Description

Platinum is a wine designed to bring a singular thought to life: great wines come from great vineyards, and never so much as when the winemaking and winegrowing teams work hand in hand to carefully nurture the finest fruit toward a well-rewarded harvest. Sterling Vineyards Platinum is the ultimate expression of our Napa Valley winemaking expertise.

Tasting Note

Platinum is a wine designed to bring a singular thought to life: great wines come from great vineyards, and never so much as when the winemaking and winegrowing teams work hand in hand to carefully nurture the finest fruit toward a well-rewarded harvest. In this vintage, Platinum Cabernet exhibits the purity of fruit expression, polished tannins and rich texture that are the essential signature of this rich, full-bodied wine. As the drought subsided fruit was more expressive, showing aromas and flavors of red and dark fruit such as Bing cherry, with notable vanilla essence from the American oak. The wine is well integrated, nicely structured with medium tannins that suggest a possibility for at least some cellaring. Recognizable cabernet highlights such as mocha, cassis and caramel toffee join with white pepper spice, leading to a lingering, lasting impression. A beautiful expression of Napa’s varied growing regions.

Vintage

Winter rains helped signal the end of the immediate drought, but vineyards had grown stressed after multiple challenging years, resulting in modest yields for the season. A dry January was followed by a wet February, and temperatures remained mild, encouraging an early bud break to begin the growing season. Showers arrived in April, slowing the rapid advance of flowering and set. Harvest began in mid-September and moved at a leisurely pace as winemakers waited for ever more complex flavors to develop. The extended season helped balance acids and allowed layers of flavors to emerge.