Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2019

Description

For over fifty years, Sterling has been making Merlot in Napa Valley. This long history gives us access to some incredible vineyards that run the length of the valley from Oak Knoll in the south to Calistoga in the north. For this wine, we used a majority of estate vineyards, selected from various valley floor and hillside bench locations. The big structure and tannin profile comes from our Diamond Mountain and Oak Knoll sites. Calistoga makes up the remaining third, softening the blend and adding broad, dark fruit flavors and fleshy mouthfeel.

Wine Advocate

• wa87

Matured in a mix of French, American and Hungarian oak (30% new), the 2019 Heritage Collection Merlot offers up aromas of black cherries, brown sugar and leather. Sourced primarily from Calistoga, with contributions from Oakville and Howell Mountain, it’s medium to full-bodied, soft and supple, with gentle, cocoa-powder tannins on the finish.

Joe Czerwinski, September 15, 2022

Wine Spectator

• ws86

Lean in style, with firm tannins that compete with appealing black currant, cherry and pencil lead accents. Drink now through 2027.

Tim Fish, 2022