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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.9 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 43 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Winokdub on 12/31/2023 & rated 92 points: Probably a hair past it prime but still fantastic. (145 views) | | | Tasted by TSRFan on 9/24/2016 & rated 95 points: Deep red color, little oxidation, perfectly ripe red fruit, current, raspberry, floral notes, faint eucalyptus, maybe dried thyme, mocha, beef jerky, faint dust, light oak, medium acidity, good body, soft/silky tannins, med alcohol - AMAZING for a 17 year old wine. Just perfect! (2603 views) | | | Tasted by unionst on 7/1/2015 & rated 97 points: Is Little Richard in the house? Good golly miss Miss Molly!
As dark a wine as you will see. Black with dark cherry at the edge.
Blackberries, ripe currants, leather, some mint with black pepper and green peppercorns in the background. Think of Munch's painting "The Scream"...this wine is in agony for a steak.
Thrilling concentration of dark-berried fruit and plum, sweet and granular tannins, a little tree root for grip. The finish has both astringency (think lemon peel in an espresso) and length. The depth and concentration of this wine make it elite.
As a side note, I overbought 1999 Cabs in general (newly built cellar and determined to fill it - yes, a bit of a rookie mistake). I have found most to be overripe for my palate and, in general, a bit disappointing in that they ar mostly one dimensional. While this example does not deliver layers of nuance it delights because its core (concentration and purity of fruit with great balance) is as good as it gets. 100% Napa terror. Just Outstanding! (3367 views) | | | Tasted by HandmadeHomemade on 4/11/2015 & rated 93 points: The shoulder of the bottle was packed with sediment, so I decanted for about an hour and a half. Upon decanting, I noticed that wine still looked very youthful- a nice purple rim with no bricking. Notes of creme de cassis, tannic black fruit, and earth were prominent. Flavors of tar, mint, black cherry, black plums, and leather were prominent. The wine was deftly balanced with there being a good amount of fruit left in the wine. I'd don't know if this wine is at it's peak (I'd bet on some good bottle variance) but damn was this a nice wine. (3294 views) | | | Tasted by skoppel on 3/23/2015 & rated 90 points: Fully integrated, drinking at its peak, chocolate and tar come through with a nice longish finish. Did not have much leftover the next day so my sense is that it is at the end of its window. (3253 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 2/23/2013 & rated 93 points: A remarkable wine consumed perhaps a bit ahead of the curve! (4622 views) | | | Tasted by WineHawkeye on 8/11/2012 & rated 86 points: Drink Up. Was an 89 or higher, now an 86. (3244 views) | | | Tasted by Winiac on 5/25/2012 & rated 92 points: Dark ruby color with copper ring on the edges. Very expressive bouquet of green pepper and herbs. Silky smooth on the palate with exceptional balance. Good back bone structure and acidity. Stood up to food very well and showed how well made the wine is. Good length and extremely pleasant finish. Do not keep it any longer as I suspect it is at the peak of its maturity and will decline from now on. (2668 views) | | | Tasted by fritza on 3/19/2012 & rated 86 points: Red hue, tight nose. A bit past it's prime. Light fruit over powered by bit of bitterness and definite cassis with soft tannins. (2853 views) | | | Tasted by NaughtyGeo on 2/3/2012 & rated 89 points: Older than it should be, but excellent bouqet and fine silky tannins still persist through the somewhat muted finish. (3068 views) | | | Tasted by jinks on 9/3/2011 & rated 92 points: Classic nose of cassis, dried fruit and grilled asparagus. lovely mouthfeel, smooth integrated tannins. Quite enjoyable. (2138 views) | | | Tasted by skoppel on 6/27/2011 & rated 90 points: A graceful lady, drinking nicely. Elegant, understated with currant, blackberries, tar, licorice all echoing through the palate. Finish is short to mid-length. A nice example of an aged California wine. It won't knock your socks off, but it never was going to at its price point. (2168 views) | | | Tasted by jswine15 on 4/30/2011 & rated 88 points: Has not aged well...drink now, I don't think its going to get any better. all tannins, little fruit (2303 views) | | | Tasted by PIntag on 10/30/2010 & rated 87 points: Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Vertical Blind Tasting (5th Street Dinner Club): Tasted single blind in a Merryvale vertical. Nose a little tight but showing dusty currant, menthol. On the palate, shows the currant from the nose but this really was on the thin side of the spectrum and the least depth of the flight. Some fine tannins present as well. Finishes very tart and short. I incorrectly guessed that this was the 2000. My #6 of the flight and the group's #4. (3610 views) | | | Tasted by Sir Long Pour on 1/7/2010 & rated 90 points: This wine was well worth the wait and price when I bought it from the tasting room in 2003. The magnum format definately aided the aging process as this cab was ripe with dark plums and a bit of fig and cassis. This wine developed nicely over the course of a NYE dinner and the magnum (decanted in 2 containers) gave plenty of good cheer for a cold Michigan NYE. Paired with a 10-hour smoked pork shoulder. (3167 views) | | | Tasted by wabi47 on 3/12/2009 & rated 89 points: lush ripe plum with a hint of prune; mushroom and sous bois in just enough amount to be nice; low acidity; goes well with bbq state; (3310 views) | | | Tasted by bigdogflow on 1/24/2009 & rated 91 points: Dinner at Godai Sushi (4 Cabs and a Pinot) (Godai Sushi, San Antonio, TX): Popped and poured. This wine took a while to get going. A definite decanter in the future. Lots of fruit on the nose, but taste was a little off for about 30 minutes. After that, wine was very good. Taste of blackberry, currants with a hint of vanilla and oak. (3805 views) | | | Tasted by nate's cellar on 8/14/2008 & rated 89 points: Well aged, still nice fruit, smooth finish (3396 views) | | | Tasted by GolferChris on 1/10/2008 & rated 90 points: Consistent with past bottles. This wine is still holding up well. Blackberry, cherry, leather, spice and oak. Nice structure with integrated tannins and medium finish. (3689 views) | | | Tasted by wabi47 on 12/17/2007 & rated 86 points: very good fruits albeit with a fig and prune component to the berry flavor; some residual tannins are not overwhelming, and wood is minor; good body and texture; used to be my style, but now a bit jammy and flabby for my taste; (3895 views) | | | Tasted by GolferChris on 10/30/2007 & rated 90 points: This wine has aged well. Nice white rim surrounding the brick red color. Lovely flavors of blackberry, cherry, leather, and oak. Well integrated tannins, good structure and balance. Medium length finish. A fine effort from a Great Vintage. Drinking very well now. (4051 views) | | | Tasted by lano on 6/9/2007 & rated 90 points: Nose was underwhelming, but fairly bright flavors of blackberry and cherry with mild tannins. Opened up more as the night went on. (4092 views) | | | Tasted by budman on 11/14/2006 & rated 87 points: Looks like the tannin is still dominating the fruit in this bottle. (4373 views) | | | Tasted by WST on 7/26/2006 & rated 88 points: Expressive nose with cassis and black cherry dominating. No signs of aging in color or palate. Tannins still prominent but not oppressive. A little heat on the finish. (4577 views) | | | Tasted by Brett on 7/15/2006 & rated 88 points: Nice bottle, fruit nose and a bit tight at first. Opened up very nicely. (4444 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vintage Retrospective: The 1999 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2019) (5/1/2019)
(Merryvale Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (napa Valley) Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2002, IWC Issue #102
(Merryvale Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Merryvale Producer website
Merryvale Vineyards is a family-owned Napa Valley winery dedicated to passionate winemaking and the fine art of living well. For the past 25 years Merryvale has been turning exceptional Napa Valley grapes into world class wine.
Merryvale is world renowned for rich, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the iconic Bordeaux-style red blend, Profile, and our everyday drinking, fruit driven brand, Starmont. Merryvale's historic building was the first
winery built in the Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and has become a must see attraction for visitors to the valley. Merryvale is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through conservation,
renewable energy and sustainable farming practices at our three estate vineyards. Merryvale has received Napa Green Vineyard, Napa Green Winery and Bay Area Green Business certifications.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonReserve The Wine News | Wine Country This Week | Wine Lover's PageUSAAmerican 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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