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Tasting Notes
Tasting Note
The Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot is a vivid ruby-red color in the glass with aromas of blackberry fruit, plum and ripe black cherry. The appealing bouquet leads to a mouthcoating, rich palate where additional red and black fruit flavors mingle with notes of graphite and dried spice. The viscous mouthfeel of the wine is plush and the ripe tannins are refined and polished. The Napa Valley Merlot is well-balanced and elegant, offering true varietal characteristics and a sleek, flavorful finish.
Technical Information
| Varietal | Merlot |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 100% Merlot |
| Oak Treatment | American (56%), French (30%) and European (14%) oak barrels for 18 months |
| Alcohol % | 14.7% |
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
Scores & Accolades
-
90
Wine Spectator
"Plush and well-spiced, with sinewy power to the dried red currant, plum and raspberry flavors. Notes of slate and hot stone show on the chiseled finish. Drink now through 2022." - Wine Spectator, August 2019
Winemaking
Winemaking
Kept in separate small lots until the final blending process, the grapes for the Napa Valley Merlot were picked, quickly brought to the winery and placed in tanks for a two-day cold soak designed to extract color and flavor from the grapes. The juice was then fermented dry and the young wine was placed in American (56%), French (30%) and European (14%) oak barrels for 18 months.
Harry Hansen - Winemaker
Director of Winemaking Harry Hansen was raised in nearby Sonoma County. “One of my earliest memories of wine was the gallon jug of red wine that we always had at home. I would go with my father to a local winery, maybe in Kenwood or Healdsburg, to refill that jug and chit-chat with the winery proprietors. The aromas of those wines were always something attractive, somehow mysterious, but always memorable.”
Harry joined Sterling Vineyards and relocated to Napa Valley just before the 2011 Harvest. “The opportunity to join such a respected Napa Valley winery is exciting and a fantastic next step in my winemaking career. Sterling Vineyards is making some wonderful wines, and I look forward to taking that next step up in quality and reputation.”
Vintage
Vintage
2014 was a wonderful vintage for the Napa Valley along the lines of the recent outstanding vintages of 2012 and 2013. Although California’s drought brought another dry winter, the growing season started with a warm, dry spring and relatively early bud break. Summer temperatures remained mild and consistent with even, warm temperatures throughout. The overall outstanding quality and fruit characteristics in this vintage will make Bordeaux varietals, such as Merlot, the highlight of the season. Grapes for the 2014 Napa Valley Merlot were harvested between September 6th and October 9th.
Vineyard
Napa Valley AVA
Vineyard
Sterling vineyards have been making Napa Valley Merlot for well over 50 years. This history and winemaking legacy in the valley gives the winery access to some of the finest vineyards in the region. For the 2014 Napa Valley Merlot the grapes come primarily from the Calistoga and Oak Knoll districts. The warm Calistoga region is known for imparting big, ripe tannins with dense fruit character. The Oak Knoll district—known as Napa Valley’s “sweet spot”—is a little cooler than Calistoga, and the Merlot fruit from here lends more red fruit characteristics and bright acidity, softening the overall blend. The combination of the two regions creates an elegant Merlot that reflects the beautiful nature of this varietal in the Napa Valley.
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