2001 Sterling Vineyards SVR Reserve

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 89.2 points

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  4/12/2014 - blowry wrote:

  Decanted for several hours but still had some bite. Became much smoother on day 2 and 3.

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  5/27/2010 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points

  Last bottle. brief hint of black cherry in the nose but it blew off quick. After that, a bit of vanilla and drying fruit. Good deep color.
  Round, smooth tannins in th finish. Good balance and very pleasant. I think it is at its peak now, but will hold a while longer.

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  4/3/2010 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points

  TAsty and well received. several folks commented on the good balance and nice finish. This bottle was better than the one I had last year. Showing almost like a Bordeaux, but with some hints of American oak. Earth and black tea; still some fruit. Good balance and went well with lambchops rubbed with rosemary and herbes de provence. TAsted side by side with the Steltzner 2004 stags leap cab and it was better balanced and easier on the palate (not that the Steltzner wasn't good).
  
  One bottle of this left.

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  8/3/2009 - WineKnurd wrote: 89 Points

  Popped & decanted. Oak dominated nose of vanilla, cedar, cigar-box, and cassis with hints of smoke and ash. The palate is similar. Flavors of vanilla, cassis, toffee, cocoa powder, burnt sugar, caramel, and butterscotch are a testament to the oak aging and barrel toast. Traditional cabernet cassis flavors are there as well, but almost as an afterthought to the oak. Nice soft, round mouthfeel that finishes velvety-smooth with decent length. Lower acidity, no doubt from super-ripe fruit, but also softer tannins so there is no noticeable bite or bitterness on the finish.
  
  Style & Quality: B+. Outstanding use of oak to generate lots of complex flavors but the fruit is severely muted and you can forget about any secondary fruity, earthy, green, or floral flavors and aromas. The oak dominates but isn't harsh, though at the expense of many varietal characteristics, especially the blended Merlot and Cab Franc.
  
  Value: B+. $23 for a CA cab blend with 8 years on it is a pretty good value. Could have scored higher for value if all the palate complexity wasn't due to oak and more varietal characteristics came through.
  
  Overall: B+.

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  7/13/2009 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com wrote:

  Without breathing, and at about 58 degrees, it is medium red with just a hint of brick at the edge. The nose is tight and it needs to breathe; vanilla is light, fruit pronounced; aromas of blackberry and bramble.
  A bit thin in the mouth with forward tannins that mellow to a black tea sensation. Oak and hints of leather in the mid palate. Short finish with some bits of tea and oak. Fruit is masked through out. It needs to breathe to see how it is doing. I have two more bottles, so this is a test for me. I had two bottles in 2005 and loved them. I estimated 10 years left in life...
  2nd tasting after breathing an hour: a bit better balance, a sense of fruit coming out. This should be excellent with a beef or pork roast. I have some left for later and maybe tomorrow night.

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