Sterling Update

Napa Valley's Sterling Vineyards has long been a favorite winery of wine country visitors. The self-guided tour and hospitality facility are both first rate, but it's the dramatic tram ride to the top of Sterling's own mini-mountain with one of the most spectacular views available of the entire Napa Valley, that makes it truly unique and special.

Sterling's wines have also created some special memories over the years. I personally have Sterling memories dating all the way back to the superb 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon.

It is not at all unusual, however, for wineries to go through ups and downs, and the truth is Sterling has suffered the doldrums in recent years. The wines were never bad, mind you, but neither were they very exciting.

Based on a recent tasting of new and current releases it appears that Sterling is going to start exciting us once again, and the really good news is that the wines have good national availability due the winery being own and marketed by giant Seagram Corp. For information of any kind regarding wines or visits: Sterling Vineyards, 1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515 (707) 942-3300; www.sterlingvineyard.com

A major replanting program to replace vines attacked by that rotten little root louse known as Phyloxxera, the same bug that devastated most of Europe's vines in the 19th century, is in no small part responsible for the turnaround.

The major factor, however, seems to be a new winemaker. In much the same way that Daryl Groom turned Geyser Peak from "dog" to darling and fellow Aussie Mick Scholz has changed St. Supery from being an "also-ran" to a sweepstakes champ, Rob Hunter seems to have the magic for Sterling.

It's an interesting insider note that Hunter made award-winning wines from some of the same fruit when he was winemaker at Robert Keenan Winery some years back. The vineyards from which Keenan sourced its Merlot are now owned by Sterling.

Sterling 1998 "North Coast" Sauvignon Blanc ($12) A wine blended from the fruit of three valleys, Napa, Alexander and Anderson. A very pretty, very food friendly white wine. Mostly grapefruit flavors, but with some mild grassiness and a hint of gooseberry. Very long finish. Rating: 95/88

Sterling "North Coast" Chardonnay ($17) A well made and flawless wine with mostly citrus aromas and flavors and a few underlying tropical notes. Too little oak for my taste and pricey for what it is. Rating: 85/82

Sterling 1997 "Napa" Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) This wine will have it's fans, but it's a little too big, a little too tough and astringent for me. Blended to 2 percent Merlot, 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 3 percent Petit Verdot it has powerful berry flavors. Time may be its friend, but you'll need lots of patience and I'm not sure the fruit will outlive the tannin. Rating: 85/84

COLLECTABLE WINE OF THE WEEK

Sterling 1996 "Napa Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) What a great special bottle for that upcoming New Years 2000 dinner party. All the power of which the biggest Cabernets are capable, but totally in control, perfectly balanced and worthy of cellaring. Serious, elegant, very complex. Berry, cassis, and a little blueberry with delicious, smoky, bacon-rind complexity. Rating: 98/84

BEST BUY
WINE OF THE WEEK

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

SANTA CRUZ PASSPORT

One of my favorite "other" wine countries (other than Napa and Sonoma) is the Santa Cruz Mountains, home of a couple of dozen small to medium sized wineries and some outstanding cool-climate premium grape growing. Because of the mountainous terrain, few of the vineyards are very large, which explains why you don't see the Santa Cruz appellation on any of the mega-brands.

Each fall, about 20 of the Santa Cruz vintners band together to sponsor and participate in Passport Weekend. The cost is $15 per taster with a "Passport" to visit all 20 wineries, several of which are not usually open to visitors, plus each winery will be sampling some special wine not usually available for tasting.

This year's event is from 11am to 5pm on Saturday, November 20, and you can acquire complete details by calling (831) 479-9463.

Among the participants are Ahlgren, Byington, Cinnabar, Cooper-Garrod, David Bruce, Devlin and many more.

WE GET LETTERS

The three most frequently asked questions that this wine writer receives are:

How do a I get the label off a wine bottle?

Are there any wines without sulfites?

Can you tell me how to find...insert any winery name, popular or obscure...including address and phone?

The answer to the first question is that mostly you cannot. The wineries, especially American wineries, intentionally use glues that really stick, so you can't soak them off like in the old days.

There are no wines without some sulfite...it's a bi-product of fermentation, and wineries all over the world have safely added really tiny amounts (parts per million) of sulfur dioxide as an anti-oxidant for hundreds of years.

The easy way to track down those wineries, at least the ones anywhere in the U.S., is to go to: www.winesandvines.com And then click on wineries. It's what I do when you ask me.

MEAD ON WINE EXTRA

It's a historical fact that the first recognition received in the U.S. by Daryl Groom, now star winemaker at Geyser Peak and once winemaker of internationally famous "Grange" from Penfolds in Australia, was in this venue.

Groom's first wines at Geyser Peak showed the promise that has since been fulfilled, and we were fortunate to be a year ahead of the pack in making that discovery.

Now he's making his own wine, under his own name, in very tiny quantities, as part of a family owned project. Total production of these Australian jewels is around 1000 cases, with only 250 of the spectacular Shiraz. Mead On Wine readers have an inside track on acquiring some of the few bottles available. Contact the importer: Wine Marketing 2000 at (914) 533-0292 or e-mail: cmara@computer.net

Groom 1999 "Adelaide Hills" Sauvignon Blanc ($16.50) Definitely a food wine. Bone dry to the point of austerity. White grapefruit and lemon grass with a little gooseberry in the aftertaste. Crisp, refreshing acidity. Rating: 90/82

Groom 1998 "Barossa Valley" Shiraz ($37.50) I'm at a loss for words to adequately describe this fantastic first release from a vineyard contiguous to a famous "Grange" vineyard. Unbelievably intense black cherry and plum fruit with a little cassis. It is difficult to comprehend how a wine can be so big and extractive, yet so perfectly balanced and silky smooth at such a tender age. Rating: 98/88

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