Sterling 2014 Platinum Cabernet

2014 was a beautiful, near-textbook vintage for the Napa Valley—along the lines of the recent outstanding vintages of 2012 and 2013. Although California’s drought brought another dry winter, the growing season started with a warm, dry spring and relatively early bud break. Summer temperatures remained mild and consistent, and grapes for the 2014 Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon were harvested between September 15 and October 14. The overall outstanding quality and fruit characteristics in this vintage will make Bordeaux varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, the highlight of the season.

Cabernet Sauvignon reigns king in 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 this variety to reach optimum ripeness, balance and finesse. For the 2014 Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon, grapes were selected from Wooden Valley, Yountville, Rutherford, Diamond Mountain and Calistoga.

Alcohol: 14.9%

93 POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Platinum offers up pronounced cassis, black cherry and blueberry notes with touches of menthol, chocolate box, cedar and violets. Full-bodied and full-on hedonistic, it ticks all the big, rich, seductive Napa Cab boxes and doesn’t disappoint on the long, fruit-packed finish." Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

93 POINTS - "Plenty of blackcurrants and stones with hints of pine on then nose. Medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and a fine finish. Lovely balance and refinement to this. Better in 2020 but already beautiful." James Suckling

91 POINTS - "The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Platinum is another quality wine. Currants, tobacco leaf, earth and assorted herbal notes all flow to a rich, nicely concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon that has medium to full-bodied richness, plenty of oak, good mid-palate density, and a great finish. Give it a year or three to integrate its oak and drink bottles over the following decade." Jeb Dunnuck

Socially Rated 4+/5 ⭐

After being hand harvested and hand sorted upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were fermented on the skins for 12 to 20 days. The wine was then gently pressed, racked and aged for 19 months in 100 percent French oak (75 percent new). Each lot was kept separate until final blending, allowing Winemaker Harry Hansen the flexibility to select the most expressive individual barrels for the final Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon blend.