Past Issues: Drinks with Les Dames, jun/jul 2007 --
Sterling Reds

Wine Skinny Managing Editor Robyn Tinsley is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international organization of women in the food, beverage and hospitality professions. Les Dames (or LDEI) is a great community-based group that offers a supportive network to its members and participates in local educational and philanthropic efforts like the LDEI Civic Agriculture & Garden Initiative.

These are also some women who can really get into a wine tasting, if you know what we mean! Each issue, we'll bring you the results of a Drinks with Les Dames tasting -- what they liked, what they didn't, food pairing ideas, and more.

A couple of us got together recently to taste through the high-end red offerings from Napa's Sterling Vineyards. The 2004 vintage in Napa is shaping up to be a lovely one, with plush, ripe, silky flavors and impressive concentration and structure that may indicate good cellar potential. While 2003 had some definite ups and downs, the 2004 Napa reds we've tasted lately have been quite pleasing, with very few exceptions.

The Sterling 2004 reserve-tier reds seem to mostly bear this out, with ripe, concentrated flavors that are smooth on the palate, but with underlying tannic structure. Here are our notes:

Sterling Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve ($75). Tightly-wound blackberry and currant fruit picks up bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon and black pepper notes through the focused finish. Needs more time in the bottle or plenty of decanting time. Best from 2010 and over the next four or five years.

Sterling Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Ranch ($65). The exception to the tasting, this one was mostly closed - and never really opened up - with briar notes and not much fruit to speak of. Same goes for the second bottle tasted. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Sterling Vineyards 2004 SVR Napa Valley ($50). Licorice-laced black plum aromas and flavors are focused and concentrated, with a fleshy, rich finish that picks up toasty, vanilla oak along the way. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Merlot (34%) and Petit Verdot. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years.

Sterling Vineyards 2004 Merlot Napa Valley Reserve ($65). Distinctive chicory aromas introduce blackberry and cherry fruit, chocolate, clove and other baking spices and a hint of black pepper that linger on the finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years.

Sterling Vineyards 2004 Merlot Napa Valley Three Palms ($55). Smoky herbs and violet aromas accent jammy red berry and cherry fruit, picking up chocolate, black pepper and a touch of fresh mint on the lipsmacking finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years.

A bientôt!