| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 37 notes) - hiding notes with no text |
| | Tasted by dptennant on 10/28/2016 & rated 92 points: We accidentally drank this a little later than planned, but it was excellent; even better than I thought it would be when I bought it during a visit to the winery a number of years ago. Very sophisticated and smooth. (1705 views) |
| | Tasted by dortreo on 5/16/2016 & rated 87 points: It's over the hill. :-( (1778 views) |
| | Tasted by Rcramesh on 3/5/2016 & rated 85 points: Drink date was by 2013, I completely missed that time line, but it was smooth and delicious. (1848 views) |
| | Tasted by jasonkle on 1/19/2016 flawed bottle: Barely drinkable at this stage. Missed its point on my bottle. (1889 views) |
| | Tasted by chiefilliniboy on 5/11/2014 & rated 95 points: might be one of the best merlots I've had. big fruit but finish like smooth cab with good spice and balance. probably would have stumped me if I didn't know what varietal I was drinking. (2626 views) |
| | Tasted by Krolt on 4/28/2014: 05 was at its prime. Best Plumbjack I've had. Full and smooth and couldn't get enough. (1323 views) |
| | Tasted by JPH104 on 7/13/2013: Hot, oaky, overextracted, monotone and syrupy. Undrinkable. (1665 views) |
| | Tasted by swade on 6/19/2013 flawed bottle: Opened to get my wife fired up for our visit at the winery this weekend. Corked. Grrr. Cork literally fell apart and came out easily in pieces. Oxidized contents. Purchased direct from the winery in 2008 (bottle was actually signed by the wine maker). Stored in my cellar since. (1679 views) |
| | Tasted by longhorncab on 3/26/2013 & rated 92 points: Heavy and velvety on the palate, with good fruit. A cab lover's Merlot. We put it in a lineup of younger cabs - Fisher, Pine Ridge Oakville, & Vineyard 7, and it hung with them. (1736 views) |
| | Tasted by PatrickWalz on 9/18/2012 & rated 90 points: Enjoyable red, very smooth. I'd say that there are plenty of bottles with similarities at $30 however. (1664 views) |
| | Tasted by swade on 9/18/2012 & rated 89 points: A little funky and flat with a pop and pour. Backed off for awhile. Grapey, nondescript nose. Smoothed out with some time, but kind of blurry palate. Merloty aftertaste (not pukey like you sometimes find). Somewhat disappointing. Nice mouth feel. The last bottle was an easy 91-92. (1654 views) |
| | Tasted by Dasher on 1/30/2012 & rated 91 points: It needs some time to open up a bit. Not to many years left on this wine! (1685 views) |
| | Tasted by awise45 on 10/9/2011 & rated 92 points: Wonderful mix of dark and rich berries with a streak of vanilla. Long finish that improves with open time. (1901 views) |
| | Tasted by awise45 on 6/5/2011 & rated 93 points: Really pleasing. Full and rich, with strong hint of vanilla that lasts from start to finish and gives the wine a real nice character. Dark fruits throughout. (2082 views) |
| | Tasted by rickspicks on 1/14/2011 & rated 94 points: Amazing wine - rich, ripe and structured. This is about as good as Merlot gets. Cherry and blackberry with lots of depth and a beautiful, fruity finish. Excellent balance and a great match of fruit and structure. Very textured on the palate, with a lot of structure - nothing flabby about this merlot. I am not usually a merlot fan, but this was really terrific. Like this more than Paloma or Pride. (2236 views) |
| | Tasted by awise45 on 8/13/2010 & rated 93 points: Really enjoyed this wine -- full and rich with great balance. Hnt of vanilla on top of lots of fruit. (2478 views) |
| | Tasted by Malia Ten Yulna on 6/21/2010: well rounded merlot, it actually fits the name - plump; well balance; smooth tannins but there is a flat pointon the back side of the drinking curve where the tannins are not necessary nor pleasant, but with this one exception, this one has big dark fruit and uses it well. Cherry, and blackberry predominate and overall a real nice structure despite the bald point about 3/4 through the mouth. - Not overly tannic so great with a center cut fillet also had some cherries after and the wine went with them marvelously. (2611 views) |
| | Tasted by awise45 on 3/5/2010 & rated 91 points: Liked this bottle better than the first opened, about 6 weeks ago. Fruit-forward and full, very nice. (2557 views) |
| | Tasted by Disco Stew on 1/18/2010 & rated 92 points: Solid well-constructed Merlot. (2741 views) |
| | Tasted by awise45 on 1/15/2010 & rated 90 points: A bit closed at the start -- opened up a bit after 45 minutes but still wasn't particularly full. (2643 views) |
| | Tasted by Surfdoc on 12/31/2009 & rated 91 points: Very nice merlot. A bit juicy, but still well balanced. Flavor starts with some rich black fruit then finishes with some soft tannins and oak. Nice wine, but a bit pricey for $50. (2685 views) |
| | Tasted by rickspicks on 12/15/2009 & rated 92 points: Wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the nice depth of flavor and good structure. Tobacco, leather and boysenberry on the nose. Big, rich, black cherry and boysenberry flavors with some oak lurking in the background, and (surprisingly) a good dose of dust. Full bodied with a long, fruity finish. Still somewhat tannic, and probably drinking a bit more like a cab than a merlot right now - but I loved the rich flavors and structure. I think it will get softer with time, but not necessarily better. (2781 views) |
| | Tasted by spendergast on 9/25/2009 & rated 92 points: Decanted 30 minutes. Deep purple red, concentrated dark fruit -plum and blackberries, long finish. Still a bit tannic so will probably mellow in 6-12 months. (2990 views) |
| | Tasted by Malia Ten Yulna on 9/22/2009 & rated 90 points: Opened up after 30 minutes; good to sit for a while. I have 11 more of these, so I will hold the next one for six months or so. Big smooth velvet on first taste with big black cherry follow through and a real nice nose. Not too tannic but it will settle with a little more time. Good to drink now after decant and better to wait a year. (2986 views) |
| | Tasted by dke on 2/20/2009 & rated 88 points: Napa February 2009; 2/16/2009-2/20/2009: Starts with some vanilla oak, good chocolaty body and tannic finish. 88+ (could gain a point or two more with time). A real rip off for $50. (3799 views) |
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| Plumpjack Producer websiteMerlotMerlot 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 |
