93
Pts
Tasting notes
The deep red hues in the 2018 Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon lead to open, pleasing aromas of bright red fruits alongside wild blackberries sweetened with lingering notes of cinnamon and cardamom. On the palate, bold flavors of black cherry, black currant and cola are beautifully layered and balanced by soft notes of vanilla and caramel. Velvety, cocoa dusted tannins, with evident oak spice and plush, juicy acidity, lift the fruit for a lingering finish sure to please.
Technical information
Appellation
Calistoga
Alcohol
14.9%
Winemaking
Fruit for the Reserve Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon is harvested during the cool morning hours and optically sorted, selecting only the highest quality grapes for fermentation in stainless and French oak tanks. After fermentation with regular pump-overs to extract deep color and rich flavors, the wines were gently pressed and aged for 18 months in a combination of 75% French, 18% American and 17% Hungarian oak (60% new). Individual vineyard blocks are aged separately and are tasted frequently before the final selection of only the most compelling candidates.
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
The fruit for Sterling Reserve Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the well-drained, gravelly loam of our Estate Vineyards in Calistoga, including Bear Flats Ranch and BV Ranch No. 12. In these northern valley floor 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 flow 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.