91
Pts
Tasting notes
Inky in color, this distinctive Cabernet sends a sweet floral note before revealing deep aromas of black currant, cassis and cherry cola layered with hints of tobacco, spice and graphite. On the palate, flavors of concentrated black fruit underlain with minerality are accented with notes of cedarwood, cocoa and mint. Complex and substantial in style with rich, polished tannins and persistent finish, this full-bodied, finely knit mountain Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to reveal itself over years and decades to come.
Technical information
Alcohol
14.9%
Winemaking
After careful vineyard selection, the grapes were harvested in the early hours of the morning and brought straight to the winery. After being optically sorted in the brand new Sterling Reserve Winery, the fruit was split between stainless steel tanks (62%) and concrete tanks (38%) for added complexity and fermentation precision. After some time on skins, the wines aged in 90% French oak barrels and 10% Hungarian oak barrels, at 81% new oak. After 18 months of aging, each barrel was selected for brilliant fruit, fine tannins, and best expression of Clairmore Vineyard.
Vintage
The 2017 vintage in the Napa Valley was lower yielding but high in quality. The region enjoyed much needed rain during the winter months ending the drought, followed by a mild spring resulting in uniform flowering and fruit set. A variable summer was accentuated by a short period of warmer than usual temperatures during Labor Day weekend but the cooler weather that followed allowed sugar levels to return to normal and extend hang time for Cabernet Sauvignon. The lower yield of small-berried grapes resulted in wines that show tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and complexity. The grapes for the blend were harvested between 9/21 and 9/23/17.
Vineyard
Named after the owner who planted the vines in this exceptional location two decades ago, Clairmore Vineyard is the newest addition to Sterling’s single-vineyard collection. The vineyard is located high on the eastern mountain range of Napa Valley on the slopes of the Lake Hennessey basin amidst wild and rugged terrain of shale and red clay soils. For this inaugural vintage, clones 8 and 337 from Block 10 were selected contributing deep color, high-toned fruit and refined tannins to the wine.