4/22/2024 - brouigu1 Likes this wine:

The 21 years since this was crafted has been very good to this wine. The nose itself was intoxicating with deep blue fruits of plum & blackberries wrapped around some vanilla from the oak.

The palate was soft and lush and very well balanced. While the tannins are securely in place it was not as stringent. Plenty of black fruits, herbs and oak imparted spices and vanilla. This did get better with airtime but good to go from the bottle. One reviewer preferred this without food, and it was delish, but paired with Italian made that 3rd flavor emerge which increased enjoyment considerably!

4/20/2024 - aaslanian Likes this wine:

showing incredible fruit and color, love this wine.
The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

4/14/2024 - JS199 wrote:

Rich and layered.

3/30/2024 - fdub Likes this wine:

Drank after a stellar line up of Bordeaux. This was Napa but with some great undertones of mineral, floral and crushed herbs. Very nice spot right now.

3/24/2024 - Dine&Vine wrote:

Wine has soften up and is drinking very smoothly now. Full bodied, ready to drink now.

3/22/2024 - Blue Jay Likes this wine:

Smooth and full bodied with flavors of blackberries, plum, mocha and a great example of a Merlot.

3/17/2024 - MrDabbo73 Likes this wine:

Like it. Solid Merlot

3/17/2024 - AccaDacca Likes this wine:

Spectacular

3/7/2024 - kenv Likes this wine:

WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): [Double decanted all at 1:00 PM, recorked at 5:00 PM.] Rich black cherry nose. Long, complex, elegant. Again, not 100% Cab, but not as balanced as 2.1.
[After the tasting, we realized that this was the Merlot, and not the 2004 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red. At least I was correct when I wrote, "not 100% Cab".]

3/2/2024 - Pinotmic wrote:

Very fruity -

3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote:

(100% Merlot, 15.1% Alkohol) Dichtes Rubinrot, im Kern fast Schwarz. Die Nase ist komplex, zeigt reife Pflaumen, Heidelbeeren, ein Hauch Leder und blonden Tabak, Kräuter, Tee, Eukalyptus, Weihnachtsgewürze, ein Gedicht. Im Gaumen vollmundig, sehr füllig, dennoch mit Eleganz, die Tannine sind von höchster Güte, umgarnen die reichhaltige Frucht. Im Abgang sehr langanhaltend und aromatisch, hinterlässt Eukalyptus und reife, dunkle Beeren. Ein sehr hochwertiger Wein mit Balance und grossartiger Länge. Jetzt bis 2040+ 95 vPunkte

2/25/2024 - Winedad53 wrote:

A bit of front-end pickle barrel needed time to blow off to reveal a deep core of black fruit, pine and cocoa.

2/21/2024 - Only Drink The Good Stuff Likes this wine:

I honestly couldn’t decide if I wanted to leave this note. I was very tempted to keep this information to myself. This is by far one of the best bottles of not just Merlot, but wine in general, that I have ever tasted. Yes I am a wine lover and collector. Yes I drink a lot of expensive and rare wine. It’s that good. Shockingly so. Bear in mind, the bottle I’m drinking from is a magnum. I’m not sure how the 750’s are holding up but this is absolutely spectacular vino! 28 years old and stunning. Makes me want to give Helen Turley a hug. All I ask is that if you ever see a magnum out there and you’re on the fence about buying it, don’t. Please leave it for me cause I’ll be looking.

1/26/2024 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine:

One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Sediment in the bottle and the screen. Moderate nose of blackberry jam during decant. Wine was clear; deep purple with no bricking and a moderate clear halo. After resting, nose added a chocolate mousse component to what can only be described as a blackberry-blueberry compote. In the mouth: more of the same with plenty of acid in support without it upsetting the harmony of the wine. These wines are usually a little fruit-bombish but they are a crowd pleaser at the table. Long finish ending with chocolate mousse. I was pleased to say the least.

2/4/2024 - The Wine Write Likes this wine:

Rich and lush.

2/4/2024 - DesMarteau Likes this wine:

Easy to drink....give 30 mins of glass air...improves over an hour or two. blueberries, cherry. a little hollowness...spice. long finish. the hollowness fills out as it gets more air. integrated and straightforward...not overly complex or layered.

11/19/2019 - SuperSomm wrote:

Deep ruby red colour with hints of purple. Pronounced nose with cherry, blackberry, dark plum, cedar, tobacco, vanilla and sweet spices. Pronounced taste of cherry, blackberry, dark plum, cedar, tobacco, black pepper, sweet spices and vanilla. Long and dry finish. Medium acidity. Medium (+) tannins. Full body. A good Californian Merlot. Goes well with beef or lamb.

1/20/2024 - fdub Likes this wine:

In a great spot. Fresh and deep on the palate and nose. Chocolate, cherries but starting to show some spice and leather.

12/27/2023 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine:

Decanted for one hour. This bottle's acid was unbalanced and tart.

12/15/2023 - kend707 Likes this wine:

This bottle defines good merlot. Wish I weren't suffering the aftereffects of Covid, but am rating based on what I believe this wine would be if my palate was back to normal. Best wine I've had in this Covid two-week period.

12/5/2023 - MarkRichards Likes this wine:

Spectacular tonight. Strong tannins are soft, sweet and unnoticed unless you look for them.
Ripe dark plums. Ripe black cherries, rose perfume, vanilla custard on the back end.
What a wine!!

12/2/2023 - rpenn77 Likes this wine:

Rich chocolate notes and dark fruit

8/26/2023 - JPF16 Likes this wine:

Nose was the only downside at the beginning, not much there, very closed down. Opened over an hour or so with some cherries and other red fruits, some exotic sweet spices were a surprise ... never got "big" but kept getting better... I ran out of wine before it ran out of growth.
The palate was everything you could want in a wine with age, front palate was a little bit of citrus, sweet... not in an off way but in a refreshing wayy... nice full mid-palate and a super smooth silky finish... you could almost take a sip just for the finish... that smooth...

11/28/2023 - MarkRichards wrote:

Dense black cherries, ripe black plums, balanced acidity.
30 second finish

11/4/2023 - The Magician Does not like this wine:

Deep red color with a nose of cherries, cherries and more cherries with a hint of blackberries and some bramble bushes. It goes downhill from there.

I love a good fruit bomb, but this one is so fruity, it bombed. The predominant taste is black cherries, blackberries, more cherries and even more cherries with a cloyingly sweet sense of overripe raisins (my wife tasted black licorice). I had high expectations for this wine and it failed to meet any of them. This has some serious legs from the high sugar and high alcohol (high at 14.9% but tastes a lot higer). It is almost syrupy.

I will say that the cork "popped" when I opened it, so it may have been maderized - which would have had to happened before we got it. I bought the wine in February, so it is unlikely it happened in transport and I stored it in a 55 degree wine cooler. Maybe it was just past its prime.

Served with perfectly cooked prime strip steak and cacao et pepe risotto and lima beans.

11/12/2023 - DesMarteau Likes this wine:

45 min of air ….picked up color and weight. Soft cherry , strawberry, graphite, crushed stones, flower pedals. Soft , easy to drink .

11/10/2023 - gkrueger wrote:

The best merlot!

10/30/2023 - Biskuit Likes this wine:

Something off on this bottle, chemical/vegetal on top of sweet candied cherries

9/16/2023 - SundevilDC Likes this wine:

Just a big, voluptuous, dead sexy wine. Opaque purple, Dense black fruits and bramble hit the palate, with pixelated tannins balancing out the fruit and oak really nicely right now. This is just a lot, and on paper I wouldnt think I would like it, but everything is in harmony at the moment, and it's a fun bottle. Crowd pleaser.

10/12/2023 - ppandian wrote:

Big and bold but in a good way. Still fresh and maturing. Excellent balance of fruit and tannins. Camphor, cloves, red fruit..excellent.

10/10/2023 - SeaCellar Likes this wine:

Wonderful Merlot that is drinking very, very well after 10 years.

10/8/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine:

My last bottle and best one. Took a couple hours to fully open. Chocolate covered ripe blueberries, touches of vanilla Oak and some blackberries, very smooth with well hidden alcohol.

9/27/2023 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine:

One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. No sediment in screen. During decant, moderate aromas of plums and cocoa came forth. Wine was clear; purple from bowl to rim. After resting, nose neither moderated nor become more nuanced; plums and cocoa. In the mouth: lots of black fruit, tannins still softening with a nice balance. Wine was smooth on the tongue. Great wine with food. Long finish continuing to feature the cocoa. I believe this wine has at least seven more years of good drinking and maybe even beyond that!

9/21/2023 - ppandian wrote:

Same notes as the last bottle..excellent wine.

9/21/2023 - ppandian wrote:

Still holding its own after 25+ years. Fresh, bold and balanced. Red and blue berries, camphor and spices on the nose, well integrated and balanced tannins. Good depth and texture. Love it.

11/4/2022 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine:

One hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Blackberry aroma during decant and a small amount of sediment in the screen. After resting, wine was clear: deep opaque purple from bowl to rim with a medium halo. Nose of black currants, plums, black cherries, and some chocolate cream. Good balance, plenty of acid to keep the wine from being too flabby. Probably should have waited on the wine, as I foresee better things ahead. But it was certainly an outstanding drink now.

8/27/2022 - OenophilistMN wrote:

One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Chocolate and black fruit during decant. Some sediment. Wine was clear; dark bowl to slightly lighter rim. Medium clear halo. After resting: more plum and more chocolate. In the mouth, wonderful balance with the black fruit, chocolate, vanilla. Deep fruit, acid, perfect, long finish.

8/21/2023 - RickSanchez Likes this wine:

Very good Merlot. Opened 3 hours prior to drinking. Well balanced and enjoyable wine here. On offer a wide array of berry fruit, cherry, herbal and spice notes. Improved on day 2.

8/12/2023 - OneOfTheBasicFoodGroups Likes this wine:

Sadly, the last one. Happily there's the 2007s.

7/31/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Plum, black cherry, boysenberries, and crushed raspberry fruit with graphite, vanilla, Provencal herbs (garrigue), violet, licorice, and loads of chocolate. Eucalyptus and a touch of cayenne spice on the finish. This has the voluptuous texture that you want in a good new world Merlot. There’s a lot of vibrancy in this wine, but it needs a few hours to open up. It’s hedonistic without being over the top. This could pass for a Saint Emillon made in a new world style. Very nice and, although I can’t fully say why, I found this more enjoyable than most WA state merlots that I’ve had. It has je ne sais quoi. Plenty of years left, though it seems like it’s in a good spot as I found the texture to be silky and no bitterness from the tannins. Well done. I liked this more and more with each sip. I wish I had more bottles.

My only complaint is that I liked it better without food. Really enjoyable on its own. Great match with venison with a juniper berry cream sauce—they gamey meat and juniper was a good match. Just ok with ganda (Belgium prosciutto) and mustard sandwich. The mustard was too much. Ok match with Cacio e pepe.

7/22/2023 - mxpbuy wrote:

Wine's color showed no signs of age. After a few hours it still had a bit of grit and chewiness to the tannins, although generally smooth. The fruit was dense but disjointed. Seemed a touch cooked, but no plum or raisin notes. Perhaps an off bottle. Expected much better.

7/20/2023 - Giggs wrote:

Built like a great wine, power in reserve, going for the subtle touch with fine-grained texture and tannins. Should appreciate a few years in the cellar.

7/14/2023 - HeavyPourWine Likes this wine:

Napa and Sonoma (Hamel, Jewell, Reeve, Enriquez, Wren Hop, Phifer Pavitt, Gamble, Markham, Amulet, Pride Mountain, Pahlmeyer, Arrow&Branch, Fait-Main); 7/10/2023-7/14/2023 (Sonoma and Napa): Tasted at Stagecoach vineyard (wow - that view!). Dark brownish red color. Dark fruit nose. Velvety mouthfeel. Thick. Minerality earthy. They were sold out (they were pre-selling the 2021) or I would have bought some '19. I'm a big merlot fan and really liked this!

7/13/2023 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine:

Deep ruby, almost Inky in color, with a very short purplish rim.

Beautiful nose of blackberries, black plums, red cherries, tobacco, light vanilla, spices, cedar, herbs, light earth, chocolates, black pepper and eucalyptus. What a gorgeous nose.

Full-bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, black cherries, earth, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, herbs, leather and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich, extracted and elegant. Well balanced and fruit forward.

This 7-year-old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Nicely balanced with a gorgeous mouthfeel. Not in your face kind of wine, which I really appreciate.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime, but I did not decant it. As it opens up, more red fruits show up. Really nice, tangy and interesting.

I've had it a few times before, and it is always special. One of the best Merlos for my palate.

Good by itself or with food, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak. I tried it with the French Brie, but it did not work out too well. Much better with the dried meats.

A blend of 96% Merlot with tiny amounts of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in (85% new) French Oak barrels for 20 months.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$120.

7/1/2023 - ralaspech wrote:

Plum and blackberry fruit with mocha, graphite and tobacco accents. Some minerality. Medium acidity. Med+ tannins. Some sediment when decanted. Excellent intensity. 93+

6/30/2023 - Philolesen Likes this wine:

Dense fruit, high/aggressive tannins. As other people have said: it needs time or a very long decant (+2 hours).
It is a must to decant this wine at this stage.
Will be incredible in 8 years time.

6/22/2023 - spendergast Likes this wine:

This wine continues to drink very well with notes similar to my last tasting 3 years ago: concentrated dark fruit, cassis, black cherry, fig, and mocha with soft well structured tannins. Full-bodied with long finish.

6/3/2023 - 40ozProphet Likes this wine:

I am not one to typically reach for Merlot but this bottle came as a gift and I finally got around to opening it. This was a pleasantly surprising production - heavy spices, leather, charred oak, acerola cherries - this is a serious, heavy-body wine, and is way too young to fairly judge at this point. I’d imagine a minimum of 5 more years and you’re likely looking at a 93+.

I let it breath for 5 hours on the first day, enjoyed a glass, and revisited it on day 2 where it was much more approachable. This clings to the glass like crazy and offers a floral, fruity nose that differs a bit from its taste profile. Enjoyed with pickled red onion, arugula, horseradish, and truffle Chipotle Mayo steak sandwiches.

5/11/2023 - Bob23 Likes this wine:

It's real deep, dense, and dark for a merlot, but undeniably tasty.

4/30/2023 - Mscrank Likes this wine:

A solid New World Merlot with flowers, cherries and plums on the nose, medium body, a fruit- forward rush of the same cherries and plums, flowed by mocha and spices that increase with time. Lots of soft tannins, nice balance, and a long smooth finish. Very good today, maybe even better in 2-3 years.