Definitely on the decline but this wine never had vibrant fruit or nose, only a core that seemed to fade rather quickly. Now the fruit develops later and the core is stronger allowing some light tannins to sneak back in as it breathes in the glass. Don’t expect a big blockbuster wine but it has mellowed with age. Do not decant.
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Fully mature, with velvety tannins, pleasant mix of primary and secondary fruit characteristics and a healthy dose of oak. Medium plus finish. Solid, but not overwhelming.
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This was very similar to the last. A bit too much chocolatey oak on open, but tones down with air and the structure comes forth along with a bit of mineral. Nice acidity and tannins. Probably has another five years, pretty amazing for the vintage. Give it air to show its stuff. Really good.
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Had this with grilled lamb chops with an olive tapenade......perfect match! This is my 5th time with this wine...and it doesn't waiver. Smooth and dark berry fruit, complexed well with aged cedar spice, leather, olive, dried wintergreen tobacco leaves. Smooth and round with the merlot, yet still has quite a kick with some dusty dry tannins. Finishes with chocolate covered cherries with a dusting of cedar. Love it!
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I was a bit worried that this great wine was losing its mojo upon open, but a bit of air filled it out and toned down the oak and filled out the palate. Still drinking very well. Nice balance. Great fruit balanced by some earthy tannins, menthol, chocolate, and licorice. 91+?
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Wow - a great merlot with the leg of lamb we had! So bold, we could hardly believe it was merlot but maintained its fruit to go with lamb instead of beef.
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I think this had some bottle variation. Tasted more mature, more oaky chocolate and not as much fruit balance. Last bottle was very fresh and good. 89-90. The good bottles are 90+ and have nice complexity.
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Popped and poured. Nose of mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, red and black cherries, spicy oak. On the palate red plum, red currant, black cherry, black raspberry, cedar, mocha, tobacco, vanilla. Long finish with nice acidity and sweet tannins. Great balance of power and precision. Oustandaing. Sadly, my last bottle. Tremendous value. Will be looking for more.
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Super balance and elegance with nice liquorice and chiocolate components. Drinking very well. Definitely has mellowed. Drink in next 2-3 years or sooner.
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Best bottle year. Nose of mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, cherries, spicy oak. On the palate, red plum, black cherry, mocah, red currant, cedar, tobacco, vanilla. Long finish with sweet but sturday tannins. Tremendous power and balance. Outstanding. Drink now. Hard to believe I got this for less than $30.
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The good news about a recession...you can pick up stuff like THIS for next to nothing! This IS Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet...mellowed! First off, this bottle is in great condition, and has been kept in well hands. Dark plum/cherry/currant/blackberry fruit....dusty cedar woods, olive tapenade, chocolate covered Bing cherries, dried tobacco leaves.......still has a tannin kick not really seen in today's merlot....and silky smooth as well. Has all the flavors as the Res. Cabs....maybe just a bit "watered down" and mellowed. Tasty as hell though! Glad to get my hands on these at the right time!
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This bottle was really nice. Ultra ripe sweet fruit, but not jammy. Some oak for balance, but this didn't seem heavy handed in this bottle. Great flavors and profiles. Only the depth of flavors and complexity limit the score. Good stuff. Seemed to be best after a bit of air.
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This bottle seemed slightly oxidized, no real nose or interest. Definitely not like the better bottles I have had of this some of which have been great.
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Pop and pour. Appears a little thin on the pour, but still retains a reasonable grip on the stem. Cedar and herbs on the nose, a hint of dark fruit. Cherries , plums and fine tanins on the way down. My only disappointment with this wine was a fairly fleeting finish where others note a long finish. Still a great QPR for the price, and one of the most impressive Napa reds from the challenging 2000 vintage. Buy more if available.
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Popped and poured. Tight nose of plum, currant, spicy oak. On the palate, red currant, red plum, black cherry, mocha, vanilla, and spicy oak. Nice long finish. Well balanced and silky, just a notch below previous bottles. Drink or hold. Screaming value.
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Opened bottle three hours before tasting. Deep ruby purple color that runs clear at the edges. Black fruit, oak and cocoa powder on the nose. Very well structured with powerful tannins and firm acidity-- this will cellar for a few more years. Plums, black cherries, vanilla and chocolate covered cherries on a long finish. Another very nice Howell Mountain red.
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Dark in color, thin on the palate. Nose is subdued on the pop and pour plus an hour. Palate is oak and licorice. Some more oak. Nice texture front mid palate but finishes, kinda tannic, acidic and hot right now. Day 2 - 3. No improvment.
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Popped and poured. Nose of mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, chocolate covered cherries, and spicy oak. On the palate, red plum, black cherry, mocha, cedar, tobacco. Long finish with sweet tannins. Tremendous power on this bottle. This one was ant its peak.
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Popped and poured. Nice nose, mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, spicy oak. On the palate, red plum, black cherry, mocha, and the vanilla/oak repeats. Nice long finish. Well balanced and a silky mouthfeel on this bottle. Outstanding bottle.
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91-92 Points. Similar notes to prior bottle. This bottle was not overly oaky. A real teeth stainer. Beautiful dark fruit, sweet on the attack with licorice, coconut, slightly toasty, nice concentration. Very good stuffing. Falls just short of greatness. Seems like some of the stuffing may be still hiding behind wall of tannin. Better day 1 after a few hours of air than Day 2(too much air).I think this will improve further with time more than with decanting. Strong effort.
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Popped and poured. Tight nose of red currant, plum. Red currant, plum, and mocha on the palate. A little more tannic on the finish than previous bottles. Nothing flawed about this, just not as good as previous botlles. Still outstanding and at 23.99 still a screaming value.
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Popped and poured. Big mocha nose with cassis and tobacco. Red plum, red currant, and mocha on the palate. A lot of oak, but it is well integrated. Another oustading bottle.
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90-91 pts. Double decanted a few times to try to get this to open quicker. Seemed to work. Fruit came out much quicker than prior bottles, with less pronounced oak. Sweeter attack than prior experience with plenty of fruit, still moderate mouth coating fine grained tannins. Has some serious stuffing, but never quite sings as a whole like it seemingly should given the quality parts. Very good, but not quite excellent. Sweet fruit, a hint of toast, licorice, and vanilla and a medium-length finish. Sweet on the nose with dark red and black fruits. Seemed at its best with a few hours of air, and not quite as good day 2. Potential upside to 92 points, can't see higher than that ever.
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Interesting wine. Very muted and slightly closed when first opened. Subtle and elegant when first opened, with a creamy texture, but the fruit is muted and showing muted dark/blue fruits, blueberry, blackberry. Before the fruit starts to open, it has a bit too much oaky spice that is not quite in balance. After about 6 hours of air, it showed a lot more fruit and integration with some nice mountain fruit with gentle tannin in an elegant package with the nose and palate much more open and it gains some weight. This seemed to be optimal drinking and was very good. Day 2, fruit is still there, but seems a bit more washed out but still drank well with some subtle mountain fruit and oak much more subdued. Overall, a very nice wine, 91 pts, but probably not a lot of upside from there. I expect this wine will open a bit more over the next few years and will drink well for at least another 4-5. Decant for hours before drinking or you will not be showing the full potential of this wine. Tasted twice with consistent notes, 2nd bottle slightly less oaky upon open.
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This bottle was a little better. Opened for one hour then poured. Huge nose of chocolate covered cherries, red plum, and red currant along with cassis with a hint of cigar baox. Red plum, black cherry, and mocha on the palate. The oak here is still prevalent but more subdued than in other bottles. Tremendous wine
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Popped and poured. Mocha is most prevalent on the nose followed by cassis and tobacco. Red plum, black cherry, and mocha on the palate. Nice long finish. Glad to see that this is consistent, The steeply discounted selling price had me worried about bottle variation but I sense none with this powerhouse. There is a little more oak on this one but it seems to be dissapating with more air. Outstanding with some upside over the next 3-5 years
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Popped and poured. Great nose of cassis, tobacco, and mocha. Big flaovrs of plum, black cherry, and mocha. Super long finish with well-integrated tannins. Big powerful merlot. Yes there is a lot of oak, but it appears to be very well integrated at this point. Oustanding now and should continue to evolve Screaming bargain at $29.99.
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Dark maroon to purple colored with an explosive nose of chocolate-covered cassis fruit --- classically mountainesque fruit profile. The nose is reminiscent of a Pride. Medium bodied palate with a nice interplay of integrated tannin and acidic structure. The midpalate is full of layered fruit – plum, cherry, and chocolate. The finish is plenty long 30-40 seconds and breathes mountain cassis fruit. A super wine from a less-than-stellar vintage.
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At the risk of asserting a contradiction in terms, I'd say that this is a powerhouse Merlot. It's luscious on the nose, showing ripe, round cherry and plum, along with plenty of chocolate. On the second and third glasses, the nose picks up some creamy coconut, vanilla, mocha, and even cinnamon. I'm sure that all of these elements stem from the ample French oaking, which Wine Spectator's Jim Laube complains is "heavy-handed." Yet if this is heavy-handed stuff, I guess I don't want subtlety in my Merlots; I believe the fruit easily supports the amplified wood. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly clean and refined, but it admittedly shows less fruit here and still more oak -- the milk-chocolate flavor is stronger than ever on the palate (though I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that). The tannins are plentiful; true to the varietal, however, they are soft enough to approach at this young age. And, still more good news -- the fruit returns for an encore on the (plummy) finish, which is long if just a tad too floral. In short, while this is an up-front and not entirely profound experience, it is (to me) just about the best one can expect of a Merlot that's not from the Right Bank. (Tasted twice, on 4/27/05 and 6/17/05, with consistent notes.)
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11/4/2018 - modesassion Likes this wine: 88 Points
Definitely on the decline but this wine never had vibrant fruit or nose, only a core that seemed to fade rather quickly. Now the fruit develops later and the core is stronger allowing some light tannins to sneak back in as it breathes in the glass. Don’t expect a big blockbuster wine but it has mellowed with age. Do not decant.
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7/3/2017 - JDRFoster wrote: 89 Points
Fully mature, with velvety tannins, pleasant mix of primary and secondary fruit characteristics and a healthy dose of oak. Medium plus finish. Solid, but not overwhelming.
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2/29/2016 - Dan & Krista Stockman Likes this wine:
A couple years past its prime. Obvious that it was once glorious.
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2/3/2016 - Malc Does not like this wine: 80 Points
passed it's age.
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12/1/2014 - TCKM wrote: 88 Points
Beginning the eventual downward descent. Drink up.
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12/25/2013 - winegr wrote:
Last bottle was just OK. Seemed a little over the hill.
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2/16/2013 - JaneCIllinois Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good mellowed earthiness with fruit undertones - didn't decant much - had with steak and grilled pork. Delicious still in early 2013
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11/25/2012 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:
For our daughter's 12th bday....super as all the others....such a wonderful Merlot.
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6/15/2012 - Dorndorff wrote: 92 Points
Fruit forward.. Smooth
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12/24/2011 - TCKM wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking well.
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9/7/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Eric's with Lucas/Joyce (Eric's home): Interesting nose of candy, vanilla and mint. Drinking very well now although the new oak was a little overpowering towards the end.
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9/10/2010 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
This was very similar to the last. A bit too much chocolatey oak on open, but tones down with air and the structure comes forth along with a bit of mineral. Nice acidity and tannins. Probably has another five years, pretty amazing for the vintage. Give it air to show its stuff. Really good.
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8/19/2010 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this with grilled lamb chops with an olive tapenade......perfect match! This is my 5th time with this wine...and it doesn't waiver. Smooth and dark berry fruit, complexed well with aged cedar spice, leather, olive, dried wintergreen tobacco leaves. Smooth and round with the merlot, yet still has quite a kick with some dusty dry tannins. Finishes with chocolate covered cherries with a dusting of cedar. Love it!
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5/15/2010 - JAT wrote: 90 Points
Nice big Merlot. Still drinking well with ten years of age. Dark fruit and chocolate with a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
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4/13/2010 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:
Another great bottle....smooth, balanced, still quite young.
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3/3/2010 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
I was a bit worried that this great wine was losing its mojo upon open, but a bit of air filled it out and toned down the oak and filled out the palate. Still drinking very well. Nice balance. Great fruit balanced by some earthy tannins, menthol, chocolate, and licorice. 91+?
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2/13/2010 - AGandhi wrote: 90 Points
Wow - a great merlot with the leg of lamb we had! So bold, we could hardly believe it was merlot but maintained its fruit to go with lamb instead of beef.
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1/16/2010 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
I think this had some bottle variation. Tasted more mature, more oaky chocolate and not as much fruit balance. Last bottle was very fresh and good. 89-90. The good bottles are 90+ and have nice complexity.
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12/2/2009 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, red and black cherries, spicy oak. On the palate red plum, red currant, black cherry, black raspberry, cedar, mocha, tobacco, vanilla. Long finish with nice acidity and sweet tannins. Great balance of power and precision. Oustandaing. Sadly, my last bottle. Tremendous value. Will be looking for more.
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11/26/2009 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
91-92. This bottle was nice, sweet, smooth, and licorice and chocolate notes. Very good on night 1. Update: Gorgeous on night 2. 92?
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10/18/2009 - Dan & Krista Stockman wrote: 91 Points
What merlot is supposed to taste like. Big and deep and lush and velvety. Opens up to rich, soft flavors of amazing depth.
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9/7/2009 - smokie wrote: 91 Points
Nicely aged merlot. Cassis, plum, with some complexity on the finish. Nice for $25 off winebid..
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8/15/2009 - bigdogflow wrote:
Shannon's 40th Birthday Celebration (San Antonio, TX): 90-92
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8/2/2009 - winegr wrote: 92 Points
Super balance and elegance with nice liquorice and chiocolate components. Drinking very well. Definitely has mellowed. Drink in next 2-3 years or sooner.
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6/22/2009 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
Best bottle year. Nose of mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, cherries, spicy oak. On the palate, red plum, black cherry, mocah, red currant, cedar, tobacco, vanilla. Long finish with sweet but sturday tannins. Tremendous power and balance. Outstanding. Drink now. Hard to believe I got this for less than $30.
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5/29/2009 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
Drinking nicely. Not as big or oaky as it was. Peak drinking. Doesn't blow you away, but nice overall package.
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1/28/2009 - Mrbuzz wrote: 92 Points
The good news about a recession...you can pick up stuff like THIS for next to nothing! This IS Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet...mellowed! First off, this bottle is in great condition, and has been kept in well hands. Dark plum/cherry/currant/blackberry fruit....dusty cedar woods, olive tapenade, chocolate covered Bing cherries, dried tobacco leaves.......still has a tannin kick not really seen in today's merlot....and silky smooth as well. Has all the flavors as the Res. Cabs....maybe just a bit "watered down" and mellowed. Tasty as hell though! Glad to get my hands on these at the right time!
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12/31/2008 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was really nice. Ultra ripe sweet fruit, but not jammy. Some oak for balance, but this didn't seem heavy handed in this bottle. Great flavors and profiles. Only the depth of flavors and complexity limit the score. Good stuff. Seemed to be best after a bit of air.
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12/26/2008 - winegr wrote: flawed
This bottle seemed slightly oxidized, no real nose or interest. Definitely not like the better bottles I have had of this some of which have been great.
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12/14/2008 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Appears a little thin on the pour, but still retains a reasonable grip on the stem. Cedar and herbs on the nose, a hint of dark fruit. Cherries , plums and fine tanins on the way down. My only disappointment with this wine was a fairly fleeting finish where others note a long finish. Still a great QPR for the price, and one of the most impressive Napa reds from the challenging 2000 vintage. Buy more if available.
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12/2/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Tight nose of plum, currant, spicy oak. On the palate, red currant, red plum, black cherry, mocha, vanilla, and spicy oak. Nice long finish. Well balanced and silky, just a notch below previous bottles. Drink or hold. Screaming value.
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11/27/2008 - TCKM wrote: 92 Points
Opened bottle three hours before tasting. Deep ruby purple color that runs clear at the edges. Black fruit, oak and cocoa powder on the nose. Very well structured with powerful tannins and firm acidity-- this will cellar for a few more years. Plums, black cherries, vanilla and chocolate covered cherries on a long finish. Another very nice Howell Mountain red.
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11/3/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 88 Points
Dark in color, thin on the palate. Nose is subdued on the pop and pour plus an hour. Palate is oak and licorice. Some more oak. Nice texture front mid palate but finishes, kinda tannic, acidic and hot right now. Day 2 - 3. No improvment.
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9/27/2008 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
91. My last bottle of this was more integrated and not as oaky as some others. Nice stuff and drinking well with just a bit of air.
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7/10/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 91 Points
20th Anniversary - Huntington Beach, California; 6/30/2008-7/10/2008 (Huntington Beach - Paradise House aka Joe's Pad): Very rich. Dark fruit nose, full bodied Merlot fruit. Perfect mouthfeel, rich Chocolate, Great finish. Great with red meat.
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5/30/2008 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
last bottle was a bit oaky, 90-91 pts. some bottle variation in these.
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5/28/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, chocolate covered cherries, and spicy oak. On the palate, red plum, black cherry, mocha, cedar, tobacco. Long finish with sweet tannins. Tremendous power on this bottle. This one was ant its peak.
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4/26/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Nice nose, mocha, red currant, plum, tobacco, spicy oak. On the palate, red plum, black cherry, mocha, and the vanilla/oak repeats. Nice long finish. Well balanced and a silky mouthfeel on this bottle. Outstanding bottle.
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3/9/2008 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
91-92 Points. Similar notes to prior bottle. This bottle was not overly oaky. A real teeth stainer. Beautiful dark fruit, sweet on the attack with licorice, coconut, slightly toasty, nice concentration. Very good stuffing. Falls just short of greatness. Seems like some of the stuffing may be still hiding behind wall of tannin. Better day 1 after a few hours of air than Day 2(too much air).I think this will improve further with time more than with decanting. Strong effort.
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3/6/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Tight nose of red currant, plum. Red currant, plum, and mocha on the palate. A little more tannic on the finish than previous bottles. Nothing flawed about this, just not as good as previous botlles. Still outstanding and at 23.99 still a screaming value.
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2/18/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Big mocha nose with cassis and tobacco. Red plum, red currant, and mocha on the palate. A lot of oak, but it is well integrated. Another oustading bottle.
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2/10/2008 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
90-91 pts. Double decanted a few times to try to get this to open quicker. Seemed to work. Fruit came out much quicker than prior bottles, with less pronounced oak. Sweeter attack than prior experience with plenty of fruit, still moderate mouth coating fine grained tannins. Has some serious stuffing, but never quite sings as a whole like it seemingly should given the quality parts. Very good, but not quite excellent. Sweet fruit, a hint of toast, licorice, and vanilla and a medium-length finish. Sweet on the nose with dark red and black fruits. Seemed at its best with a few hours of air, and not quite as good day 2. Potential upside to 92 points, can't see higher than that ever.
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12/29/2007 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
Interesting wine. Very muted and slightly closed when first opened. Subtle and elegant when first opened, with a creamy texture, but the fruit is muted and showing muted dark/blue fruits, blueberry, blackberry. Before the fruit starts to open, it has a bit too much oaky spice that is not quite in balance. After about 6 hours of air, it showed a lot more fruit and integration with some nice mountain fruit with gentle tannin in an elegant package with the nose and palate much more open and it gains some weight. This seemed to be optimal drinking and was very good. Day 2, fruit is still there, but seems a bit more washed out but still drank well with some subtle mountain fruit and oak much more subdued. Overall, a very nice wine, 91 pts, but probably not a lot of upside from there. I expect this wine will open a bit more over the next few years and will drink well for at least another 4-5. Decant for hours before drinking or you will not be showing the full potential of this wine. Tasted twice with consistent notes, 2nd bottle slightly less oaky upon open.
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12/1/2007 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
This bottle was a little better. Opened for one hour then poured. Huge nose of chocolate covered cherries, red plum, and red currant along with cassis with a hint of cigar baox. Red plum, black cherry, and mocha on the palate. The oak here is still prevalent but more subdued than in other bottles. Tremendous wine
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11/20/2007 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Mocha is most prevalent on the nose followed by cassis and tobacco. Red plum, black cherry, and mocha on the palate. Nice long finish. Glad to see that this is consistent, The steeply discounted selling price had me worried about bottle variation but I sense none with this powerhouse. There is a little more oak on this one but it seems to be dissapating with more air. Outstanding with some upside over the next 3-5 years
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10/27/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 87 Points
Boring even for a Merlot. This is why I dumped the Beringer Club. Too much junk to get a small discount on the good stuff.
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10/20/2007 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Great nose of cassis, tobacco, and mocha. Big flaovrs of plum, black cherry, and mocha. Super long finish with well-integrated tannins. Big powerful merlot. Yes there is a lot of oak, but it appears to be very well integrated at this point. Oustanding now and should continue to evolve Screaming bargain at $29.99.
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6/20/2006 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Dark maroon to purple colored with an explosive nose of chocolate-covered cassis fruit --- classically mountainesque fruit profile. The nose is reminiscent of a Pride. Medium bodied palate with a nice interplay of integrated tannin and acidic structure. The midpalate is full of layered fruit – plum, cherry, and chocolate. The finish is plenty long 30-40 seconds and breathes mountain cassis fruit. A super wine from a less-than-stellar vintage.
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3/25/2006 - pgm wrote:
with the Marquez family. Very good (87-89), no detailed notes.
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4/27/2005 - Stephan O wrote: 95 Points
At the risk of asserting a contradiction in terms, I'd say that this is a powerhouse Merlot. It's luscious on the nose, showing ripe, round cherry and plum, along with plenty of chocolate. On the second and third glasses, the nose picks up some creamy coconut, vanilla, mocha, and even cinnamon. I'm sure that all of these elements stem from the ample French oaking, which Wine Spectator's Jim Laube complains is "heavy-handed." Yet if this is heavy-handed stuff, I guess I don't want subtlety in my Merlots; I believe the fruit easily supports the amplified wood. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly clean and refined, but it admittedly shows less fruit here and still more oak -- the milk-chocolate flavor is stronger than ever on the palate (though I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that). The tannins are plentiful; true to the varietal, however, they are soft enough to approach at this young age. And, still more good news -- the fruit returns for an encore on the (plummy) finish, which is long if just a tad too floral. In short, while this is an up-front and not entirely profound experience, it is (to me) just about the best one can expect of a Merlot that's not from the Right Bank. (Tasted twice, on 4/27/05 and 6/17/05, with consistent notes.)
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