Palate- On opening there was an up front blast of prominent cinnamon (red hots candies)which disappeared quickly on breathing. Now 24 hours later the wine is full of blackberry sweetness and spice reminding me of a zinfandel more than a Bordeaux blend. But it is tasty, drinks well, has character and structure with a slightly lingering finish.
For $9 this is a nice value wine but DO pay attention to the vintage as each vintage differs in the blend they use. This one is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot with some other blending grapes. Back in the 70's Sterling Vineyards was one of the up and coming wineries back when I was cutting my teeth on oenology. They since seemed to have made a business decision along the way to make wines in the popularly priced priced range of $10 rather than the higher end of other California wineries. They are not the winery they were back in the day but occasionally they put out a good value like this one so raise a glass! Thanks Tom!
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