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Sterling Wines

Known as one of the landmark wineries within Napa Valley, Sterling Vineyards was founded in 1964 by British international paper broker and Oxford University graduate, Peter Newton. In the newly acquired 50-acre parcel of vineyard land, Newton decided to cultivate Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. In 1969, Sterling produced California’s first vintage-dated Merlot, alongside the winery’s first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Today, Sterling produces wine from a number of different varieties, including Pinot Noir and Sangiovese, but its main focus is still Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. While the Sterling Vintner’s Collection offers consumers value options, the wines produced using fruit from the Diamond Mountain Ranch and Three Palms vineyards typically receive higher accolades, according to our Sterling wine ratings. To learn more about Sterling and its various lines of wine, check out our Sterling Wine Buying Guide below.

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Sterling 2006 SVR Reserve Red (Napa Valley)

Price $50

Beautiful now, with decanting, due to the generous fruit flavors and the way the oak shows them off. Dry and smooth, it brims with blackberry, cherry, red and black currant, blueberry, cocoa, anise and sandalwood and smoky flavors that go on and on. Should age, too. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and Petit Verdot. Now–2014. — S.H. (12/15/2009)

Sterling 1997 Diamond Mountain Ranch Vyd Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

Price $40

The big, very dark and inviting nose of ripe cherry, licorice, cocoa and toast sets things up. The dense palate is packed with cherry, tar, even bacon notes, and it has a plush, velvety feel that belies the wine’s structure. The impressive finish is dark and toasty, with well-dispersed tannins. Cellar two to four years. — W.E. (11/1/2000)

Sterling 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

Cellar Selection

Price $65

This is a wine to cellar. It’s just too hard in tannins now to perform well, even though it has very deep and impressive flavors, such as crushed blackberries and cherries, cassis, violets, anise, dark chocolate and cedar. Shows a great return to form after a few under-performing years. Best after 2010. — S.H. (12/15/2008)

Sterling 2005 Diamond Mountain Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

Price $55

Despite significant youthful tannins this Cab has such deep, ripe flavor that you can drink it now. The mouthfeel is astringent and hard, in the way of a young wine, but waves of cherries, blackberries and currants flatter the tastebuds, and it also softens as it warms up in the glass. A beautiful, polished drink that should develop over the next eight years. — S.H. (12/15/2008)

Sterling 1999 Diamond Mountain Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

Price $40

Sterling made 6,000 cases of this wine—you should have at least two of them. Spicy, musky, forest-fire aromas open onto rich, dark flavors (date-nut loaf, black plum, and tar) on the palate. Full and fleshy with dusty tannins, it closes with lingering, chewy tannins and dusty earth notes. — W.E. (6/1/2002)

Sterling 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

Cellar Selection

Price $75

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. — S.H. (12/15/2009)

Sterling 1998 Diamond Mountain Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

Editors' Choice

Price $38

A complex nose of earth, saddle leather, toast and cigar-box notes opens this impressive Cabernet. The deep cassis fruit wears tobacco and olive shadings. Beautifully balanced and classically structured, it finishes long with substantial but even tannins and blackberry and chocolate flavors. Editors’ Choice. — W.E. (9/1/2001)

Sterling 2007 Made with Organic Grapes Sauvignon Blanc (Mendocino)

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Price $13

An absolutely first-class Sauvignon Blanc, and at this price, a fantastic value. Bone dry and crisp in mouthwatering acidity, the flavors range from Meyer lemons, limes, grapefruits and green apples to gooseberries, figs and minerals. Sommeliers, buy this by the case. — S.H. (2/1/2009)

2010 Stonegate

Good price for a Napa Chardonnay this rich and balanced. It’s enormously…

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