Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular Cabernet from Sterling Wines of California, USA.

Grapes for this wine were sourced from Paso Robles, Paicines and San Lucas Valley.

It’s pure Cabernet Sauvignon and not a blend with other red varietals.

Per the tasting notes, fruits were harvested at the peak of ripeness.  That was followed by “frequent pump-overs throughout fermentation.”  That allowed for maximum flavor extraction as a result of the continuous contact between the skins and the juice.

Finally, the wine was aged for about 11 months in 25% American and 75% French oak.

For more about this wine, check out their website at Sterling Vineyards.

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Review

From the bottle:

Built by the hand touch of our winemakers from select vineyards to create a wine of balance and elegance.  Sip our Cabernet Sauvignon and savor the lush blackberry, cherry and black currant aromas, underlined with notes of vanilla and spice.

I tasted the 2014 vintage of this wine.

Sample received for review purposes.

Appearance

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon appears dark purple to burgundy in color.

Legs are thick and numerous.  They’re slow to fall and there seemed to be two sets of legs that formed with each swirl in the glass.

Aroma

The wine’s aroma is strong and noticeable far away from the glass.  I did this tasting outdoors with a friend and we both noted the wine’s pungent aroma.

We both enjoyed the aroma and described it as “fruity, over-ripe plum with a little spice at first whiff.”

There was a bit of alcohol burn in the aroma as well.

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon alcohol content 13.5% by volume, per the bottle.

Taste

The wine’s taste was very nice, with bold flavors of wild black raspberry, black currant and spice.

Mouthfeel and Tannins

We disagreed with the tasting note’s description of “fine chocolaty tannins.”

To us, the tannins were quite present and especially noticeable on the tongue.  Many will call this a dry red wine, I suspect.

The wine’s mouthfeel was best described as juice-like.

Finish

The wine’s finish was quite long-lasting.  It starts with the flavors and then transitions fairly quickly to the tannins.

Overall Opinion

Overall, we felt this wine was good to above-average.

My friend was a bit over-whelmed by the spice, whereas I found it to be an interesting expression.

I especially enjoyed the aroma.

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon price $12.99.

Suggested Food Pairing

Let’s go with the tasting notes on this one:  “our Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with a variety of foods and occasions from Filet Mignon to barbecued ribs.”

And I agree with that.  A flavorful meat will mellow those tannins a bit and allow the fruit and spice to come forward.

As a side note, I previously reviewed the 2009 vintage of this wine.  For comparison purposes, you can find that review here:  Sterling Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon 2009.