Le Sterling Vineyards Reserve 78 lui était beaucoup plus évolué, pas mort, mais clairement en fin de vie. À son meilleur 45 minutes après l’ouverture de la bouteille, l’aération lente lui ayant permis de se dégourdir un peu. Bien+ (88)
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Just kinda hanging on. Low volume notes of classic cab cedar and cassis. Plenty of tea though also. The finish is pretty tart. There is a nice elegance to it though fading away. I quickly poured half into a 375 under a Repour. Opening that on the second night saw much the same but even more faded. It's getting off into a place where it's for those that appreciate the geriatric.
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In very decent shape for a wine that is over 35 years old. A bit sweeter than I had expected actually, but not cloying or a fruit bomb by any stretch. It is passed peak but still drinkable. Drink up!
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Level of wine at the low neck. Initial nose after removing cork somewhat sharp and short. Cork stain low, yet cork began to crack somewhat upon removal but didn't come apart. Very minimal bricking. After decanting for aprox. 40 min. hints of somewhat jammy rasberry and light strawberry with a faint underscore of dried fruit/raisen. Alcohol showed prominately throughout, yet flavor of body is very short. This wine was cellared under ideal conditions until opening - either passed its' prime or not a good vintage for Sterling - unimpressed.
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Big Cabs With The Boys (Houston's): Complex nose initially but clearly a note of TCA in the background that only grew with air. Crap. What a shame as there was clearly plenty of fruit left on the palate that was rapidly being crushed.
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This is close to falling downhill, tastes of fading mature fruit, fully resolved tannins. For fans of old Cali Cab, this is a very smooth, nice experience. If you have any languishing in your cellar, if my bottle was an accurate guide, time to finish them up.
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A group of us went to dinner at Bay Wolf last night and took along a few cellar treasures. Three 1978 cabernets. This bottle, a bottle of Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche and a bottle of Chateau Lascombes Margeaux. All bottles had been down in the cellar for at least 15 years. The Sterling was the best of the lot. Sound cork. No leakage around or through the cork at all. Great clear color. No sign of age on the color. Wonderful nose that got better for at least 15-20 minutes. Some fruit still in the taste, but not much. Berries, I would guess, would be the major taste, perhaps dried berries, Some cedar chocolate taste. Good aged cabernet taste. Lingering aftertaste. I have no more bottles, but if I did, I would drink them immediately.
The Freemark Abbey was completely gone. The cork broke in two on extraction, but did not crumble. Fill still in neck. Nose smelled of soy sauce. Taste was sort of interesting, maderized, but not a taste I have come across in old California Cabs. Sherry. Too bad.
The Chateau Lascombes was very delicate in nose and taste. Well past its prime, but still sound. Nothing bad, just light. The cork came apart on extraction, but none went back into the wine. Fill was in the neck. Color a bit bricked. Floral nose. One drinker more familiar with bordeaux than I said that it was a classic Margeaux nose. The taste was a bit of tobacco and a bit of dried fruit. Pleasant.
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1/13/2023 - dzitt wrote: 88 Points
Le Sterling Vineyards Reserve 78 lui était beaucoup plus évolué, pas mort, mais clairement en fin de vie. À son meilleur 45 minutes après l’ouverture de la bouteille, l’aération lente lui ayant permis de se dégourdir un peu. Bien+ (88)
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8/16/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Just kinda hanging on. Low volume notes of classic cab cedar and cassis. Plenty of tea though also. The finish is pretty tart. There is a nice elegance to it though fading away. I quickly poured half into a 375 under a Repour. Opening that on the second night saw much the same but even more faded. It's getting off into a place where it's for those that appreciate the geriatric.
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10/25/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 93 Points
1978 California with John Gilman (Craft): Soft like the Clos du Val but not as elegant. More tertiary aged Bordeaux flavors.
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2/23/2014 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 88 Points
In very decent shape for a wine that is over 35 years old. A bit sweeter than I had expected actually, but not cloying or a fruit bomb by any stretch. It is passed peak but still drinkable. Drink up!
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3/22/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Brown Bag Double Blind Wine Dinner @ Caffe Portofino, The Falls, Miami; 3/20/2012-3/22/2012: - Purple color. It's lacking fruit with a light/medium body. Linear texture with a medium finish - Alvaro's wine.
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5/8/2010 - cabviograz wrote: 86 Points
Level of wine at the low neck. Initial nose after removing cork somewhat sharp and short. Cork stain low, yet cork began to crack somewhat upon removal but didn't come apart. Very minimal bricking. After decanting for aprox. 40 min. hints of somewhat jammy rasberry and light strawberry with a faint underscore of dried fruit/raisen. Alcohol showed prominately throughout, yet flavor of body is very short. This wine was cellared under ideal conditions until opening - either passed its' prime or not a good vintage for Sterling - unimpressed.
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5/13/2009 - WetRock wrote: flawed
Big Cabs With The Boys (Houston's): Complex nose initially but clearly a note of TCA in the background that only grew with air. Crap. What a shame as there was clearly plenty of fruit left on the palate that was rapidly being crushed.
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4/17/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 84 Points
Sterling Cabernets 1973-1978 Blindtasted (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Group's #6 (my #5) – 42 pts.; 1, 0, 2, 2 - slightly lighter medium rust red violet color; odd, acetone on opening and dried beef nose, that changes to a mild balsamic nose; tangy, dried out, some sweet plum palate; medium finish
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2/10/2008 - mtennenbaum wrote: 90 Points
This is close to falling downhill, tastes of fading mature fruit, fully resolved tannins. For fans of old Cali Cab, this is a very smooth, nice experience. If you have any languishing in your cellar, if my bottle was an accurate guide, time to finish them up.
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10/23/2007 - GA wrote: 79 Points
10/07 - Past its peak - sour and acidic - finish still present - no balance - 79 pts.
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4/20/2006 - psmith wrote:
Porty, dead.
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2/7/2005 - AlanM5 wrote:
A group of us went to dinner at Bay Wolf last night and took along a few cellar treasures. Three 1978 cabernets. This bottle, a bottle of Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche and a bottle of Chateau Lascombes Margeaux. All bottles had been down in the cellar for at least 15 years. The Sterling was the best of the lot. Sound cork. No leakage around or through the cork at all. Great clear color. No sign of age on the color. Wonderful nose that got better for at least 15-20 minutes. Some fruit still in the taste, but not much. Berries, I would guess, would be the major taste, perhaps dried berries, Some cedar chocolate taste. Good aged cabernet taste. Lingering aftertaste. I have no more bottles, but if I did, I would drink them immediately.
The Freemark Abbey was completely gone. The cork broke in two on extraction, but did not crumble. Fill still in neck. Nose smelled of soy sauce. Taste was sort of interesting, maderized, but not a taste I have come across in old California Cabs. Sherry. Too bad.
The Chateau Lascombes was very delicate in nose and taste. Well past its prime, but still sound. Nothing bad, just light. The cork came apart on extraction, but none went back into the wine. Fill was in the neck. Color a bit bricked. Floral nose. One drinker more familiar with bordeaux than I said that it was a classic Margeaux nose. The taste was a bit of tobacco and a bit of dried fruit. Pleasant.
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9/25/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 85 Points
Sterling Winery (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Hint of sweat sox on the nose, strong taste of very ripe fruit, big, intense, elegant but one dimensional, nice, long finish of fruit and tannin.
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