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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.8 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 282 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Quinnyard11 on 1/22/2024: Tasted this at Pride Mountain about a year ago (2023) and it was really good. So, I took advantage and picked up a couple of bottles. One remaining in my cellar. In my estimation, it probably has another few years to be enjoyed. (385 views) | | | Tasted by Sonoma-W on 4/6/2023 & rated 93 points: Lots of fruit and energy, not overly oaky. A bit "dusty" when first opened -- developed nicely in the next 15+ minutes (402 views) | | | Tasted by maxmanx on 3/17/2023: PnP. My friend thought the fruit was gone, but I really enjoyed the secondary characteristics and didn't miss the fruit at all. (803 views) | | | Tasted by Working_to_retire on 3/25/2022 & rated 90 points: Needed to decant and sit for about 2 hours before drinking. Drank well and would be great with a nice seasoned steak. (1408 views) | | | Tasted by quincow2 on 7/27/2021 & rated 90 points: Wonderful stone fruit (1745 views) | | | Tasted by SeattlePaul on 12/29/2020: Lovely, elegant, delicious. (1771 views) | | | Tasted by bqvino on 3/3/2019 & rated 89 points: A classic Pride Merlot in its later years - fading but still classy. (2580 views) | | | Tasted by terry j on 4/6/2018 & rated 90 points: Good, but not great. Soft and straightforward, with nice depth on the palate. Flavor seemed a bit on the sweet side. (3042 views) | | | Tasted by AlexHop on 11/28/2017 & rated 90 points: Nice and balanced. Sage and herbs on the nose. Nice long finish. (2890 views) | | | Tasted by Redrum on 8/21/2016 & rated 93 points: Aging gracefully. Lots of chocolate notes and secondary elements. Mature but not over the hill. (5717 views) | | | Tasted by Night Train on 6/18/2016 & rated 90 points: Typical Pride Merlot - round, plush, rich, and flat out delicious. Seems to be fading, with secondary flavors much stronger than the remaining fruit. IMHO, it's time to drink up. (5832 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 6/9/2016 & rated 90 points: Coravin'd two glasses day one, popped the cork on the remaining 2/3 bottle day two. Aged toasted oak and vanilla on the nose; modest bricking on the edges. Very smooth, charred wood and leather - closer to a bordeaux than a cali merlot. Early on there was a brief sour aftertaste back-palate, but that faded with an hour of bottle air. Fine but I'd drink up. (5247 views) | | | Tasted by Mscruggs on 5/30/2016 & rated 91 points: After re-reading Parker's review I continue to be surprised by how well this wine seems to be drinking. I score it much higher than that '08 rating. (4686 views) | | | Tasted by Redrum on 5/11/2016 & rated 93 points: Smooth, rich and powerful -- virtually indistinguishable from a high quality cabernet, which is what I like about Pride's wines. Plenty of tread left on the tires at 10 years old. Tremendous value at around $50. (3325 views) | | | Tasted by AlexHop on 5/10/2016 & rated 92 points: Rich, elegant, great balance. Everything I look for in this wine. (2073 views) | | | Tasted by jerrylindstrom on 4/11/2016 & rated 91 points: I did not expect to like this wine, but it was excellent. Very smooth tannins. Drank with burgers. Nice. (1963 views) | | | Tasted by danscellar on 3/31/2016 & rated 91 points: A really nice merlot, sorry that this is my last bottle. Drinking well, enjoy!! (1789 views) | | | Tasted by golfwine on 2/27/2016 & rated 89 points: At 10 years old, it was still holding on - structurally anyways - with firm tannins and a perceptive level of acidity. That said, it was a tad disjointed; the Pride-typical, Cali fruit notably faded. Aromatically, it was phenomenal with distinct notes of cocoa-dusted dark chocolate truffles. Another fault being a prominent whiff of alcohol.
A vintage of this wine from the prior decade which one critic described as "liquified Viagra" :), was my intro to Bob Foley's work at Pride. This bottle was far from that but moderately enjoyable nonetheless. (1963 views) | | | Tasted by danscellar on 1/6/2016 & rated 91 points: A really nice fruit forward but well structured merlot. Some nice tannin, complexity with a very solid finish. Enjoy! (2036 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 12/11/2015 & rated 92 points: 45 mins of undecanted air, followed over 2 hours. Light dark fruit on the nose; watery black cherry w strawberry notes on the palate. Very easy to drink with or without food, this paired nicely w sautéed salmon over spinach and bacon. Solid merlot in the heart of its window, I'll extend the drinking period to 2017 but will drink remaining bottles in '16. (2157 views) | | | Tasted by Night Train on 10/31/2015 & rated 91 points: My first bottle of the 2006. I wish my car was as reliable as Pride Merlots. Looked, smelled, and tasted exactly like what I had expected. Round, plush, rich, with a nice finish. Took to a party and two or three people declared it WOTN. Although I wouldn't go that far (the 1996 Dominus wasn't half bad), it was/is a terrific wine. Holding up just fine. (2181 views) | | | Tasted by danscellar on 8/10/2015 & rated 91 points: A really nice well structured Merlot. Good color, nose and fruit. Nice complexity and sturcture, enjoy!!! (2452 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 5/30/2015 & rated 91 points: Gread pop n pour. Blackberry, white pepper are dominant on the nose. Tannins are medium and coat the palate nicely, dissipating fairly quickly allowing the finish to linger for 15+ seconds. All the components really get along well in the glass, with red cherry, spicebox, watery blackberry and a hint of vanilla. In a very good place today, I'll drink my remaining bottles by 1Q16 (2666 views) | | | Tasted by Drankthewholebottle on 3/15/2015 & rated 94 points: The color is deepest opaque red with noticible fine solids suspended throughout. There was only 1/4 tsp of sediment in the bottle and none on the filter. Nose gives briny and peppery black fruit liqueur. The legs are slow to form and slower sliding down the glass. Blackberry olive oil and chocolate coat the palate like a milkshake with a fat juicy finish. After some airtime hints of cinnamon mint and bubblegum appear. Lucky for me that's what I'm into. (2794 views) | | | Tasted by danscellar on 2/8/2015 & rated 91 points: Just the previous recent bottles, very nice with our grilled pork loin! (2724 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2009, IWC Issue #144
(Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot Napa County/Sonoma County) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/24/2009)
(Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot) Rich, black fruit nose; plush, black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. 91 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (6/20/2009)
(Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot) Medium red violet color; cedar, plum, black fruit and berry nose; okay plum, berry, black fruit palate with a touch of spice and sweet tannins; medium finish 89 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/23/2009)
(Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot) Focused black fruit, vanilla and lilac nose; tangy, tart black fruit, tart plum palate; medium finish 90+ pts. 90 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/25/2008)
(Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot) Deep plum nose; chocolate and berry palate; medium finish (11% Cabernet Sauvignon) 92 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Pride Mountain Vineyards Producer website2006 Pride Mountain Vineyards MerlotFrom our vineyard atop Spring Mountain, the 2006 vintage produced wines of generous richness and expressive aromatics, and our Merlot is no exception. Red cherry, raspberry, cocoa and tar notes in the nose frame a broad wine with plenty of stuffing. With the first sip, the sensuous mouthfeel leads into the wine’s more serious side, as weighty but sweet tannins extend into a minutes-long finish. The blend is made up of 81% Clone 181 Merlot, contributing classic red fruit and bright acidity, 7% Clone 3 Merlot, adding heady floral and black fruit notes, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon from our terraced Canyon Ranch vineyard block, bringing structure and focus to the final cuvée. A wine for Cabernet lovers, our Merlot is no wine to underestimate, and will continue to evolve over ten to twelve years in the bottle
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Appellation: Napa/Sonoma
Vintage: 2006
Harvest: October 2006
Fermentation: Stainless Steel
Cooperage: French Oak
Blend: 89% Merlot/11% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.8%
Bottling: April 2008
Production: 6077 cases
Release Date: May 19, 2008
Price: $56.00MerlotMerlot 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 North CoastThe North Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California, covering more than three million acres, includes Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and portions of Marin and Solano counties. (see The Wine Institute for more information) |
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