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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.1 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 90 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Rbtrage on 9/24/2023 & rated 94 points: One of the best merlots ive had! (257 views) | | | Tasted by Vineyard Boy on 7/30/2022 & rated 93 points: At it’s peak, but on it’s way down, drink in the next 3-5 years (882 views) | | | Tasted by Cow Town on 11/26/2021 & rated 90 points: Interesting notes - seem to go back and forth between great and past its prime. I had a foot in both camps. It showed its age, with some secondary notes, some bricking on the edges, and a shorter finish. For me, I’d say drink these within seven years of vintage. But, it was an interesting wine that made for good conversation about the age ability of modern Napa. Good and bad. (1324 views) | | | Tasted by Vineyard Boy on 4/2/2021 & rated 93 points: Can last another 10 years. Not much decanting needed. (1584 views) | | | Tasted by jhngo on 7/4/2020 & rated 90 points: silky smooth tons of fruit but lacks tannin and structure to keep rein in the richness. Drinks fat. (1849 views) | | | Tasted by joshabramson on 6/11/2020 & rated 95 points: Drank side by side with a 13’ Schrader to Kalon T6 and the Buccella was everyone’s favorite. Really in a nice place now, fruit is rich but not too much, very nice balanced. (1763 views) | | | Tasted by OWC on 4/7/2018 & rated 93 points: Truly lovely merlot. Amazing, multifaceted nose. Strong but balanced on the palate. Drink now (2729 views) | | | Tasted by cubswinws on 11/4/2017 & rated 94 points: Lovely wine. Fruit still holding well and wine is actually quite flamboyant. Great showing! (2802 views) | | | Tasted by Bobbusch on 9/20/2017 & rated 93 points: This wine is still going strong. Nice notes of coffee, plum undertones with a long finish (2657 views) | | | Tasted by cubswinws on 8/14/2017 & rated 94 points: Stellar wine with great fruit and long finish. Lovely at this point. (2647 views) | | | Tasted by Bluffan on 6/7/2016 & rated 95 points: 55th birthday wine lived up to its reputation (4370 views) | | | Tasted by danson on 5/26/2016 & rated 97 points: This bottle was decanted two hours prior to drinking. Deep, inky purple in colour. No sediment. Strong and enticing aromas of creme de cassis, pencil shavings and black olive. Full bodied with a rich, silky mouth feel, medium to sweet tannins and well integrated oak. Dark velvety fruits on the palate integrating with cacao, tobacco, vanilla and warm spice developing on the (very long) finish. A wonderfully balanced merlot.
Drinking beautifully now until 2025. (3229 views) | | | Tasted by MJTed on 7/26/2015 & rated 94 points: Big, flawless merlot. Bursting with black and red cherry fruit, acidic structure and depth. (3745 views) | | | Tasted by slywka7 on 5/10/2015 flawed bottle: Corked. MF. (3896 views) | | | Tasted by ajfret01 on 1/31/2015: Big voluptuous nose. Cedar, cherry, and plum. Smooth well integrated tannins. (3968 views) | | | Tasted by Loren Sonkin on 12/29/2014 & rated 94 points: 30+ wines in Michigan (The Goldberg's): This is a huge wine. It was a bit controversial due to that. I liked it a lot. It probably won't hit its peak for five years at least. The inevitable discussion of whether these wines will age occurred. I think it will age just fine. At 7 years from vintage, it is drinking well. The nose has cedar, cherries and dark cherries. Creamy texture. tons of dark cherry and cherry fruit on the palate. Certainly, some would dismiss this as a "cherry milkshake" but I thought it had great fruit. Nice acidity. Still primary, I think it will develop, but I would lay these down for a while. (4177 views) | | | Tasted by vinomex on 5/7/2014 & rated 93 points: No formal notes, but extremely enjoyable. Entering its drinking window. Some heat at the beginning that quickly vanished. (4217 views) | | | Tasted by pakabear on 3/29/2014 & rated 92 points: Great fruit, huge wine, some nice components and structure but I'm worried about the hot finish. (3650 views) | | | Tasted by J0R0 on 3/28/2014 & rated 95 points: Pure, focused and complete from pop to the last gulp. Wish I had a lot more of this wine. Only 1 left. To me, this might be the essence of merlot. Was certainly a crowd pleaser and WOTN for many. Lighter than I remember in the past but such a wonderful package. Wonderful balance to accompany a long finish. Just enough structure to make you question if this is a cab blend but certainly no fluffy merlot. (3393 views) | | | Tasted by wren460 on 3/20/2014 & rated 94 points: This is a Shelby GT500...fun fun fun wine and extremely delicious. As I have said before, the nose is worth $100 alone. I have noticed that this wine needs decanting, but not so much. I suggest 1 hr or so of decant. (3364 views) | | | Tasted by damo2576 on 2/22/2014 & rated 92 points: Big red fruit nose, same on the palate, well balanced, medium tannins, medium finish. Bit lacking in structure and one dimensional (fruit) but delicious. (3184 views) | | | Tasted by tp096255 on 1/19/2014 & rated 92 points: Still a 92, this thing has barely budged in 2.5 years. It's best after a 4 hour decant and with Italian food that is heavy on garlic (brings out the sweetness). It's not like the 2006 but it's a great Merlot nonetheless. This thing could probably age for another 10+ years and not see its peak. (2692 views) | | | Tasted by shellywine on 7/18/2013 & rated 94 points: Took two bottles to a dinner with friends. Even with an hour of decant everyone was very pleased with this wine. Great beginning, middle and an extended finish. Will be even better in a year or so. (3478 views) | | | Tasted by zoeldar on 6/27/2013 & rated 95 points: Ah, a marvelous example of Napa merlot...big fruit, unique sorta nose with a rhubarb-like quality - not offensive in any way, just interesting (will be able to pick it out blind easily)...intricate palate, finishing with a lovely mocha finish. Kept developing after decant until the end...has many years left on it, will continue to evolve. (3374 views) | | | Tasted by wren460 on 6/8/2013 & rated 94 points: Damn you Buccella for making such a delicious wine !!! Again, the nose is soooooooo good. Decant decant decant !!!! has 3 years of life ahead, I dont see how it can develop from here on. (3274 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Buccella 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 |
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