Sterling Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
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Connoisseurs'
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Wine Enthusiast
A big, tannic and dry wine that's nowhere near ready to drink now. Feels tight and astringent, and the new oak sticks like a sore thumb. But there's a solid core of black currants, indicating a good future. Don't touch it before 2011, and it should develop through 2014, at least, with proper cellaring.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Do not overlook this lovely wine. Its deep, curranty and sweet herb aromas are the stuff of classic claret, and its depth, richness and concentration show off the best side of what Napa does for well-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon. Supple, yet solid in structure, obvious and open at the front of the palate even as it tightens up towa rds the finish, this wine will invite you to try it now, but, for those who resist temptation, a wine of both sophistication and polish awaits in a half decade.
Other Vintages
2005-
Wine
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Connoisseurs'
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Connoisseurs'
Guide
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Wine &
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Wine
Spectator
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Wine &
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Spectator
Sterling Napa Valley wines show the depth, strength and expressive quality of California’s most famous wine region. Fruit for Sterling wines is grown throughout Napa Valley, from the cool southern Carneros region next to San Pablo Bay to the rugged northernmost bench-lands and reaches near our Calistoga homeplace. Sterling has more than five decades of winemaking excellence in Napa Valley, and winemaker Harry Hansen is able to build from that experience to select the finest lots to create the most memorable expressions of the varietal for each vintage. Key to the signature Sterling style is the contribution of fruit from our home base surrounding Calistoga, where fully ripe fruit offers soft tannins, black fruit profiles and approachability, alongside the firmer tannins evident in fruit from Diamond Mountain, offering great balance in the final assemblage and cuvée.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.