$20 BEST BUY

[Jerry D Mead]

//This is excerpted from an edition of the Mead On Wine newsletter wherein it is noted that Sterling's wines are showing the best they have in years...partially due to major replanting of vineyards and partially due to a new star quality winemaker. JDM//

Sterling 1997 "Napa" Merlot ($20) Winemaker Hunter has always had an affinity for this variety and he's sure right on target here. I don't often call $20 wines "Best Buys," but this one is. This is a "Monster" Merlot. It is not for you folks looking for a soft, fruity red. Really powerful, highly extracted, but totally in balance in every way. Darkest cherry enrobed in bittersweet chocolate. Begin to enjoy now, but it should be improving in the bottle for at least ten years. Rating: 95/90