93
Pts
Tasting notes
The clarity of crimson red hues in the 2017 Calistoga Cabernet leads to open, appealing aromas of bright cherry and wild berry fruit sweetened with notes of cinnamon and cardamom. On the palate, flavors of black cherry, black currant and Kirsch accented with notes of vanilla, caramel and mint coat the mouth with velvety, cocoa-dusted tannins, the juicy acidity lifting the fruit for a lingering finish.
Technical information
Appellation
Calistoga
Oak treatment
French, American and Hungarian Oak (65% new) for 18 months
Alcohol
14.9%
Winemaking
Fruit is hand-harvested in the cool early dawn hours and brought to the winery where the bunches are destemmed and berries sorted with precision through an optical sorter that selects only the highest quality fruit for fermentation in stainless tanks and French Oak puncheons. Extended maceration for two weeks with regular pump-overs to extracted deep color and rich flavors. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 18 months in small oak barrels (65% new) from a variety of French, American and Hungarian coopers to add complexity prior to bottling. The toast level on the barrels enhances the structure of the wine and balances the fruit’s inherent ripeness. This expression is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vintage
The 2017 vintage in the Napa Valley was smaller 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 hangtime 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 this wine were harvested between September 18-27.
Vineyard
The fruit for Sterling Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced principally from the well-drained, gravelly loam of our Estate Vineyards in Calistoga Bear Flats and BV Ranch No. 12, with a smaller amount coming from Frediani Vineyard to add a layer of complexity to the wine. In these Calistoga vineyards, warm days cool down significantly at night by marine air and fog flowing in from Calistoga’s northwest corridor through the Chalk Hill Gap, as well as from nighttime slippage of cold air from the steep slopes and canyons on both sides of the valley. These diurnal temperature swings slow down ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon to preserve freshness and exceptional balance in the fruit.