Popped Poured... dark mountain fruits, long finish... was having a fire outside amongst friends and other bottles, so no detailed notes. Overall, it was drinking in its prime and I wish I had more to sit and study it.
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It Peaking! (that's what she said) Drink em if you got em. Plum, blackberry, blueberry, cinnamon, tannins still there but the velvet texture is softening. Went well with Round Table Pizza.
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This one is much better than expected. Dark purple on the open and pour starting to turn brick. Black and red cherry, slight jammy on the nose but not the palate. As others have described, long spicy (black pepper) finish. The balance of this wine is excellent. Tannins and structure still there, very well balanced by the fruit/spice flavors. Properly cellared this may have a few more years of value left - but drink now to make sure you do not miss the window. I love Pride wines - and their Merlot is top notch.
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- Brick color with medium forming legs and aromas of smokey, tobacco and tea and has flavours of black pepper and cherry - Decanted two hours. Tons of sediment. Long spicy finish.
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From magnum. Dark purple with slight bricking. Medium body with delicious red fruits, pencil shavings, and black pepper. Silky tannins and a lingering finish. Surely at its peak, drink over the next 3-5 years.
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What a pleasant surprise. Still drinking excellent, but if this is typical of Merlot I should drink more. Great flavors (see why they talk about chocolate with merlot), depth and finish. Drink up.
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PNP over an hour and a half as part of a 2011-2013 vertical. So completely different from the 2012 and 2013. About half the group preferred this wine, with the other half picking the '13 (which was more cab -like right out of the bottle). Beautiful fruit and silky tannins, this is what a merlot is supposed to taste like. Pride wines have always been a favorite of ours, and this is a perfect example as to why. Drinking great now.
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My previous bottle was not great. Flabby and unremarkable.
This one is much better and shows balance, a typical merlot nose and a nice frame holding it all together. It has improved from two years ago and I think it may improve further.
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Drank from magnum over dinner. Poured into decanter 2 hours before consuming. Still showing plenty of plum, blueberry and dark cherry. Well integrated oak framing the fruit and some herbal notes with a very nice grill pan aromas as well. Still very alive and just starting to show some of the age in the nose and palate. Always love this producer.
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Great as usual. I’d only had this young before but a few years makes it even better. Great fruit and a nice acidic backbone with rosemary, sagebrush, and bbq. Not a simple merlot. Given its present density and acid, I think this will keep and perhaps improve for a little while.
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I cannot believe the sub-90 ratings on this site. This wine is an easy 92, but I give it a 93 as this is a correct and classic Merlot. Nose of grilled meat, black fruit, and herb. Entry is dark, brambly, black cherry and chocolate. The middle gains an herbal and hint of sweet figs and plums. Super dynamic. Finishes with great acidity and black cherry backbone. So delicious! Drinking WELL right now!!
very confused by the recent notes. I thought this was a lovely merlot. purchased direct from the winery, the nose was really pretty. really well balanced on the palate with tons of red fruit and good structure. impressive for 2011. showing no signs of fading and I'm not getting any of the oak influence recent notes are mentioning. paired great with steaks off the grill
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Drinking well, would not hold for too much longer (less than 5 years). Began with a lovely floral nose that dissipated. Round cherry and fruit flavour, with a somewhat insipid acid backbone. Nice but not particularly memorable.
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Young, grapey nose, and lots of oak. Potent, well structured and dense; Quite forward fruit, with brilliant crystalline acidity and a long, sweet finish. I generally don't like wines with such forward fruit, strong oak and high alcohol, but this wine is undeniably fun to drink. Tasted blind, and I initially dismissed this wine as a new world fruit bomb monstrosity, but after spending some time with it I found that I honestly liked the wine.
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Tasted blind. Big berry nose, raspberry reduction, and a heavy-handed dose of warm French oak. Lighter on its feet than I expected, juicy raspberry and boysenberry notes. Young, immature oak confounds the finish. Struck me as a modern California wine. You can find stuff like this all over for a lower price.
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I drank this because I didn't want to wait for it to past it's peak...not easy to tell all the time, but it still has life in it. Drinking good and needs a little time to open up.
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- Ruby color with slow forming legs and aromas of smokey, coffee, cedar and cherry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of cherry, black pepper and smokey with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Decanted three hours. The wine needs time, definitely decant. Spice box and rich, dark cherry on the finish too. Excellent merlot, yes it's time to drink merlot.
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A tasty drink, this wine exudes classic California Merlot from a cooler vintage. It showed brighter, leaner and more tannic than its 2010 bottling, it is nevertheless a perfect wine for any sauce less red meat dish. And yes, it has got at least 3-5 more years before the lanugo molts, but is delicious now. I can imagine it being on a corporate steakhouse wine list, it's a a fail safe selection.
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Decanted for 2 hrs. Initially very exciting and sophisticated with tastes of plums & dark fruits, but they flattened out in the second half of the bottle.
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This bottle was better than the one tasted 5 months ago.. deep chocolate and baked plums on the palate. a bit woody, but good integration overall. touch of blackberry and cassis from splash of cab sav in the blend. a good wine!
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Consistent with note of four months ago. Better than a year and one-half ago. Color of dark red almost purple. Scents of plum and black cherry. Tastes consistent with scents, plus some background floral not
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90 on day 1. Lots of fruit and not overly complex initially. Didn't expect much to come out of it and didn't decant (probably should have). By day 4 the fruit balanced out with underlying earthiness and for me was closer to 92.
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Ripe, sweet, boozy Ludens (cherry) lozenge. Just a bit of ripe plum with that baked, Christmas fruitcake quality. Actually not a great showing for this wine, expected a bit more. I tasted it at the vineyard and remembered it being more like Cabernet - dark fruits with refreshing acidity and ripe tannins. Instead it was a bit one-dimensional and lightly unbalanced with alcohol (it's 14.4% ABV)... Will hold on to the other bottle...
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Enjoyed this. I think it for better with a year in the cellar. Color of dark red almost purple. Scents of plum and black cherry. Tastes consistent with scents, plus some background floral notes.
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Echo other reviews. Good black fruit, lots of it. Big wine. Medium-long finish. I don't know how well it will age over time given difficult vintage, so enjoy now if you like big Merlot. I might get another few and let them sit for 1-2 years.
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63% Napa, 37% Sonoma. plus a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. Bob Foley left as winemaker in 2006. Sally Johnson is now winemaker, UC Davis Grad worked at St Francis (used to be a solid Merlot) and in Aussie. Works some finesse into the wines. red and black fruit, but feels like more black fruit.
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Again, not your typical merlot. Pride's merlot is more akin to cabernet sauvignon. Smooth, velvety, luscious. Completely covers the palette. Nice black fruit, drying while still a touch sweet. Smooth with a medium-long finish. Paired this with a fennel sausage and mushroom risotto. Drinking very well now, but still has some time on it. Shared with 4 others, all thought it was delicious. Great wine from a great winery.
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I really enjoyed this wine. Drank over two consecutive evenings. Very nice black fruit, medium astringency, a hint of sweet while still drying my tongue. I have a few more bottles of this that I will cellar for a while, but this is very enjoyable right now.
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A Cabernet drinkers Merlot. Darker black fruit aromas. Not much red fruit. Sweet spice aroams. Plump on the palate, some vanilla and sweet fruit texture on the palate.
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Vanilla bean, licorice and juicy plum notes open to a medium bodied, round textured, forward wine that finishes with chocoalte covered cherries and espresso beans in the finish.
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Light dark fruit nose. Just opened bottle. Medium body, shows mostly elegant oak on the flavors. Medium finish- not that complex over all. Tasted at the winery.
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Big ripe wine with plum, black cherry, perfumed notes, floral notes. The palate is huge, mouth filling and overwhelming. Despite not using a lot of new oak, the tannins are too heavy and the wine is hot on the back palate. I don't like it very much.
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Medium clarity. Thin ruby red. Nose of cherry, vanilla, chocolate, spruce. Taste cherry, cocoa, acidic. Construction is good with flavors transitioning from one to another nicely. Still very tight, somewhat austere and monotone. Tannins medium. A good wine but definitely coming across a little monotone. Not a typical American Merlot but still not sure if the monotone is the age or just Merlot.
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2/13/2024 - Cest_f Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped Poured... dark mountain fruits, long finish... was having a fire outside amongst friends and other bottles, so no detailed notes. Overall, it was drinking in its prime and I wish I had more to sit and study it.
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1/4/2024 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful mountain fruit from Spring Mountain this winery actually follows the divide between Napa and Sonoma.
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12/9/2023 - spectrumphoto Likes this wine: 93 Points
It Peaking! (that's what she said)
Drink em if you got em. Plum, blackberry, blueberry, cinnamon, tannins still there but the velvet texture is softening. Went well with Round Table Pizza.
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10/14/2023 - Patrickcro Likes this wine: 91 Points
This one is much better than expected. Dark purple on the open and pour starting to turn brick. Black and red cherry, slight jammy on the nose but not the palate. As others have described, long spicy (black pepper) finish. The balance of this wine is excellent. Tannins and structure still there, very well balanced by the fruit/spice flavors. Properly cellared this may have a few more years of value left - but drink now to make sure you do not miss the window. I love Pride wines - and their Merlot is top notch.
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1/31/2022 - ey1294 wrote: 90 Points
- Brick color with medium forming legs and aromas of smokey, tobacco and tea and has flavours of black pepper and cherry - Decanted two hours. Tons of sediment. Long spicy finish.
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1/30/2022 - WineLyfe wrote:
Still enjoyable though beyond the recommended to me. Deep purple, jammy. One of my favorite Merlot.
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11/29/2021 - Jim B Likes this wine: 88 Points
past it's prime
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4/22/2021 - moxielady wrote: 92 Points
Jammy, smooth, ready to drink
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1/8/2021 - moxielady wrote: 91 Points
moderate tannins, dark fruit - drinking well now but still quite some time left
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12/23/2020 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum. Dark purple with slight bricking. Medium body with delicious red fruits, pencil shavings, and black pepper. Silky tannins and a lingering finish. Surely at its peak, drink over the next 3-5 years.
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12/2/2020 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
What a pleasant surprise. Still drinking excellent, but if this is typical of Merlot I should drink more. Great flavors (see why they talk about chocolate with merlot), depth and finish. Drink up.
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9/11/2020 - drhodous wrote:
ACU
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6/13/2020 - qtsam11 wrote: 92 Points
PNP over an hour and a half as part of a 2011-2013 vertical. So completely different from the 2012 and 2013. About half the group preferred this wine, with the other half picking the '13 (which was more cab -like right out of the bottle). Beautiful fruit and silky tannins, this is what a merlot is supposed to taste like. Pride wines have always been a favorite of ours, and this is a perfect example as to why. Drinking great now.
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5/25/2020 - moxielady wrote: 93 Points
dark fruit, smooth tannin, light acid - drinking well
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5/14/2020 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 91 Points
My previous bottle was not great. Flabby and unremarkable.
This one is much better and shows balance, a typical merlot nose and a nice frame holding it all together. It has improved from two years ago and I think it may improve further.
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12/29/2019 - Wrkolbeck wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking well but past its prime. Drink up if you have it.
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12/5/2019 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 91 Points
3 liter drank at a lunch with friends. Opened for 31/2 hrs decant the day prior. Drinking well now, may have a year or two more to go.
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11/2/2019 - Bdot Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from magnum over dinner. Poured into decanter 2 hours before consuming. Still showing plenty of plum, blueberry and dark cherry. Well integrated oak framing the fruit and some herbal notes with a very nice grill pan aromas as well. Still very alive and just starting to show some of the age in the nose and palate. Always love this producer.
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10/13/2019 - sw92130 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I Coravin’d it and my first taste is delicious. Smooth and silky with plenty of fruit.
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5/21/2019 - Doblk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great as usual. I’d only had this young before but a few years makes it even better. Great fruit and a nice acidic backbone with rosemary, sagebrush, and bbq. Not a simple merlot. Given its present density and acid, I think this will keep and perhaps improve for a little while.
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3/10/2019 - Reblin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aging gracefully, this wine is smooth and balanced. Dark red fruit, notes of plum. No rough edges. Lovely on its own but paired well with red meat.
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2/27/2019 - mflesh wrote: 93 Points
I cannot believe the sub-90 ratings on this site. This wine is an easy 92, but I give it a 93 as this is a correct and classic Merlot. Nose of grilled meat, black fruit, and herb. Entry is dark, brambly, black cherry and chocolate. The middle gains an herbal and hint of sweet figs and plums. Super dynamic. Finishes with great acidity and black cherry backbone. So delicious! Drinking WELL right now!!
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12/8/2018 - Dbarrsail Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very good wine. Mellow and deep. Drank with pasta and meat sauce.
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12/8/2018 - Dbarrsail Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank with pasta and meat sauce. Delicious.
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9/11/2018 - wiscgrad wrote: 92 Points
very confused by the recent notes. I thought this was a lovely merlot. purchased direct from the winery, the nose was really pretty. really well balanced on the palate with tons of red fruit and good structure. impressive for 2011. showing no signs of fading and I'm not getting any of the oak influence recent notes are mentioning. paired great with steaks off the grill
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7/22/2018 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drinking well, would not hold for too much longer (less than 5 years). Began with a lovely floral nose that dissipated. Round cherry and fruit flavour, with a somewhat insipid acid backbone. Nice but not particularly memorable.
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6/18/2018 - GEWine wrote:
Error
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3/17/2018 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Young, grapey nose, and lots of oak. Potent, well structured and dense; Quite forward fruit, with brilliant crystalline acidity and a long, sweet finish. I generally don't like wines with such forward fruit, strong oak and high alcohol, but this wine is undeniably fun to drink. Tasted blind, and I initially dismissed this wine as a new world fruit bomb monstrosity, but after spending some time with it I found that I honestly liked the wine.
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3/17/2018 - Doc90 wrote: 86 Points
Tasted blind. Big berry nose, raspberry reduction, and a heavy-handed dose of warm French oak. Lighter on its feet than I expected, juicy raspberry and boysenberry notes. Young, immature oak confounds the finish. Struck me as a modern California wine. You can find stuff like this all over for a lower price.
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12/18/2017 - dkwins Likes this wine: 92 Points
Steady go-to wine.
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11/19/2017 - MLR Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red berries and some dust on the nose. Similar in the mouth with a velvety feel and some spice on the end.
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10/2/2017 - jonmartin1520 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking great right now. Mild tannin, hint of spice and some dark fruit. Medium finish.
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9/9/2017 - wetlandwino wrote: 93 Points
Perfect California Merlot. Smooth as silk and full bodied.
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12/15/2016 - KramerK1610 Likes this wine: 91 Points
enjoyed this wine
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11/14/2016 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 88 Points
Tannic and a bit of a disappointment.
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11/11/2016 - mntebolt wrote: 88 Points
good
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11/6/2016 - corka Likes this wine: 92 Points
I drank this because I didn't want to wait for it to past it's peak...not easy to tell all the time, but it still has life in it. Drinking good and needs a little time to open up.
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8/29/2016 - oenophilemoose wrote: 90 Points
Decanted two hours. Some earth but pleasant fruit and moderate tannins.
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8/5/2016 - Whodeyinsea Likes this wine: 88 Points
Solid, very easy drinking, light cherry.
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7/24/2016 - dkwins Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better than last time, straight from the bottle. Well structured, not as complex as cab, but nice dark fruit.
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7/11/2016 - bgreenak Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious! Decanted for 2 hours--served with lamb chops. Huge hit with dinner guests. Lovely fruit and very, very smooth. Wish I had more
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7/4/2016 - winejnky wrote: 88 Points
Dry and oaky up front, then cherry fruit comes through, but also some green pepper and tannin.
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6/5/2016 - sw92130 wrote:
Just opened. Very delicious right out of the bottle. I will decant for a short while and report back.
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2/14/2016 - ey1294 wrote: 92 Points
- Ruby color with slow forming legs and aromas of smokey, coffee, cedar and cherry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of cherry, black pepper and smokey with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Decanted three hours. The wine needs time, definitely decant. Spice box and rich, dark cherry on the finish too. Excellent merlot, yes it's time to drink merlot.
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1/30/2016 - arthrovine wrote:
Pop n poured. Followed over 5 hours
A tasty drink, this wine exudes classic California Merlot from a cooler vintage. It showed brighter, leaner and more tannic than its 2010 bottling, it is nevertheless a perfect wine for any sauce less red meat dish. And yes, it has got at least 3-5 more years before the lanugo molts, but is delicious now. I can imagine it being on a corporate steakhouse wine list, it's a a fail safe selection.
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12/26/2015 - Barry Raterink Likes this wine: 94 Points
Love this wine. Gorgeous nose, plum and currants, well balanced and lush and a long finish. Excellent - 2 left.
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12/25/2015 - doublehorn wrote: 91 Points
Merry Christmas.
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11/19/2015 - doublehorn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yes. Pepper. Ink. Lovely.
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10/28/2015 - TedescoCellars wrote: 90 Points
Velvety plum scent, dark chocolate, plum, and black cherry taste. Very, very smooth wine.
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10/16/2015 - rxfudd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth, fruit forward, went well with steaks, great example of Pride quality
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9/26/2015 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine. Not like other pride merlots I've had. Most of the time I can't tell if its a cab or merlot. There is no doubt this is Merlot.
Very smooth, cherry on the nose with flavor of Strawberry and cherry. This is a big rich wine. I'm very happy that I bought two of these.
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9/6/2015 - bbcc66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs. Initially very exciting and sophisticated with tastes of plums & dark fruits, but they flattened out in the second half of the bottle.
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8/22/2015 - CManthei wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was better than the one tasted 5 months ago.. deep chocolate and baked plums on the palate. a bit woody, but good integration overall. touch of blackberry and cassis from splash of cab sav in the blend. a good wine!
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7/25/2015 - brianngibson wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, vanilla bean, cocoa, cedar. A little light on the palate and shorter finish than in better vintages. Still a good little pizza wine.
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7/1/2015 - moxielady wrote: 93 Points
Fruity, deep cherry, chocolate
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6/28/2015 - BeachBum_73 wrote: 92 Points
- Crimsom color.
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6/13/2015 - dase13 wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with note of four months ago. Better than a year and one-half ago.
Color of dark red almost purple. Scents of plum and black cherry. Tastes consistent with scents, plus some background floral not
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5/26/2015 - Curt11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
90 on day 1. Lots of fruit and not overly complex initially. Didn't expect much to come out of it and didn't decant (probably should have). By day 4 the fruit balanced out with underlying earthiness and for me was closer to 92.
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3/21/2015 - Trolson wrote: 93 Points
Another lovely example of Pride in a continuous line of winners: lush and full-bodied.
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3/15/2015 - CManthei wrote: 89 Points
Ripe, sweet, boozy Ludens (cherry) lozenge. Just a bit of ripe plum with that baked, Christmas fruitcake quality. Actually not a great showing for this wine, expected a bit more. I tasted it at the vineyard and remembered it being more like Cabernet - dark fruits with refreshing acidity and ripe tannins. Instead it was a bit one-dimensional and lightly unbalanced with alcohol (it's 14.4% ABV)... Will hold on to the other bottle...
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2/21/2015 - kgoldsbe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dried red fruit on the nose and plum and tart cherry on the tongue.
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2/13/2015 - dase13 wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed this. I think it for better with a year in the cellar. Color of dark red almost purple. Scents of plum and black cherry. Tastes consistent with scents, plus some background floral notes.
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2/5/2015 - dkwins Likes this wine: 90 Points
More thin than the 2010, but still good.
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12/26/2014 - Markie_Sharkie wrote: 91 Points
Echo other reviews. Good black fruit, lots of it. Big wine. Medium-long finish. I don't know how well it will age over time given difficult vintage, so enjoy now if you like big Merlot. I might get another few and let them sit for 1-2 years.
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10/29/2014 - camben Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the best in California. I think the cab lovers merlot title is not so much the flavour rather the weight and density
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10/17/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
63% Napa, 37% Sonoma. plus a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. Bob Foley left as winemaker in 2006. Sally Johnson is now winemaker, UC Davis Grad worked at St Francis (used to be a solid Merlot) and in Aussie. Works some finesse into the wines. red and black fruit, but feels like more black fruit.
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10/13/2014 - wpattison Likes this wine: 90 Points
Again, not your typical merlot. Pride's merlot is more akin to cabernet sauvignon. Smooth, velvety, luscious. Completely covers the palette. Nice black fruit, drying while still a touch sweet. Smooth with a medium-long finish. Paired this with a fennel sausage and mushroom risotto. Drinking very well now, but still has some time on it. Shared with 4 others, all thought it was delicious. Great wine from a great winery.
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10/2/2014 - znickell wrote: 92 Points
I really enjoyed this wine. Drank over two consecutive evenings. Very nice black fruit, medium astringency, a hint of sweet while still drying my tongue. I have a few more bottles of this that I will cellar for a while, but this is very enjoyable right now.
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9/29/2014 - td1836 wrote: 90 Points
Smooth, nose is great, dark and seductive. Plum, raspberry, chocolate. Earth and acidity in the finish. Some oak, but well integrated.
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9/26/2014 - richardkim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blackberry and blackcurrant, tightly wound. A beam of acidity and firm tannins.
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8/17/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
A Cabernet drinkers Merlot. Darker black fruit aromas. Not much red fruit. Sweet spice aroams. Plump on the palate, some vanilla and sweet fruit texture on the palate.
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8/16/2014 - Winoluver wrote:
It's a fine bottle of wine....it ain't great yet. Vanilla....Oak....worth 90 pts. Needs a little more time.
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8/3/2014 - dase13 wrote: 90 Points
Color of dark red almost purple. Scents of plum and black cherry. Tastes consistent with scents, plus some background floral notes.
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6/15/2014 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
mixed darker wild berry, mineral, black tea; good complexity but a bit young/tight for now.
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5/25/2014 - Trolson wrote: 92 Points
Lovely vanilla overtone. And, the taste is mature with depth to match.
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5/10/2014 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - briarberry
Mouth - dark cherry, lush, fruit forward, juicy
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4/20/2014 - ajfret01 Likes this wine: 86 Points
Blackberry and chocolate covered cherry on the nose. Maybe a bit hot with alcohol. Spicy with prominent oaky finish with firm,but pleasant tannins.
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4/13/2014 - Cyrus of the Valley Likes this wine: 88 Points
even after 2 hour decant, the fruit was somewhat muted with little finish.dissapointing at this time
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3/11/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 88 Points
Vanilla bean, licorice and juicy plum notes open to a medium bodied, round textured, forward wine that finishes with chocoalte covered cherries and espresso beans in the finish.
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3/8/2014 - ablazinob wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs.
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12/16/2013 - AlexHop wrote: 90 Points
Light dark fruit nose. Just opened bottle. Medium body, shows mostly elegant oak on the flavors. Medium finish- not that complex over all. Tasted at the winery.
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10/29/2013 - jnewman77 wrote:
Big ripe wine with plum, black cherry, perfumed notes, floral notes. The palate is huge, mouth filling and overwhelming. Despite not using a lot of new oak, the tannins are too heavy and the wine is hot on the back palate. I don't like it very much.
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10/12/2013 - cristian_m Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium clarity. Thin ruby red. Nose of cherry, vanilla, chocolate, spruce. Taste cherry, cocoa, acidic. Construction is good with flavors transitioning from one to another nicely. Still very tight, somewhat austere and monotone. Tannins medium. A good wine but definitely coming across a little monotone. Not a typical American Merlot but still not sure if the monotone is the age or just Merlot.
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