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Sterling Vineyards
2018 Sterling Vineyards Iridium Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$175.00
Bottle
Price
$175.00
$2,100.00
Case
(12)
Price
$2,100.00
Member Pricing
Tasting Notes
Tasting Notes
True to its namesake, one of the rarest elements on earth, the fifth vintage of Iridium is unique and treasured. Crafted with the finest, most expressive Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has to offer, Iridium is the pinnacle of winemaking perfection. Bold and opulent, lush and seductively colored in deep, garnet-purple hues, the 2018 Iridium is full-bodied and beautifully structured. Dark fruits led by black cherry, ripe plums and black currants join notes of dark chocolate, blueberries, caramel and hints of oak spice. Framed by plush tannins, and a solid acidic backbone, this wonderfully focused wine leaves you with a memorable, pleasurable finish. Precious and rare, the wine is enjoyable now, and sure to reveal itself over the next two decades
Technical Information
| Varietal | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Alcohol % | 14.9% |
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
| pH | 3.77 |
Winemaking
Iridium fruit is hand-harvested and hand-sorted, selecting only the highest quality grapes for fermentation in 100% stainless tanks. In 2018, fermentation continued up to 27 days with regular pump-overs to extract deep color and rich flavors. The wines were then gently pressed, and aged for 18 months in barrel with occasional rackings to improve clarity and purity of expression. The cooper mix is 83% new with mainly French with a few Hungarian oak selections, and includes Gamba, Remond, Taransaud, and Quintessence, with medium and medium plus toast. The full selection of wines are tasted frequently before the final selection of the most compelling lots, and individual barrel selection occurs in the cellar, in a tasting that seeks out exceptional fruit with great flavor intensity, velvety tannins and a sense of balance, best described as “little drops of heaven.”
Vintage
Vintage
A near perfect season, welcomed after several tense vintages, began with abundant February rains followed by drying sun and weather that allowed for even flowering and bud break. The slightly later start was followed by consistently ideal weather. It turned a bit cool in August, mild in September, allowing fruit to evolve. Patience and careful attention to the vineyard was rewarded with fruit of excellent ripeness, well balanced tannins and complexity. Generally, normal to heavier fruit clusters were evident on the vine with great flavor intensity. On average, pick dates were two weeks later than normal.
Vineyard
Napa Valley AVA
Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon is the signature variety of the Napa Valley and the appellation excels in producing outstanding expressions of this admired varietal. Napa Valley offers an ideal combination of topography, geology and climate that enables Cabernet Sauvignon to reach optimum ripeness, balance and finesse. And within the valley, there are exceptional vineyards and sub-appellations that produce some of the finest expressions of this noble grape. In Vintage 2018, notable lots were chosen from Napa Valley’s Clairmore Vineyard and Diamond Mountain’s Peterson Ranch to create this exquisite wine.
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To create a better experience for you across all of our brands, we’ll check this info with accounts across the Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio of brands: Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyards, Etude, Stags' Leap, Sterling, Hewitt Vineyard, Penfolds, and The Wine Shop.
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