Decided to pop this one because thought it might be getting past its prime but it could have sat longer! Still drinking great: a balance of rich dark & red fruits, suprisingly tannic still for a Merlot (which means not all that tannic, but enough to make it interesting). The bitter off-notes I noted in my last bottle many years ago are no longer noticable. Just about as perfect as a Napa Merlot can get.
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Anniversary dinner (Fiora’s, Geneva): Double decanted off its sediment about three hours before dinner. Deep youthful color. Aromas of chocolate, currant, black cherry and licorice. Chalky tannins are not yet fully integrated, supporting flavors of black cherry and plummy dark merlot fruit. I should have given this a couple of hours in the decanter rather than the quick double. Not yet at peak…hold to 2024+. 92+ pts.
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Finally open and accessible after a few years of slumber. Probably at peak. Rich milk chocolate, tangy cherries, and pipe tobacco. Lots of sediment in the bottle. Opened up after 30-min of air without decanting. Drink now - 2020. Technical score: 92. Enjoyment score: 92.
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This is an amazing wine. Enjoyed with friends. It is ready to drink. Some dark brown on edges of wine. Literally smelled of intense currants. That scent transitioned into the taste of the wine. It is a rich, deep, and smooth wine. Dark fruit and mild tannins abound. Every one loved this wine. Many thought they were drinking an aged Cabernet. I would drink this one in the next year or so.
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Improved from last April, probably at peak. Lush, voluptuous black fruit and chocolate, balanced palate, refined tannins, but seems to be losing its punch. Drink now. Technical score: 90. Enjoyment score: 91.
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Lush cherries, blackberries, milk chocolate, and minty tobacco. Still has good stuffing and thick tannins. Pretty good length. Better with food. Technical score: 91. Enjoyment score: 90.
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This is a medium black red and medium clarity Merlot, with a hint a brown on the edges. The nose is high octane and bright with black cherry, anis and good fruit. It is a dark, dry powerhouse with blackberry, tar and tobacco flavors. This nice soft wine aged great and still has a few year left, but ir it prime time for drinking now.
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nicely balanced broad stroke of dark ripe fruits nose and palate resting on a very subtle tannin bed.....not complex in the sense of layering, nevertheless quite enjoyable
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Consistent with previous notes back in November 2014, only much more developed and refined on the palate and finish. Nice core of dark plums and blackberries layered by red hard candy and herbs. Great structure with hard acidic frame and firm tannins, so this should last another 5+ years. Drink through 2020+
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Deep, opaque violet color with medium legs. Nose of dark fruit, vanilla,oak, cocoa and a hint of cayenne pepper. Taste of ripe black plum with hints of anise and cloves. Great classic Napa merlot.
Paired decently well with spiced pork loin, but better suited for lamb/beef.
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This wine has improved significantly since my first bottle in 2013. Rich and dense dark fruit, full-bodied cab drinker's Merlot with a lengthy and very well balanced finish. I recommend decanting for a couple of hours for an optimum experience.
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Good merlot. Bottle wasn't off or astringent in any way. Gave it about 30 minutes of air before pouring out of the bottle. Nice dense anise and dirty merlot funk nose with mud and sticks! This wine makes you concentrate a bit. On the entry the wine is very luscious -- rather full bodied and obtuse. A little eucalyptus -- comes in a bit hot -- but settles down to a nice dark black dirty fruit core with some appendages of aged leather, anise, a little cocoa, rich. The mid-palate was dark and soft. Finished a little herbal with good intense concentration. Good spice notes, but almost a sweet earthy spice. Finish gets a little more intense as it opens up. I cannot understand in any way how this bottle will be "best enjoyed by 2016" -- took this one 30 minutes to even be palatable, and almost 90 minutes before the finish even showed. Done by 2018.
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This bottle was slightly (and elusively) off somehow. Drank over two days. Not nearly as compelling as my experience with it back in November. Tasted woody, hot, and was angular.
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This is entering a nice peak window now; much improved since last Spring. Great floral nose with cherry blossoms, red hard candy, cherry menthol, and a lingering leather note. The core of this wine is really opening up into a nice medium-to-full-bodied wine, bringing blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and scattered notes of soy sauce, herbs, baking spices, and tobacco. The finish still packs a punch which leads me to believe this will last a while. Overall, the dark fruit and savory streak have each emerged nicely. Went great with turkey meatloaf. Drink 2015-2020.
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Did not decant, but it needed it. Drank at a restaurant with mixed spring salad and beef short rib. Opened up after the first hour but was still pretty much closed throughout the evening, possibly in a dumb phase. Consistent with previous notes but got sweeter, fuller dark fruit notes, mainly blueberries. The core of this wine is juicy, round and firm, but still quite dusty on the tail. I'd drink 2015-2025.
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Initially a little oak and a touch of heat, compressed and a bit tart. Really needs decanting. After a couple of hours nice mountain structure, licorice and minerality with a core dark fruits. No rush as long as the fruit holds out. 89+ points
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Not wimpy Merlot by any stretch. Full rich tannins. Somewhat muted fruit, in fact a touch bitter, but that could be mostly because I had it without decanting. Overall very nice. Next bottle I must remember to decant.
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Decanted for one hour and initially found alcohol on the nose but this became more subdued over the course of four hours. Smooth mouth feel of dark fruit with a moderately long finish accompanied by a modest amount of tannins. This wine may benefit from a couple more years of cellaring.
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Slightly better than the last bottle with dark fruit and well integrated tannins; I still think this drinks like a cab -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
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Decanted for three hours and paired with BBQ turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, Parmesan sweet potato, and Mediterranean salad. Dark cherry rose color. Nose of earth, Halls menthol, eucalyptus, and dried cherries. Palate follows with leather, plump cranberries, cherry jolly rancher, and tobacco. Finish is subdued with food but comes across fine and grainy without. Acidity lurked in the background but holds things together. Solid, restrained, very food-friendly mountain Merlot.
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lots of lush dark, blue fruit, giving the wine rich texture that bordered sweetness. finely dispersed tannins and mild acidity took the back seat. very tasty treat. at times, smooth and flow effortlessly. popped and poured. enjoyed over 2 hours.
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After a couple previous bottles with higher marks this was a little lacking by comparison. Hopefully just this bottle but will see if it is declining based on the next one.
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A nose of some dark fruit and spice, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied dry Merlot, with black cherry, blueberry, some licorice and spices on finish, was good but expected more. www.winelx.com
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Through the vinturi, left it for 20 minutes. In the glass: Deep garnet, pink edge, nice long legs. On the nose: Wet pavement & minerals, cassis, black cherry, whiff of liquorice. In the mouth: full mouth feel, concentrated black cherry, sweet squeaky tannins, some heat pokes through on the decent finish. I was surprised that the label said "merlot". Not a typical merlot, very forward and not so soft. The tannins are still pronounced a bit, needs either more decanting time or time in the bottle, but very nice anyway. QPR ~ $25, very nice for the price.
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I am a long-standing, big fan of Keenan wines and Nils Venge's winemaking style. That said, I was initially a bit underwhelmed by this wine. The fruit seemed slightly muted, there was some noticeable heat on the nose, and the wine felt slightly out of balance initially out of the bottle. To be fair, the rigid backbone, tannins and acidity ended up working well together after a couple of hours in the decanter. This wine has some serious chops for a Merlot and is nothing short of a full-bodied blockbuster. Ended up being an enjoyable bottle some time in the glass; plan on reserving final judgement.
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I've just really been enjoying this wine lately. Incredible saddle leather, plum, tobacco, cherry, spice. I'm sure it will age well, but why wait? It's GOOD now.
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See last: Plum, dark berries, tobacco on the nose. Cherry, cassis, plum taste with some spiciness and cocoa on the finish. Nice wine which is drinkable on its own and very smooth with a little bit of time to open up.
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Plum, dark berries, tobacco on the nose. Cherry, cassis, plum taste with some spiciness and cocoa on the finish. Nice wine which is drinkable on its own and very smooth with a little bit of time to open up.
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- Medium forming legs. It's balanced with a full body with a long finish - Had with Chicken stew. Nice body. Smooth. Ready to drink. Will have rest tomorrow and looking forward to seeing how it changes. Dark.
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Beauty of a wine. Drank out of a split for xmas dinner. Great balance of purity of fruit, density, structure, and alcohol/acid. solid with food or on its own. Just a classy wine
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This wine is like cotton candy at the county fair. Delicious? Yes. Original and exciting? NO. The nose fully of super ripe black fruits with just hint of eucalyptus. In the mouth it’s nothing but chocolate covered cherries. Tannins are still a bit chewy so I’m sure this could benefit from a few years of bottle aging but I really don’t see the need to wait for this wine when there are so many other age worthy wines in the $40 range.
This typical and somewhat oring of CA Merlot acting like Cab Sauv. Great drink at about $30 but not worth seeking.
I have a hard time rating this wine while not what I was looking for in a merlot it is still a very good wine. Nice aromas on the nose of dark berries, licorice and herbs on the palate dark fruit followed by strawberry and a long after taste of licorice. When I think of merlot I think of a smoother less tanninic wine and this has a bit of a bite. It is a well made wine with good fruit but not what I look for in a merlot but I agree with the assessment of the previous reviewers.
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Pours dark. Rich mixed berry followed by jammy cherry and strawberry nose. Midpalate is rich and mouthcoating, finish is very complex with jammy berry, then licorice, cinnamon, then this baked apple pie on the tail end (think rich buttered apple pie crust). Outstanding and extremely underrated by the "pros".
I am definitely purchasing more of this!
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- Full body with a long finish - Very concentrated. Nice body. Balanced. Ready to drink. Had with steak and it was so good. Some violets. Nice finish. Will try again in a few months. Glad I got this
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On the dry side compared to the last several vintages, touch of that dusty finish Rutherford wines always point out, easy to drink now, will surely benifit from several years in the cellar when the tannins will step aside and allow that faint fruit to make your day
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Pop and pour. Richer and more full than the 2007; has nice heft and weight (more cab-like as noted by TKS9) that makes for an easy drinker, with solid fruit and structure.
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The Semicentennial Birthday "Season"; 9/16/2012-9/18/2012 (San Francisco and the Napa Valley): This is a blend of 80% estate Merlot and 20% purchased Carneros grapes. The clean and moderately nose shows aromas of espresso bean, chocolate, clove and fennel. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, medium ripe tannins, well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.3%) and flavors in line with the nose. The middle is solid and the smooth finish is medium in length. This is definitely a "crowd-pleaser" which will drink nicely over the next 5-7 years. Drink now-12/19.
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Stellar QPR. Fun merlot, as the folks on Spring Mountain tend to do. Rich, chocolatey, mocha dark fruits, round mouthfeel. Just great. A perennial all-star.
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7/29/2022 - t0pshelf Likes this wine:
Decided to pop this one because thought it might be getting past its prime but it could have sat longer! Still drinking great: a balance of rich dark & red fruits, suprisingly tannic still for a Merlot (which means not all that tannic, but enough to make it interesting). The bitter off-notes I noted in my last bottle many years ago are no longer noticable. Just about as perfect as a Napa Merlot can get.
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4/30/2022 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Anniversary dinner (Fiora’s, Geneva): Double decanted off its sediment about three hours before dinner. Deep youthful color. Aromas of chocolate, currant, black cherry and licorice. Chalky tannins are not yet fully integrated, supporting flavors of black cherry and plummy dark merlot fruit. I should have given this a couple of hours in the decanter rather than the quick double. Not yet at peak…hold to 2024+. 92+ pts.
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6/1/2019 - jpaulturner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Totally agree with the earlier reviewers. This wine is at its prime and an impressive effort. Wonderful.
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9/10/2018 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Finally open and accessible after a few years of slumber. Probably at peak. Rich milk chocolate, tangy cherries, and pipe tobacco. Lots of sediment in the bottle. Opened up after 30-min of air without decanting. Drink now - 2020. Technical score: 92. Enjoyment score: 92.
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7/24/2018 - guitar guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is an amazing wine. Enjoyed with friends. It is ready to drink. Some dark brown on edges of wine. Literally smelled of intense currants. That scent transitioned into the taste of the wine. It is a rich, deep, and smooth wine. Dark fruit and mild tannins abound. Every one loved this wine. Many thought they were drinking an aged Cabernet. I would drink this one in the next year or so.
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3/15/2018 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with notes a few months ago. Drink now. Technical score: 90. Enjoyment score: 91.
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12/30/2017 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Improved from last April, probably at peak. Lush, voluptuous black fruit and chocolate, balanced palate, refined tannins, but seems to be losing its punch. Drink now. Technical score: 90. Enjoyment score: 91.
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4/21/2017 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lush cherries, blackberries, milk chocolate, and minty tobacco. Still has good stuffing and thick tannins. Pretty good length. Better with food. Technical score: 91. Enjoyment score: 90.
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2/26/2017 - redbrix Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a medium black red and medium clarity Merlot, with a hint a brown on the edges. The nose is high octane and bright with black cherry, anis and good fruit. It is a dark, dry powerhouse with blackberry, tar and tobacco flavors. This nice soft wine aged great and still has a few year left, but ir it prime time for drinking now.
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7/18/2016 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aged very nicely. Excellent.
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3/4/2016 - drummer Likes this wine: 90 Points
nicely balanced broad stroke of dark ripe fruits nose and palate resting on a very subtle tannin bed.....not complex in the sense of layering, nevertheless quite enjoyable
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2/12/2016 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes back in November 2014, only much more developed and refined on the palate and finish. Nice core of dark plums and blackberries layered by red hard candy and herbs. Great structure with hard acidic frame and firm tannins, so this should last another 5+ years. Drink through 2020+
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12/12/2015 - DeltaForceSnuggles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, opaque violet color with medium legs. Nose of dark fruit, vanilla,oak, cocoa and a hint of cayenne pepper. Taste of ripe black plum with hints of anise and cloves. Great classic Napa merlot.
Paired decently well with spiced pork loin, but better suited for lamb/beef.
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7/9/2015 - gmat5497 wrote: 88 Points
Pretty ordinary. Nothing distinctive.
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2/22/2015 - gejohnston Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent
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2/6/2015 - td1836 wrote: 90 Points
Plum flavors, a stemy bitterness early on, which mellowed out with some air. Round and supple.
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2/4/2015 - oenophilemoose wrote: 92 Points
This wine has improved significantly since my first bottle in 2013. Rich and dense dark fruit, full-bodied cab drinker's Merlot with a lengthy and very well balanced finish. I recommend decanting for a couple of hours for an optimum experience.
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1/21/2015 - mflesh wrote: 90 Points
Good merlot. Bottle wasn't off or astringent in any way. Gave it about 30 minutes of air before pouring out of the bottle. Nice dense anise and dirty merlot funk nose with mud and sticks! This wine makes you concentrate a bit. On the entry the wine is very luscious -- rather full bodied and obtuse. A little eucalyptus -- comes in a bit hot -- but settles down to a nice dark black dirty fruit core with some appendages of aged leather, anise, a little cocoa, rich. The mid-palate was dark and soft. Finished a little herbal with good intense concentration. Good spice notes, but almost a sweet earthy spice. Finish gets a little more intense as it opens up. I cannot understand in any way how this bottle will be "best enjoyed by 2016" -- took this one 30 minutes to even be palatable, and almost 90 minutes before the finish even showed. Done by 2018.
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1/2/2015 - jlhkiss wrote: flawed
This bottle was slightly (and elusively) off somehow. Drank over two days. Not nearly as compelling as my experience with it back in November. Tasted woody, hot, and was angular.
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11/19/2014 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is entering a nice peak window now; much improved since last Spring. Great floral nose with cherry blossoms, red hard candy, cherry menthol, and a lingering leather note. The core of this wine is really opening up into a nice medium-to-full-bodied wine, bringing blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and scattered notes of soy sauce, herbs, baking spices, and tobacco. The finish still packs a punch which leads me to believe this will last a while. Overall, the dark fruit and savory streak have each emerged nicely. Went great with turkey meatloaf. Drink 2015-2020.
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4/20/2014 - td1836 wrote: 91 Points
Super rich black cherry, chewy blackberry, and chocolate notes. A very yummy wine.
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4/4/2014 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 89 Points
Did not decant, but it needed it. Drank at a restaurant with mixed spring salad and beef short rib. Opened up after the first hour but was still pretty much closed throughout the evening, possibly in a dumb phase. Consistent with previous notes but got sweeter, fuller dark fruit notes, mainly blueberries. The core of this wine is juicy, round and firm, but still quite dusty on the tail. I'd drink 2015-2025.
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1/24/2014 - sastewart wrote: 89 Points
Initially a little oak and a touch of heat, compressed and a bit tart. Really needs decanting. After a couple of hours nice mountain structure, licorice and minerality with a core dark fruits. No rush as long as the fruit holds out. 89+ points
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1/20/2014 - EdKz@comcast.net wrote: 89 Points
dark garnet, heavy body, mild blackberry bouquet, soft dark fruit taste, short finish. pleasant solo drinker, fine with grilled salmon with spicy rub
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12/19/2013 - Zinlady wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed tonight. Wine is at stable place. Good finish. Easy to drink. Fills mouth
Sorry this was my last bottle.
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12/8/2013 - NathanT wrote: 90 Points
same as the other bottle. delicious.
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11/8/2013 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 89 Points
Better than last time tried. www.winelx.com
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9/26/2013 - t0pshelf Likes this wine:
Not wimpy Merlot by any stretch. Full rich tannins. Somewhat muted fruit, in fact a touch bitter, but that could be mostly because I had it without decanting. Overall very nice. Next bottle I must remember to decant.
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9/1/2013 - oenophilemoose wrote:
Decanted for one hour and initially found alcohol on the nose but this became more subdued over the course of four hours. Smooth mouth feel of dark fruit with a moderately long finish accompanied by a modest amount of tannins. This wine may benefit from a couple more years of cellaring.
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8/24/2013 - Zinlady wrote: 90 Points
Had with mushroom pizza. Stood up to it. Dense. Nice typical merlot. Drinking good at this point.
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8/23/2013 - TKS9 wrote: 90 Points
Slightly better than the last bottle with dark fruit and well integrated tannins; I still think this drinks like a cab -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
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8/17/2013 - Trolson wrote: 92 Points
Wow. Great wine. Reminded me why I enjoyed Keenan cabs.
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7/22/2013 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for three hours and paired with BBQ turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, Parmesan sweet potato, and Mediterranean salad. Dark cherry rose color. Nose of earth, Halls menthol, eucalyptus, and dried cherries. Palate follows with leather, plump cranberries, cherry jolly rancher, and tobacco. Finish is subdued with food but comes across fine and grainy without. Acidity lurked in the background but holds things together. Solid, restrained, very food-friendly mountain Merlot.
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7/20/2013 - NathanT wrote: 90 Points
lots of lush dark, blue fruit, giving the wine rich texture that bordered sweetness. finely dispersed tannins and mild acidity took the back seat. very tasty treat. at times, smooth and flow effortlessly. popped and poured. enjoyed over 2 hours.
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5/30/2013 - tindallb wrote: 88 Points
After a couple previous bottles with higher marks this was a little lacking by comparison. Hopefully just this bottle but will see if it is declining based on the next one.
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5/28/2013 - corkscrews wrote: 87 Points
A nose of some dark fruit and spice, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied dry Merlot, with black cherry, blueberry, some licorice and spices on finish, was good but expected more. www.winelx.com
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4/29/2013 - SportstHER Likes this wine: 89 Points
Through the vinturi, left it for 20 minutes. In the glass: Deep garnet, pink edge, nice long legs. On the nose: Wet pavement & minerals, cassis, black cherry, whiff of liquorice. In the mouth: full mouth feel, concentrated black cherry, sweet squeaky tannins, some heat pokes through on the decent finish. I was surprised that the label said "merlot". Not a typical merlot, very forward and not so soft. The tannins are still pronounced a bit, needs either more decanting time or time in the bottle, but very nice anyway. QPR ~ $25, very nice for the price.
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4/29/2013 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:
I am a long-standing, big fan of Keenan wines and Nils Venge's winemaking style. That said, I was initially a bit underwhelmed by this wine. The fruit seemed slightly muted, there was some noticeable heat on the nose, and the wine felt slightly out of balance initially out of the bottle. To be fair, the rigid backbone, tannins and acidity ended up working well together after a couple of hours in the decanter. This wine has some serious chops for a Merlot and is nothing short of a full-bodied blockbuster. Ended up being an enjoyable bottle some time in the glass; plan on reserving final judgement.
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4/21/2013 - theoz wrote: 91 Points
I've just really been enjoying this wine lately. Incredible saddle leather, plum, tobacco, cherry, spice. I'm sure it will age well, but why wait? It's GOOD now.
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4/13/2013 - r.burt@att.net wrote: 92 Points
Butter in a glass
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3/23/2013 - tindallb Likes this wine: 91 Points
See last: Plum, dark berries, tobacco on the nose. Cherry, cassis, plum taste with some spiciness and cocoa on the finish. Nice wine which is drinkable on its own and very smooth with a little bit of time to open up.
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3/16/2013 - tindallb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plum, dark berries, tobacco on the nose. Cherry, cassis, plum taste with some spiciness and cocoa on the finish. Nice wine which is drinkable on its own and very smooth with a little bit of time to open up.
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1/17/2013 - Palafo wrote: 90 Points
Smoldering wink across the room lit with an alcohol flame
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1/6/2013 - Zinlady wrote: 91 Points
- Medium forming legs. It's balanced with a full body with a long finish - Had with Chicken stew. Nice body. Smooth. Ready to drink. Will have rest tomorrow and looking forward to seeing how it changes. Dark.
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12/25/2012 - rwalker82 wrote: 92 Points
Beauty of a wine. Drank out of a split for xmas dinner. Great balance of purity of fruit, density, structure, and alcohol/acid. solid with food or on its own. Just a classy wine
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12/21/2012 - GlassHalfFull wrote: 90 Points
Dark and rich, but with decent acidity that shows with food. Long dry finish, with a bit of alcoholic heat. Great value at sale price if $22.
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12/17/2012 - kietkopelli wrote: 88 Points
This wine is like cotton candy at the county fair. Delicious? Yes. Original and exciting? NO. The nose fully of super ripe black fruits with just hint of eucalyptus. In the mouth it’s nothing but chocolate covered cherries. Tannins are still a bit chewy so I’m sure this could benefit from a few years of bottle aging but I really don’t see the need to wait for this wine when there are so many other age worthy wines in the $40 range.
This typical and somewhat oring of CA Merlot acting like Cab Sauv. Great drink at about $30 but not worth seeking.
Remember you don’t drink the label.
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12/14/2012 - bzell wrote: 90 Points
I have a hard time rating this wine while not what I was looking for in a merlot it is still a very good wine. Nice aromas on the nose of dark berries, licorice and herbs on the palate dark fruit followed by strawberry and a long after taste of licorice. When I think of merlot I think of a smoother less tanninic wine and this has a bit of a bite. It is a well made wine with good fruit but not what I look for in a merlot but I agree with the assessment of the previous reviewers.
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12/5/2012 - theguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red color. Nice nose of leather, earth, violets. Flavor is full and thick as I like my Merlots to be. Nice lingering finish.
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12/4/2012 - Gestalted Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pours dark. Rich mixed berry followed by jammy cherry and strawberry nose. Midpalate is rich and mouthcoating, finish is very complex with jammy berry, then licorice, cinnamon, then this baked apple pie on the tail end (think rich buttered apple pie crust). Outstanding and extremely underrated by the "pros".
I am definitely purchasing more of this!
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12/3/2012 - Zinlady wrote: 92 Points
- Full body with a long finish - Very concentrated. Nice body. Balanced. Ready to drink. Had with steak and it was so good. Some violets. Nice finish. Will try again in a few months. Glad I got this
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11/28/2012 - shadow wrote: 90 Points
On the dry side compared to the last several vintages, touch of that dusty finish Rutherford wines always point out, easy to drink now, will surely benifit from several years in the cellar when the tannins will step aside and allow that faint fruit to make your day
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11/12/2012 - gmat5497 wrote: 88 Points
Nice. Well rounded.
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10/30/2012 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Richer and more full than the 2007; has nice heft and weight (more cab-like as noted by TKS9) that makes for an easy drinker, with solid fruit and structure.
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10/24/2012 - affordableCollector wrote: 86 Points
light maroon in color. warm, dark fruit, on the nose. nut, cherry, blackberry, cocoa, oak, on the palate. medium-high tannins on the finish.
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10/19/2012 - TKS9 wrote: 89 Points
More Cab-like than the 2007 vintage, but very solid and enjoyable. Wait a couple of years on the next bottle.
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10/13/2012 - rbradleypate wrote: 88 Points
Very Sicilian in style. Dry with gripping tannins. Inky purple hue with medium legs. High alcohol content but well integrated.
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9/18/2012 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
The Semicentennial Birthday "Season"; 9/16/2012-9/18/2012 (San Francisco and the Napa Valley): This is a blend of 80% estate Merlot and 20% purchased Carneros grapes. The clean and moderately nose shows aromas of espresso bean, chocolate, clove and fennel. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, medium ripe tannins, well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.3%) and flavors in line with the nose. The middle is solid and the smooth finish is medium in length. This is definitely a "crowd-pleaser" which will drink nicely over the next 5-7 years. Drink now-12/19.
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9/1/2012 - Why Yes wrote: 92 Points
Stellar QPR. Fun merlot, as the folks on Spring Mountain tend to do. Rich, chocolatey, mocha dark fruits, round mouthfeel. Just great. A perennial all-star.
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8/26/2012 - Serge wrote: 92 Points
Extremely concentrated with excellent balance between fruit and acidity. Surprising quality for the price.
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5/29/2012 - shadow wrote: 91 Points
my favorite QPR, grabed this by mistake, not disapointed, rich and ballanced, nice floural finish
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