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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 22 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Frijole on 2/12/2022: burgundy brown, little clarity, ruby hue
Nose: plum, tobacco, tar, chocolate, wet earth, black pepper, allspice, dust, minerals, smoke, oak
Pal: plums, tobacco, tar, licorice, chocolate, wet earth, black pepper, allspice, dust, minerals, cola, smoke, oak
Feel: medium, savory
Finish: medium
T8 (478 views) | | | Tasted by Charlie C on 1/28/2019 flawed bottle: Corked. Pity, there does seem to still be some potentially pleasant plum and cherry fruit there. (908 views) | | | Tasted by Frijole on 10/4/2017: maroon plum red, little clarity, slight ruby hue
Nose: plum, cherry, tobacco, cigar, tar, wet earth, clove, green pepper, mushrooms, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, stem, oak
Pal: plum, cherry, tobacco, cigar, tar, wet earth, clove, green pepper, mushrooms, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, stem, oak
Feel: medium, full, round, acidic
Finish: medium
T8 (1244 views) | | | Tasted by JCGuthrie on 6/5/2015 & rated 90 points: Nice aged merlot. If I had more, would be inclined to drink it sooner rather than later. (2299 views) | | | Tasted by ChinaBounder on 8/14/2014 & rated 90 points: I got a dozen of these from auction about four years ago and most struck me as uninspiring. I just put this down to the luck of the draw at auction, though also I’ve always been a little ambivalent about Merlot. I’ve seldom had a bottle of it that made me sit up and take notice.
But the last three bottles of this have been impressive. Maybe I just got hold of it in a dumb phase. Bother.
Anyhow, it’s got a lovely fresh-picked blue-fruit bouquet, and the taste is good. I can’t say that any particular flavors stand out (well, maybe some green apple and rhubarb, but both faint) - really it just tastes like itself, a decent, well-made wine. Good strong color, too. I think it likely has a good few years ahead of it, and certainly seems in no danger of fading. But as to whether it will improve or is now at peak - I just can’t say.
Still, I do wish this was not my last bottle; it has now intrigued me and I’d like to monitor is for a few more years. (2801 views) | | | Tasted by saturnaisland on 5/6/2012 & rated 86 points: Needs about an hour to settle down. Initially there was an impression of bright red fruit with a bit of heat. After some time it was quite smooth and mellow with very subdued fading fruit, hints of chocolate, and rounded tannins. Slight bitterness on the finish. Okay wine; a bit unidimensional. (3384 views) | | | Tasted by The Last Syrah on 5/6/2012 & rated 87 points: Strawberry rhubarb aromas - strong initially, but fades with time. Nicely integrated oak with spicy notes on the palette. Definitely improved and smoothed out after initial opening. (3866 views) | | | Tasted by ChinaBounder on 12/3/2011 & rated 76 points: Not very impressed with this. Not bad in any way; smooth, drinkable, agreeable. But bland. Color good, deep and rich, minor rim. Smell - a little vapory, somewhat a hint of clean tire rubber. Brown sugar? Perhaps it's gone to sleep since it certainly does not seem to be too old, not falling apart. I got this bottle at auction, and have a few more so I will leave notes on other purchases. But this does not seem flawed bottle so I do not expect a great deal more from the others. (3306 views) | | | Tasted by bambam on 2/10/2011 & rated 92 points: The critics really missed this one. I remember that it really did not drink well the first year as most of the 90's Palomas often did. Showing some maturity but drinking fabulous. Brown suger, asian five spice, cherries. This still has a few more years in it but I would drink up if you have them. Sadly my last bottle. (2909 views) | | | Tasted by JFish on 11/19/2010: My last bottle. This wine has never dissapointed and this bottle is no exception. Popped and poured. Old saddle leather and cherries on the nose. Smooth texture on the palate still with just a bit of tannin. Medium body. Drinking very well. (2635 views) | | | Tasted by bambam on 11/30/2009 flawed bottle: Corked - wet newspaper - auction bottle again. 2/3 have been spoiled so far! (2108 views) | | | Tasted by bambam on 10/4/2009 flawed bottle: Good fill, depressed cork that was not evident until I pulled the foil, stewed flavors, cooked. Bought at auction. (2142 views) | | | Tasted by winesplat on 1/6/2009 & rated 92 points: The nose of this was beautiful; molasses, Asian spice, and raisin. Great integration of tannins for a wine of its age. The finish was pleasant, I really enjoyed this wine. (2461 views) | | | Tasted by beezer6 on 1/4/2009 & rated 92 points: Really excellent effort -- especially for such an off vintage. After eleven years the color has held well. Beautiful vibrant deep ruby in the glass.
The perfume is extremely exotic filled with lots of Asian hoisen dipping sauce...at least soy sauce family.
Nice spicy red cherries, milk chocolate, and cola.
The palate is lush and still very well structured. Similar dark red berries, rasins and more vanilla and cinnamon baking spice lead to a long finish with moderate high tannins, acidity and alcohol levels which work in complete harmony.
More Old World in style than most quality California Merlot. As my first Paloma experience this was a winner. (2259 views) | | | Tasted by sw92130 on 11/27/2008 & rated 87 points: This was my very first bottle purchased from Paloma. I remember deciding to let it age before opening, and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer!
Still some fruit, but didn't last long after opening. Definitely nothing left the following morning. (2311 views) | | | Tasted by bambam on 2/16/2008 & rated 92 points: Great wine for the vintage. Chocolate, red berries. This is better than the '97 or '99. (2517 views) | | | Tasted by Afrazer on 10/4/2007 & rated 91 points: Last of the '98. Not as good as previous bottles - starting to show its vintage. (2781 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 6/12/2007 & rated 90 points: VANILLA & CREAM THE FIRST NIGHT TURNED TO CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRIES IN THE NOSE THE 2ND NIGHT. FLAVOR WAS A BIT SPICY ON THE TONGUE BUT NICE RASPBERRY FRUIT THE SECOND NIGHT. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH. (165 views) | | | Tasted by cck on 9/28/2006 & rated 92 points: Paloma sure scored on this supposedly weak vintage. Strong power yet well balanced. Crushed red berries with some earthy undertones. Great surprise. (3075 views) |
| Paloma 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)Spring Mountain DistrictWikipedia article on the Spring Mountain Distric AVA. |
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