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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.1 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 69 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Cholera on 4/28/2018 & rated 90 points: Opened and decanted 1/2 bottle. Heavy and brooding in the glass, dark inky color, long legs.
Aroma of ripe cherries, plum and spice. Earthiness and forrest floor. Long in the palate, silky with well incorporated tannins. Juicy but not overly sweet; refined, but not spectacular (1567 views) | | | Tasted by chekraze on 1/31/2015 & rated 89 points: This exceeded my expectations. One of those where you wished you had bought more bottle. I think I paid $18 at Costco.
Small amount of leather on the nose and just dry enough finish that satisfies. (3096 views) | | | Tasted by TNose on 12/24/2014: Very nice merlot. Not too fruity. Reasonably complex. Soft finish. Buy. (2917 views) | | | Tasted by FlyPig on 11/27/2014 & rated 91 points: PnP. Luscious, fruit and mineral, really enjoyable. Seems to be in a great spot now. (3047 views) | | | Tasted by hosscrow on 6/12/2013: notes to follow (4430 views) | | | Tasted by fournet on 6/9/2013 & rated 87 points: Harsh tannins. Seems to have a great finish hidden beneath the tannins. I would give this a couple more years in order for the tannins to settle a little, so you can see more of the fruit and complexity. Unlike many merlot, this has some nice depth, probably due to the fact it is only 80% merlot, complemented by several other, bigger varietals. Will improve with time. (3154 views) | | | Tasted by ppcwino on 4/26/2013 & rated 90 points: Needs to breathe for about an hour. Nice finish. Tannins are harsh before the first hour but settle into a very smooth merlot. A good value for the price. (2544 views) | | | Tasted by ATK on 4/22/2013 & rated 86 points: I think it could have used more time in the bottle. Not well balanced and the tannins were a bit overpowering. (2340 views) | | | Tasted by BentonWine on 4/13/2013 & rated 85 points: Easy drinking. Very pleasant. (2110 views) | | | Tasted by yossarian.livez on 4/12/2013 & rated 85 points: Not much stuffing. Decanted for several hours and never developed much nuance. Dark fruit. Mouth coating tannin. Not as supple as some merlot. Ok. Moderate length. Fairly easy drinking, but not much above the richness. Not acidic enough to completely trust in the long term and would be surprised if it blossoms with age, but who knows. (1196 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 4/12/2013 & rated 88 points: Soft and ready to drink with red fruit and subtle spice. The best part is the finish which lingers richly. (1140 views) | | | Tasted by Varnerhome on 3/2/2013 & rated 90 points: Great Merlot...great price (1394 views) | | | Tasted by tabachus on 1/27/2013 & rated 94 points: Great value! One of the best merlot I have had. Wonderful tannins accompanied by hints of blackberry, cherry, cola, and a touch of spice. Drink now or age or both! Will be goos for some time. (1358 views) | | | Tasted by Kltejas on 1/8/2013 & rated 89 points: My fav merlot of all time at this price point (1466 views) | | | Tasted by The13thGryphon on 11/19/2012 & rated 89 points: Nose is dark plum, cassias, dark cherry, leather, floral, and forest floor. Flavors are plum, dark currants, dark cherry, and leather... with the addition of vanilla and coco on the finish. Medium bodied, very soft mouth feel, and well balanced. A nice wine all in all. (1768 views) | | | Tasted by Merengue on 9/23/2012 & rated 89 points: Sweet, ripe, upfront fruit, red currants, smoke notes and vanilla but not overdone at all. Pretty much in balance except lacking some acidity but overall this is drinking great albeit ripe fruits and a tad sweet. Given these characteristics, it paired awesome with barbecue chicken and lyonnaise bacon fat fried potatoes. Went well as well with tapa style olive oil garlic chorizo and shrimp. 89. (2171 views) | | | Tasted by Flyguy8650 on 7/21/2012 & rated 69 points: Cork wet, could have been my fault. Down the drain (2322 views) | | | Tasted by 10izguy on 7/12/2012: really enjoyed this, definitely not a wimpy Merlot; wish I had more. (2201 views) | | | Tasted by FlyinI on 7/12/2012 & rated 91 points: Interesting. Drinking well now - tear off the label and I would have described it as a well balanced, easy drinking cabernet. Dark fruits and touch of pepper. (2139 views) | | | Tasted by Tri Wine on 4/27/2012 & rated 89 points: Good merlot...you can look around and find better for the cost but all in all a good california merlot. Traditional chocolate, jammy dark spicy fruit flavors with a nice finish. (2351 views) | | | Tasted by TannicBeast on 4/8/2012 & rated 88 points: This is a Cabernet-lover's Merlot and is unmistakeably New World in style. The nose is medium plus in intensity, and redolent of black fruit and new oak. The acidity is medium minus. The alcohol is medium plus at 14.4%. The tannins are medium to medium minus. The body and flavor intensity are medium plus, resulting in a smooth but somewhat flabby finish. Drink now. Although the oak and alcohol might become more integrated with another year or two of ageing, it doesn't really have the acidity or tannic structure to improve with age. This is a nice cocktail or steak wine, but is otherwise difficult to pair with foods. (2189 views) | | | Tasted by CabIsKing on 4/2/2012 & rated 88 points: Dark fruit, cedar and hints of vanilla on the nose. Ok balance and medium finish. Nothing special. (2290 views) | | | Tasted by Canphan on 1/28/2012: Bin end from the LCBO. Wonderful wine, full bodied and jammy. I'm no wine expert (really just getting started) but I definitely enjoyed this. (2486 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 1/27/2012 & rated 85 points: Very dark. Spicy, oaky and alcholic nose. And some mustiness from this winery that was famous for brett-infected wines in the 90's. Dark berry fruit flavour, along with vanilla and alcohol and sugar. Unbalanced. (2411 views) | | | Tasted by TPB on 1/6/2012 & rated 91 points: Always an outstanding wine. Enough body and complexity to stand up to steak or hearty beef stew. Nose with blackberries and tobacco; finish has some herbs and deeper fruit. (2579 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Freemark Abbey Producer website
(GREAT source of Addt'l Info)MerlotMerlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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