July 10, 2016 - Concentrated licorice; eucalyptus and espresso. But all of it quite creamy, and offset with a dark-fruited tang. Slightly stewed, sure, but never dull. Rather, tasty and compelling.
October 31, 2015 - Stewed. Not sure if it's cooked or just way over the hill.
March 1, 2015 - Low acidity, faded fruit, but a nice mature cab flavor. Past its prime by a lot.
June 21, 2014 - The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like cinnamon and dill. It tastes like hay/straw, tea and oregano. The body is light/medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has low acidity.
September 25, 2013 - Obviously much better than previous Merryvale.
Fifteen years on and now this is a bright Napa example, at least to me.
Brownish colour with a dark core and watery rims.
Quite muted on the nose, perhaps meat, milk chocolate and ashes.
An extraordinary performance on the palate with sweet tobacco, more milk chocolate and caramel. Lovely.
Balsamic texture with soften tannins and a low acidity level. Digestive.
Any defect? Well, it needed a decantation just for that lack of quality cork. A shame!
Anyway, only a 86 score? That's a joke...
Obviamente mucho mejor que la Merryvale previa.
Con quince años y es ahora cuando es un buen ejemplo de Napa, al menos para mi.
De color amarronado con un corazón obscuro y unos bordes acuosos.
Bastante muda en nariz, quizás carne, chocolate con leche y cenizas.
Una actuación genial en boca con tabaco dulce, más chocolate con leche y caramelo. Rico-Rico.
Textura balsámica con taninos suaves y un nivel bajo de acidez. Digestivo.
¿Algún defecto? Bueno, necesitó decantara por la baja calidad del corcho, ¡una vergüenza!
De todos modos, ¿sólo una puntuación de 86? Ni de broma...
June 18, 2012 - Way past its peak, little fruit. Lots of oxidation
February 15, 2011 - the flavor has black cherry, blackberry and a little vanilla.
Its medium bodied, earty, old and flat. The fruit is almost gone, this wine peaked a long time ago.
October 30, 2010 - Rating on the lower side only because I think it's a little past its prime. Little fruit left in this wine, though some dark cherry pokes out. Tannins are still there, and plenty of funky secondary characteristics. Almost like an aged pinot rather than Bordeaux blend. The oak still shows up. Balanced out better with grilled steak than on its own. Interesting, but clearly doesn't have the long term in mind.
November 9, 2008 - Ok, but was expecting more of this "bordeaux" like wine. No fruit left, but quite hard and tannic. On day two, completely gone...
August 4, 2008 - **
Color: Red with some bricking on edges
Aroma: Cedar, earth and herbs. No real fruit in the nose, surprising.
Flavor: Dried Plum, herbs and coffee
Soft finish, with no real lingering tannins
Disappointed in this wine. Maybe it is past its peak - it was just OK - there is WAAYY more out there to really enjoy in the price range. Even at half the price I don't think it is a QPR and would not repurchase.