Country :
Verify you are of legal drinking age.
2018 Sterling Vineyards Iridium Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Description
Description
Iridium is one of the rarest elements on earth. A very constrained and expensive resource, Iridium's uniqueness makes it incredibly valuable. Like the element, the Sterling Vineyards Iridium Cabernet Sauvignon is treasured. Made in only the very best vintages with the finest and most intense expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Iridium is the pinnacle of winemaking perfection.
Wine & Vintage Details
Wine & Vintage Details
Tasting Notes
True to its namesake, one of the rarest elements on earth, the fifth vintage of Iridium is unique and treasured. Crafted with the finest, most expressive Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has to offer, Iridium is the pinnacle of winemaking perfection. Bold and opulent, lush and seductively colored in deep, garnet-purple hues, the 2018 Iridium is full-bodied and beautifully structured. Dark fruits led by black cherry, ripe plums and black currants join notes of dark chocolate, blueberries, caramel and hints of oak spice. Framed by plush tannins, and a solid acidic backbone, this wonderfully focused wine leaves you with a memorable, pleasurable finish. Precious and rare, the wine is enjoyable now, and sure to reveal itself over the next two decades
Vintage
A near perfect season, welcomed after several tense vintages, began with abundant February rains followed by drying sun and weather that allowed for even flowering and bud break. The slightly later start was followed by consistently ideal weather. It turned a bit cool in August, mild in September, allowing fruit to evolve. Patience and careful attention to the vineyard was rewarded with fruit of excellent ripeness, well balanced tannins and complexity. Generally, normal to heavier fruit clusters were evident on the vine with great flavor intensity. On average, pick dates were two weeks later than normal.
Vineyard & Winemaking Details
Vineyard & Winemaking Details
Napa Valley AVA
Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon is the signature variety of the Napa Valley and the appellation excels in producing outstanding expressions of this admired varietal. Napa Valley offers an ideal combination of topography, geology and climate that enables Cabernet Sauvignon to reach optimum ripeness, balance and finesse. And within the valley, there are exceptional vineyards and sub-appellations that produce some of the finest expressions of this noble grape. In Vintage 2018, notable lots were chosen from Napa Valley’s Clairmore Vineyard and Diamond Mountain’s Peterson Ranch to create this exquisite wine.
Iridium fruit is hand-harvested and hand-sorted, selecting only the highest quality grapes for fermentation in 100% stainless tanks. In 2018, fermentation continued up to 27 days with regular pump-overs to extract deep color and rich flavors. The wines were then gently pressed, and aged for 18 months in barrel with occasional rackings to improve clarity and purity of expression. The cooper mix is 83% new with mainly French with a few Hungarian oak selections, and includes Gamba, Remond, Taransaud, and Quintessence, with medium and medium plus toast. The full selection of wines are tasted frequently before the final selection of the most compelling lots, and individual barrel selection occurs in the cellar, in a tasting that seeks out exceptional fruit with great flavor intensity, velvety tannins and a sense of balance, best described as “little drops of heaven.”
| Alcohol % | 14.9% |
|---|---|
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
| pH | 3.77 |
| Blend | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Login or Register
Login
OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT
Sign up below for faster checkout.
For your protection, we require "strong" passwords:
- Minimum 8 characters
- At least 1 upper case letter
- At least 1 lower case letter
- At least 1 symbol (~!@#$%^&*)
- At least 1 number
Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio
To create a better experience for you across all of our brands, we’ll check this info with accounts across the Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio of brands: Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard, Etude, Hewitt Vineyard, Stags' Leap, Sterling, Penfolds, and The Wine Shop.
Sign Up
CREATE AN ACCOUNT
Welcome, !
Thanks for creating an account.
Request received.
Success! An email has been sent to your inbox with a link to reset your password