| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2010 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valleymore |
7/29/2018 - racerchris Likes this wine: NRPleasurable from start to finish with no decant. |
| Red |
2009 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
9/9/2016 - Chip Merlot Likes this wine: 95 pointsThe preceding notes do a good job of capturing the aromas and flavors of this great wine. The complexity of both just knocked me out, and the overall effect was the one that only great wines deliver, and especially Cali/Napa wines, a happy sensory overload. I love the finesse of a great old-world wine, especially Bordeaux, where you almost have to vacuum the smell out with your nose and close your eyes while you swish the juice around in your mouth, but there are other times when I love this huge Napa style. If I have one detraction it's that the 14.8% claimed ABV is a bit more apparent than I would prefer. Still, I've had lower ABVs that tasted higher. |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/2/2018 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 95 pointsWish I could have experienced with 1-2 hours of air but it went fast. Delicious, in a great window, Let the next few breathe, but no real reason to hold. |
| Red |
2009 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
6/30/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 96 pointsFirst of 6 ($79@) from a recent auction purchase. On the nose, ripe blackberries, semisweet cherries, a touch of cassis, wet earth, a little smoke and intense dark florals, with additional notes on the palate of camphor, anise, a touch of oak, dried spice, leather and a bit of coffee on the end. Deep, dark purple, medium to full-bodied, thick legs. Powerful but well integrated acidity and tannins, no heat. Impressively complex with great persistence and intensity. I gave this wine about 90 minutes of air after the initial 1 oz pour, but it was pretty much ready to go on opening, and has held very well in the 2 days since. Lovely, luscious with a luxurious mouthfeel, there's nothing out of place with this wine, and the balance--between sweet and savory, fruit and structure, elegance and power--is immaculate. Everything about this wine, from the virginal cork to the power of the fruit and backbone, suggests a youthful wine, early in its drinking window. Somewhere in the middle of the modern Napa-Bordeaux continuum, this wine is equally good as a standalone drinker and as a food accompaniment, starring with a NY strip, but also more than respectable with spaghetti and meatballs and even chocolate. 95-96, and giving it the benefit of the doubt because of the fantastic auction price. Really looking forward to seeing how the other bottles develop over the next several years. 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3) |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
10/30/2018 - D3S Likes this wine: 95 pointsGreat color, nose, and elegant well balanced wine with blue fruit, cassis, chocolate and tobacco with long finish. Drinking well now. |
| Red |
2011 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
8/13/2015 - ecola Likes this wine: 94 pointsBright red berry fruit with some blackberry coming in. Lively acidity on the medium to full body. Gains weight and intensity with air. Very long finish showing subtle cedar spice and sweet gripping tannins. Drink now with a long decant or over the 15-20 years. |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
7/31/2021 - Intellectual Sasquatch Likes this wine: 93 pointsThe last bottle (about 4 months earlier) faded after about 3 hours (following a 45 minute decant) - so this was a pop & pour. Funny, but it did need about 1/2 hour to come into its own :). This really sparkled: expressive nose, lush, dark fruit on the palate, and grippy tannins. I would say that this is in a great drinking window right now. A very well made wine, best shared with people who are special to you. 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2000 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/19/2016 - IzeAgeComing Likes this wine: NRThis is ready to drink if not just a tad too soft on the tannin front. Lots of interesting fruits and brambly action. Interesting spice notes on the nose. Lovely pairing for rib roast holiday meal. |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
8/8/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 pointsYB belated at Pine Close. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. |
| Red |
2009 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
8/6/2015 - ecola Likes this wine: 93 pointsRich aromas and flavors of black raspberry, dark cherry, and a little cedar influenced spice. Medium to full body. Very long and lingering finish. |
| Red |
2009 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
10/22/2016 - Iceman611 wrote: 93 pointsIncredibly smooth and powerful on the second day. This wine is surprisingly youthful. Another year in the bottle will certainly help. |
| Red |
2009 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/3/2016 - Iceman611 wrote: 94 pointsDrank vs Secret de Sabon 2011. The Rhone brought an overwhelming show of force, resplendent with overripe fruit, alcohol, damp earth, and an exceptionally long, prickly finish. The Californian was more focused, with blueberries, a nice spicy structure of chickory, and a super dry dust and cocoa finish. Too close to call : make it a draw. |
| Red |
2007 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valleymore |
1/17/2015 - manny651 Likes this wine: 92 pointsgreat juice. dark, big but velvety smooth. big Cali fruit but not a fruit bomb. delicious dark berry with a lasting finish. good amount of sediment. |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/30/2018 - racerchris Likes this wine: 93 pointsHad alongside a 2014 Croix de Beaucaillou. |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/20/2018 - Orson wrote: NRAm not an experienced wine reviewer but know good from bad. This wine is excellent. I concur with other recent reviews. Tannins are velvety. Good balance. Good finish. I wish we had many more 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2) |
| Red |
1998 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valleymore |
11/28/2016 - Zweder wrote: 90 pointsWeekly tasting group RWP #237: Bordeaux blends worldwide (@ BS): Really nice to taste this wine blind again after 10 years. In the bouquet red and dark berries, sweet spices, some bell pepper, barnyard and leather. On the palate red berries, herbs, metal, graphite, laurel and tar. A bit rustic. Good acidity, slightly sticky tannin and a good length. Still very much alive. |
| Red |
1999 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
6/25/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 pointsA really great showing for a 1999 Napa wine, with obvious resemblance to a left bank Bordeaux. Strong whiff of earth, cocoa, and sweet cedar wood flowed by a dry wine, resembling an old Pauillac or St. Julien from a classic vintage. With more time, the wine showed the greener tobacco notes associated with a cool vintage cabernet or a heavy dose of Cabernet Franc. A real head turning experience from a california wine from an overlooked vintage. Strarted declining and showing hints of raisin after 2 hours...Still delicious and all ready to go. Dont miss if you have it. DRINK 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
1999 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
6/2/2023 - wineappreciation wrote: 91 pointsBlackberry, wilted currant, notes of leather and sous bois; mature and aged, some sense of stewed fruit remaining, with a softness that is still pleasing |
| Red |
2010 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valleymore |
6/23/2018 - greedy Likes this wine: 91 pointsPretty good. Gave this 6 hour decant. Really beautiful nose of brambled red berries. |
| Red |
2010 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valleymore |
11/17/2017 - racerchris Likes this wine: 93 pointsWhat a pleasure to drink. 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2009 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/6/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 93 pointsThird of six, and after 2 immaculate bottles, this was ever so slightly disappointing. Really fabulous, fulsome nose, but disjointed on the palate off the pour, with powerful tannins and acidity and vibrant fruit seeming to be working at cross purposes. After about 2 and a half hours, this came together well, but still lacked the balance and elegance of the prior bottles. Similar in qualities to the prior bottles, this certainly wasn’t flawed in any obvious way and was in fact, a very good, highly enjoyable bottle; it was just short of the expectations. Probably a bit better with food (spaghetti and meatballs one night, paella another) than without, but even in the latter instance, very worthwhile. All the elements are still here, so I’m hopeful that the last 3 bottles will be more like the first 2–and I’m not going to rush to drink them—although even if they’re more like this, I certainly won’t use them as cooking wine. I don’t usually rescore wines—I find it annoying when one person hogs the scoring and skews the point totals, but that’s just my opinion—but I am here in light of the disparity. 93+ 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3) |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
9/24/2016 - D3S Likes this wine: 96 pointsOutstanding, nice aromatics, powerful with black fruit and well balanced integrated tannins with hints of chocolate, tobacco and oak. Paired well with duck. |
| Red |
2007 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/3/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 94 pointsRecent one off auction purchase as part of a Merryvale lot (this, ‘09 and ‘10 Profiles and a ‘07 Oakville Grade; total of $264, so just over $65@). On the nose and palate, sweet blueberries, blackberries, tobacco, anise, chocolate, wet earth, oak, vanilla and just a touch of heat. Deep purple, full bodied, thick legs. Medium/+ tannins and acidity, well integrated. VG+ complexity, VG++ intensity and persistence. More positive experience here than recent tasters. This came out of the bottle singing, so much so I kept it corked when drinking as I was afraid it would do a quick fade, but it didn’t, holding well and consistently over 2 nights. For me, this wine fell just a bit short of the ‘09, which I recently completed a half case of, having consumed over about 3 years, primarily because the balance isn’t quite as good, with classic Napa traits like oak and vanilla sticking out a bit more than I’d prefer, giving this light notes of sweetness and booziness. But these are generally held in check well, far better than in most cult cabs displaying these traits, by the intact acidity and tannins, and the fruit still shines opulently and deliciously. The structure keeps this wine likewise excelling as a food wine with mixed grill but also great as a cocktail wine. The half case had more bottle variation than I’d have expected, and I do wonder, based on reading notes here, if that’s also occurring, but this bottle was in really good shape, later rather than earlier in its drinking window, and I wouldn’t fall asleep on it, but based on this bottle, you at least don’t need to worry about drinking it yesterday. If not the greatest qpr viz full boat retail, pretty larcenous at what I paid. Highly enjoyable. 94+ 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
9/17/2016 - ecola Likes this wine: 96 pointsFantastic! Drinking great now. Explosive cherry and blackberry along with emerging secondary flavors of leather, tobacco, and earth. Balanced acidity from start to finish. |
| Red |
2008 Merryvale ProfileNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
7/3/2016 - WineWright Likes this wine: 94 pointsContinues to be a fabulous wine. Earthy minerality, charcoal, tobacco. Tonight this was a rustic and rich experience. |
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