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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.5 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 27 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by HotelHarrington on 10/15/2022: So much VA (492 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 12/25/2021: Note from 2 years ago pretty much says it all. I was a bit concerned that it was fading, but it put on weight as we drank it. Drink or hold (583 views) | | | Tasted by Lipsman on 6/14/2019 & rated 90 points: Bricking, yet still a deeply saturated purple. Mellowed from a few years ago. Drying tannins, good minerality, plums and black cherries. Nice length and finish. An enjoyable if outsized merlot. (1152 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 1/9/2018: This actually took me by surprise. Cork was intact but a little crumbly. Color barely showing its 21 yrs. nose was dark plum and cedar dominated and also picked up some dustiness. Swishing shows some residual structure but the fruit balances and the finish is med long. Life ahead for sure, and will continue to mature. Happy bday ev. (1521 views) | | | Tasted by Lipsman on 11/23/2017 & rated 90 points: Tastes exactly like the 2006 Paloma Merlot, only older with less stewed berries. Tart cherries, jammy fruits on the palate along with anise. Smoke and cherry aromas. Not as blousy as 2006 but still big, powerful. (1626 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 12/23/2014: PNP. Cork perfect. Color garnet with bricking. On the nose this showed quite a lot of secondary, including tar, tobacco, wet leather, and some cocoa and vanilla notes to accompany the dark fruit. swishing after opening blasts the drinker with tannin, and there is some acid, but the tannin overwhelms the fruit. sipping on the other hand allowed this to shine. Dark fruit meshes beautifully with the structure, subduing it, and leaving great mouthfeel and flavor. medium length finish. delicious (2820 views) | | | Tasted by Lipsman on 10/26/2014 & rated 88 points: I would never guess this is a Merlot. It says 13% alcohol on the label, but I'm guessing > 14.5%. Humongous, bloated fruit and oak with acidity to match, which keeps it from being flaccid. Plenty of sediment but strong tea-like tannins are still in-your-face. Needs more time in the cellar, assuming it will ever be worth drinking. Jammy fruits, primarily the berries of sur maturite, plus cherries, vanilla and licorice. Subtlety is not in the cards here. God invented Zinfandel so that Merlot wouldn't have to suffer this indignity. (2838 views) | | | Tasted by wiscgrad on 4/27/2013 & rated 93 points: smoke on the nose. fully integrated tannins. lush mouthfeel. Drink now. (3098 views) | | | Tasted by Erolso1 on 4/25/2013 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 1.5 hours. Dark and brooding in the glass. The sea was angry that day my friend. Camphor and fall grass, juniper, stone and smoky campfire. Tannins are beautifully integrated and make for a sublime mouthfeel. Fruit and jam, but subtle. Pepper on the finish after 30 minutes in the glass. Paired with rare lambchops. Absolutely perfect. (2740 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 1/1/2013: PNP. Cork perfect. Color dark garnet w ruby edges. Nose started mostly secondary w primarily cedar, tobacco and leather. With air this started showing dark fruits that eventually retreat after an hour to show somewhat meaty secondary aromas. Swishing shows acid and soft tannin supporting soft plums. Sipping shows nice mouthfeel with good balance dark plummy fruit and finishes with grilled meat flavors. Really nice evolution during the past ~2 yrs since I tried last. Definitely progressing and with life ahead. Like others before would not have guessed blind that this is merlot. (2773 views) | | | Tasted by TJK on 12/28/2012 & rated 95 points: Drank at Mustards in Yountville, CA. Amazing! This was at perfect drinking window. Decanted and consumed immediately(broken cork). Dark, dense and delicious. Big and full almost cab like. Really smooth with hint of chocolate and dark fruits. So sad to see this last bottle go. (1664 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 1/12/2011: This was delicious. Color is still dark, wine fairly opaque, with just a hint of brick on the edges. Nose with dark cherry, figs, and some spice. This wine has transitioned on palate from totally dark fruit and oaky tannin to more secondary flavors. mine is holding up very well, and because it is a bday wine for my youngest this is the 6th time in as many years that i have tried it, and it is still evolving, now softer than i remember. if you like secondary nose/flavors this still has time, and by my estimation there is plenty of life left and i look forwrd to drinking these for the next 6-10 years. i agree with a previous assessment that i would not pick this out for a merlot, but blind would guess that it is cab based wine. (2540 views) | | | Tasted by sachsen on 4/15/2010: No rating--flawed. By far the worst showing of any of these that i have had. Sadly, it was our last bottle. (2092 views) | | | Tasted by SteveG on 6/5/2008 & rated 85 points: Brilliant dark cherry to purple, oak and smoke but not much fruit nose, subsequently surprising since in the mouth the flavor is fresh and almost straight blackberry, and more oak. Pretty long finish, but accentuates sweetness of the primary fruit, unexpectedly hot for 'only' 13% alcohol. Overpowered our broiled lamb chops. Quite possibly exactly what the winemaker intended but not to my taste. (2466 views) | | | Tasted by jeff nowak on 2/12/2008 flawed bottle: not corked, but horribly out of wack and basically undrinkable. (2470 views) | | | Tasted by jivey on 2/12/2008: BWN - Huge dark fruits, muddy in color hot tannic finish.. I think this was an off bottle. (2257 views) | | | Tasted by kstoddard on 2/12/2008: Blind Night: Blackberry, earth, graphite. Flat and alcoholic on the finish. Not a fan of this winery. 13% alcohol. (3087 views) | | | Tasted by mattiasjansson on 2/12/2008: Blind Night - Kevin's place (Kevin Stoddard's house): Not sure if the bottle was flawed, but it was so bad I have to assume the bottle was off somehow. Searing hot - nearly undrinkable. (3187 views) | | | Tasted by mappleton on 12/27/2007 & rated 92 points: dark, rich and very aromatic. very impressive and going stroing (2523 views) | | | Tasted by TripDaddy on 10/27/2006 flawed bottle: CORKED! (2803 views) | | | Tasted by danstrings on 4/17/2006 & rated 88 points: Wonderful aromatics that open in the glass--tarry minty cherry, chocolate. A bit "biting" on the palate with almost a metallic tinge, better with food though. Developing, not over the hill, but probably at its peak. Probably about as good as it gets for domestic merlot. (2945 views) | | | Tasted by sciotosons on 12/25/2005 & rated 93 points: Nice lush fruit with well-integrated tannins (2917 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 12/18/2004 & rated 93 points: RICH BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH JUICY SWEET TANNINS AND A LONG FINISH. (325 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 2/11/2004 & rated 93 points: Subtle caramel, coffee nose; nice, coffee, black fruit, caramel palate; medium finish (1744 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 8/2/2003 & rated 93 points: Chocolatey nose; rounded, chocolate, caramel, cherry palate lacking some structure; medium finish (1406 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1998, IWC Issue #78
(Paloma Vineyard Merlot Spring Mountain District) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (2/11/2004)
(Paloma Merlot) Subtle caramel, coffee nose; nice, coffee, black fruit, caramel palate; medium finish 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/2/2003)
(Paloma Merlot) Chocolatey nose; rounded, chocolate, caramel, cherry palate lacking some structure; medium finish 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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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