years, resulting in modest yields for the season. A dry January was followed by a wet February, and temperatures remained mild, encouraging an early bud break to begin the growing season. Showers arrived in April, slowing the rapid advance of flowering and set. Harvest for this Calistoga Cabernet was a quick affair, beginning September 22 and ending just two days later on September 24.
Technical Details
Country: United StatesRegion: California
Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard: Frediani and Bear Flats Vineyards
Winemaker: Harry Hansen
Alcohol: 14.80%
About The Producer
Perched 300 feet above the town of Calistoga, Sterling Vineyards offers panoramic views of Napa Valley. An aerial tram carries visitors up the hill to the winery, whose architecture was modeled after that of the Greek island of Mykonos, where Sterling founder Peter Newton once lived. The brilliant white stucco stands out dramatically against the rugged Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges that flank each side of Napa Valley. Mount Saint Helena makes a lovely distant backdrop. The winery’s towers house eight bells from London’s Church of St. Dunstan’s-in-the-East, originally founded in the 10th century. The church was destroyed by fire in 1666, rebuilt, then destroyed again during the bombing of WWII. Each time, new bells were recast from the old metal to give them superior tonal quality. The rich tolling of these ancient bells sounds down through the valley on the quarter hour. Walkways, balconies, and motion-sensitive DVD screens allow guests to take a self-guided tour of Sterling Vineyards’ winemaking facilities. Beautiful outdoor terraces and elegant tasting rooms provide the perfect environment to enjoy exceptional wines while taking in the view. The extraordinary Mediterranean-style architecture, unique aerial tramway, stunning location, historic bells, and attention to visitors make Sterling Vineyards a top destination in Napa Valley.
Pairing Suggestions
Beef, Lamb, Poultry, Game, Mature and Hard Cheese
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