Pours a purplish ruby out to the clearing edges with no bricking. The nice nose beckons with cassis, blueberry compote, and underbrush. Medium+-bodied with the best acidity of the previous three bottles. Paired nicely with Instant Pot tomatoey beef stew This is the best showing we've had yet.
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A "new" 6-pack of an all-timer from a long-time and respected source. Wonderful dark color, no signs of rust or bricking. However, dominating green notes and drying, unripe tannins mask the underlying dark fruit, not a previously experienced condition. Fat content of filets almost totally mitigates the palate difference. 5 more bottles of hope to evaluate.
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Notes from April 13th still apply, yet this bottle even more dense, concentrated, and slightly less advanced. Decanted, a fair amount of sediment both in the wine and adhered to the bottle. Drink now and enjoy Spring Mountain's greatest merlot (IMHO)!
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Almost any bottle of Paloma Merlot is delicious, and in exceptional years it's great, this 15-yr example being no exception. Rich, round, dark cherry and currant with a long, very smooth/resolved finish. Mature without tasting old is always a good thing. Drink over the next 2 yrs.
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Dense dark red (almost black) color, black cherry, black current, chocolate nose which intensifies over time. Dense dark berry fruit was very smooth, tannins integrated, some notes of coffee and a long, long smooth finish.
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Drinking very well now. Black cherries and currants in the nose with hints of chocolate, coffee, and minerals. Black cherries, plums, and chocolate in the flavor. Well balanced and a long finish.
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Second Sunday Group: Paloma Merlot Vertical (Our house): Notes of violets and florals with red berries, cherry and plum underneath. Integrated tannins. Flavors of cherries, chocolate and macerated red berries. Finishes with nice length and balance.
My #1, Domino's #2 Group #1, 28 pts
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Double decanted off its sediment and uncorked again a couple of hours later with dinner. Red and black fruit notes dominate although there's a ripe, raisiny streak running through this that I do not care for. Softened tannins with nice fruit on the palate but again, there's a ripeness to it. I expected more from this, and suspect other bottles will live up to expectations and I'll chalk this one up to bottle variation.
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Took to a party, so no detailed notes. Silky. Slightly sweet and slightly earthy. Surprisingly tannic, it is NOT over the hill, but I would still recommend drinking any remaining bottles this year.
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Still very good, not showing the signs of age that I was expecting. It needed a little time in the glass to hit its stride, and was very enjoyably balanced when it did.
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Opened at a party, so no detailed notes. No signs of age. After about an hour of air (not decanted), it had opened up nicely. Great balance (NOT over-the-hill), a hint of earthiness, silky texture, and a solid finish.
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Opened last night for dinner with grilled steak. I'm starting to get concerned about Palomas that are this old, and my first impression was not that great. I thought this had passed it's prime. But fortunately I was quite wrong. After about 1 hr in a decanter, it really came to life. Very deep fruit with a great mouthfeel. It turned out to be a crowd-pleaser and upheld my faith in Paloma Merlot!
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Not a huge Wine Spectator fan, but I have to give it to them on this one - what a dark horse wine of the year! Everything I could want out of a mountain merlot.
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Opened this to replace an off 2002 Paloma Merlot. This is more like what I was expecting. Popped and poured. Dark purple color, dark/blackberry fruit, tannin - intense wine that developed some balance with time in the glass. Seems very young. I'll try to let me remaining bottles sit.
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This wine drank a little hot at first sip, but after an hour of decanting, it was amazing. It opened up but still showed some youth. This one will last a bit
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Slightly disappointing as I think the bottle was a touch corked. The bottle was missing the normal fruit intensity and was a bit musty. There was a slight note of angular tannins that detracted from what was otherwise a very nice merlot.
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Awesome Merlot in a Foley style. Smooth, balanced, deep and rich. Creaminess, chocolate, dark fruits dominate. Nice nose and finish. Definately needed about 60 minutes of decanting as it improved dramatically.While big, it had enough acidity to remain fresh while drinking.Love it!
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Jam packed, saturated Merlot that's robust, but also displays delicate and refined flavors. Candied fruit aromatics, with a dense and dark ruby color. Concentrated notes of rich baked raspberry pie, charred black cherry and wild berry. Offers a secondary layer of black currant and brown spices, all in held in balance with fine grain tannins. Reveals nuanced tastes and textures throughout the drinking experience. A long lasting, vivid delivery on the ending highlighted by mocha and a touch of aged oak. Best now and through the end of the year.
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What a gorgeous wine. Decanted for 30-45 min. What a beautiful aroma of spice, vanilla, rose peddles and meaty characteristic that is just wonderful. The color is slightly fading but no bricking around the edges what so ever. The palate is smooth and composed. Everything is in perfect harmony. Finish is on the shorter side but very nice. This is truely one of the best Palomas I have had and it even gives most other merlots a run for the money. Drink now or over the next 3-4 years.
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Minneapolis Wine Club California Merlot; 2/1/2012-2/2/2012: Amazing stuff with blueberries, spice, cherry, plums and earth. Complex wine and long finish. Not a power house but very aromatic and tasty. Drink now or cellar for five years. Wonderful!
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Minneapolis Wine Club Does Merlot (Gail's House): Very dark red-purple color. Pop and pour, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. Nose has a lovely dusty, cedary quality with distint clove notes, spices, tobacco, cassis, blackberry, black cherry. The palate is full bodied and rich with a lovely core of black fruit, oak, spices, tobacco. Very smooth and elegant, long finish. This was quite lovely and I suspect has lots of life left. My #2 WOTN and tied for group third.
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Notes of red and black fruit on the nose that is followed by same red and black fruit carrying through all the way to the finish. Delicious and straight forward wine. Drink now
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Not what I was hoping for. Still enjoyed the plum fruit, but the alcohol at the finish is not pleasant. Medium bodied, not a terribly long finish. Their 2002 was so much better.
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Drinking very nicely after a 6 hour decant. Light level of sediment requires a decant. Soft tannins with a fruit driven profile. You can tell there's cabernet in the blend. A very, very nice wine with steaks.
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I opened this at home and drank it over the course of 2 hours. The colour was a mid deep as expected and the nose had a strong bouquet of cherries with a hint of chocolate. The tannins were nicely balanced and there was strong cherry flavours as well. After about 45 minutes I also got surprising tastes of toast and a hint of bacon in the glass. I enjoyed this bottle and wish there were more merlots like Paloma.
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I brought this to a restaurant and we tried a small sample and then decanted for approximately 30 minutes. Quite light in colour with a mild bouquet. Surprisingly, it was quite tangy with a bit too much spice on it when it was originally tasted. After an hour or so, it settled down nicely into a good merlot with lots of caramel in it. I've had better but I've also had a lot worse.
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Not my cup of tea, big, jammy, flabby. I guess it's the style, as everyone else here seems to love it, but for me this was another example of the "big, jammy" winemaking wave that seemed to have peaked around the 04 vintage.
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OK for a Merlot with some dark berry fruit, mocha and prominent , but better integrated oak. Fairly short but spicy finish. Nice grip even with age but don't see it going anywhere.
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Medium ruby color. "Cool" nose of dark fruit and eucalyptus or bay leaf. More savory than fruity on the palate, with a beef blood quality, some molten chocolate and maybe a little clove on the finish. Revels in its California-ness, but it's probably not a Merlot for everybody...
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Notes of strawberry jam, vanilla and whiff of alcohol. Lush cherries, raspberries, black berries, chocolate on the palate and which carries trough on the finish that is overtaken at the end by alcohol. Its delicious wine that is easy to enjoy but lacks the complexity and the balance that will make it an outstanding wine. Drink now and enjoy.
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Med deep to deep ruby - nose was closed and a bit reductive at first, but after an hour opened up to blackberry, boysenberry fruit, subtle oak providing nuance - smooth palate, with dark fruits, a bit dark and heavy for my palate, but balanced and tasty, good ripe but present tannins, decent acidity, very nice wine.
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4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Joe P's): Garnet color. Notes of meat, red currants, pepper, violets and florals. Flavors of spicy red fruit, nutmeg, plum and fruit roll-ups. Fine tannins, a bit chalky; blackberry liqueur and plum qualities on the finish.
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Popped and poured at Morton's Steak House. I have yet to be disappointed with a bottle of Paloma and this bottle continued that trend. Very smooth with light acidity. Overall a great Berry balance with hints of vanilla. A wonderful California merlot.
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A big dark merlot, with dark plum and chocolate on the nose and in the mouth. Big tannins that should continue to soften. Enjoyed this very much. We probably should have decanted this.
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I didn't try this at release but think it wold have showed better based on previous vintages. Ripe, but somewhat muted fruit profile that has yielded to excessive oakiness. Decent finish of mocha and spice but core and midpalate lacking.
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"Slumming" with the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Inky garnet color. Aromas of dill and vanilla, along with dark fruit tones. Medium-bodied, with flavors of red fruit, cherry and vanilla. I thought this was a Cali Cab. 91-92 pts.
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I found this OK, but not worth the tariff. Generally thin and with a rather dull nose. I had higher expectations for this. Maybe it is in a awkward phase, so I'll make a note not to open another until 2009.
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Just ok....not nearly in the same league ast 01 or 02. Too young perhaps? Just not as fruity as past vintages. Drank with sirloin steaks from Clanceys.
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A year plus in the cellar has helped this wine considerably. Much more balanced than the first time I had it. Somewhat lighter in color than expected but the fruit is there and delicious. Notes of toffee, coffee, vanilla. Dusty berry fruit and a medium long finish. Excellent Merlot...wish it was $40 instead of $60 though. 92-93
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Lighter in colour than I expected. Very vibrant nose. Palate lacked the tell tale chocolate notes that I so often experience with a Perloma merlot. Lighter bodied, more red than dark fruits and almost comes off as a zin. Still, very very nice but just not quite what I was expecting.
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This is a nice wine, much more concentrated fruit than 2003. Not as good as 2002 though. Quite a bit of oak currently present. A good wine that just isnt worth its $60 price tag for me.
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Too early on this one but beautiful aromas and glycerine levels and ripe fruit. Too bad the tannins are too big right now for me to enjoy this much. When they die down and the fruit keeps comming on strong and it maintains good balance, this will be very good. 91-93pts on potential.
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Chicago Wine Geeks taste Merlot (Chicago, IL): Ruby red with an ultraripe zin-like nose. Oozes concentrated sweet fruit on the palate. Not at all merlot-like. Would have enjoyed more if this hadn't been a blind merlot tasting! Quite possibly an off bottle.
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Wow. The 02 Audellsa Cab Reserve I had decanted was corked so I popped this as a replacement. Infacticide, but it's been in the cellar for a month and I was curious. Had this at the winery out of barrel when it was young (I think, although it may been the 03). Super ripe, concentrated, blueberry/chocolate milk shake. The chocolate/mocha notes are phenomenal. Endless finish. Barb and Jim did great with this one.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Tasted double blind at the December Blind Drunks tasting. Inky garnet color. Notes of dark fruit, vanilla and toffee. Spicy oak, with dark berry flavors and sweet tannins.
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6/27/2023 - wicozani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pours a purplish ruby out to the clearing edges with no bricking. The nice nose beckons with cassis, blueberry compote, and underbrush. Medium+-bodied with the best acidity of the previous three bottles. Paired nicely with Instant Pot tomatoey beef stew This is the best showing we've had yet.
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8/2/2020 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still wonderful. Another 2-3 yrs easily for this bottle. See previous tasting notes.
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7/12/2020 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another great bottle of this over-achieving wine.
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6/14/2020 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same impressions as March bottles, so perfect with perfect filets.
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3/30/2020 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
As last/recently described... FANTASTIC aged Spring Mtn Merlot!
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3/11/2020 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful black fruit and dark plum. Rich fruit with apportioned grip. Markedly better than previous bottle.
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3/7/2020 - Michigan Mostberg wrote: 88 Points
A "new" 6-pack of an all-timer from a long-time and respected source. Wonderful dark color, no signs of rust or bricking. However, dominating green notes and drying, unripe tannins mask the underlying dark fruit, not a previously experienced condition. Fat content of filets almost totally mitigates the palate difference. 5 more bottles of hope to evaluate.
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8/11/2019 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Notes from April 13th still apply, yet this bottle even more dense, concentrated, and slightly less advanced. Decanted, a fair amount of sediment both in the wine and adhered to the bottle. Drink now and enjoy Spring Mountain's greatest merlot (IMHO)!
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6/25/2019 - Brad Tsai Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still excellent!
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4/13/2019 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Almost any bottle of Paloma Merlot is delicious, and in exceptional years it's great, this 15-yr example being no exception. Rich, round, dark cherry and currant with a long, very smooth/resolved finish. Mature without tasting old is always a good thing. Drink over the next 2 yrs.
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9/9/2018 - Mneumeier wrote: 91 Points
Drinking great right now. No need to hold it any longer. No need to decant.
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3/14/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes as previous tastings
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1/28/2018 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Dense dark red (almost black) color, black cherry, black current, chocolate nose which intensifies over time. Dense dark berry fruit was very smooth, tannins integrated, some notes of coffee and a long, long smooth finish.
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11/12/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar notes as previous tastings.
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6/7/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well now. Black cherries and currants in the nose with hints of chocolate, coffee, and minerals. Black cherries, plums, and chocolate in the flavor. Well balanced and a long finish.
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11/13/2016 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: Paloma Merlot Vertical (Our house): Notes of violets and florals with red berries, cherry and plum underneath. Integrated tannins. Flavors of cherries, chocolate and macerated red berries. Finishes with nice length and balance.
My #1, Domino's #2
Group #1, 28 pts
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5/14/2016 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Double decanted off its sediment and uncorked again a couple of hours later with dinner. Red and black fruit notes dominate although there's a ripe, raisiny streak running through this that I do not care for. Softened tannins with nice fruit on the palate but again, there's a ripeness to it. I expected more from this, and suspect other bottles will live up to expectations and I'll chalk this one up to bottle variation.
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4/20/2016 - ipp wrote: 91 Points
rest in piece Barbara
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1/30/2016 - Night Train Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took to a party, so no detailed notes. Silky. Slightly sweet and slightly earthy. Surprisingly tannic, it is NOT over the hill, but I would still recommend drinking any remaining bottles this year.
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3/12/2015 - Marthambles wrote: 92 Points
Beautifully aromatic. Did not come truly alive until the second day. Not too sweet, and just mildly acidic. Yum.
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2/23/2015 - Renot wrote: 92 Points
Still very good, not showing the signs of age that I was expecting. It needed a little time in the glass to hit its stride, and was very enjoyably balanced when it did.
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2/14/2015 - cpdwines wrote: 93 Points
Nice Valentines present to both of us. Very ready to be drank now, but has some time (not much) left on it.
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7/26/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened at a party, so no detailed notes. No signs of age. After about an hour of air (not decanted), it had opened up nicely. Great balance (NOT over-the-hill), a hint of earthiness, silky texture, and a solid finish.
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7/2/2014 - sw92130 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened last night for dinner with grilled steak. I'm starting to get concerned about Palomas that are this old, and my first impression was not that great. I thought this had passed it's prime. But fortunately I was quite wrong. After about 1 hr in a decanter, it really came to life. Very deep fruit with a great mouthfeel. It turned out to be a crowd-pleaser and upheld my faith in Paloma Merlot!
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11/26/2013 - Renot wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour, but the wine improved significantly with an hour of air. Plenty of structure left, smooth and silky finish. Excellent!
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11/4/2013 - AnonymousZeek Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not a huge Wine Spectator fan, but I have to give it to them on this one - what a dark horse wine of the year! Everything I could want out of a mountain merlot.
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8/22/2013 - JFish wrote:
Opened this to replace an off 2002 Paloma Merlot. This is more like what I was expecting. Popped and poured. Dark purple color, dark/blackberry fruit, tannin - intense wine that developed some balance with time in the glass. Seems very young. I'll try to let me remaining bottles sit.
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8/17/2013 - Jimy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nine year old Merlot still drinking well.
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6/17/2013 - Dabolts wrote: 90 Points
This wine drank a little hot at first sip, but after an hour of decanting, it was amazing. It opened up but still showed some youth. This one will last a bit
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5/18/2013 - ipp wrote: 92 Points
Pretty rich. A bit green, but very good.
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4/6/2013 - wine maestro wrote: 91 Points
3-4-5 Napa Merlot Vertical
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3/26/2013 - iamandyc wrote: 90 Points
Slightly disappointing as I think the bottle was a touch corked. The bottle was missing the normal fruit intensity and was a bit musty. There was a slight note of angular tannins that detracted from what was otherwise a very nice merlot.
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6/25/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 93 Points
Awesome Merlot in a Foley style. Smooth, balanced, deep and rich. Creaminess, chocolate, dark fruits dominate. Nice nose and finish. Definately needed about 60 minutes of decanting as it improved dramatically.While big, it had enough acidity to remain fresh while drinking.Love it!
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4/23/2012 - scravis wrote:
Drank with Costles after Napa weekend. had with pizza. Still very rich, structured, well-balanced. Could go another 5 years.
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3/31/2012 - wine maestro wrote: 91 Points
Jam packed, saturated Merlot that's robust, but also displays delicate and refined flavors.
Candied fruit aromatics, with a dense and dark ruby color. Concentrated notes of rich
baked raspberry pie, charred black cherry and wild berry. Offers a secondary layer of
black currant and brown spices, all in held in balance with fine grain tannins. Reveals
nuanced tastes and textures throughout the drinking experience. A long lasting, vivid
delivery on the ending highlighted by mocha and a touch of aged oak. Best now and
through the end of the year.
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2/12/2012 - rerail84 wrote: 93 Points
What a gorgeous wine. Decanted for 30-45 min. What a beautiful aroma of spice, vanilla, rose peddles and meaty characteristic that is just wonderful. The color is slightly fading but no bricking around the edges what so ever. The palate is smooth and composed. Everything is in perfect harmony. Finish is on the shorter side but very nice. This is truely one of the best Palomas I have had and it even gives most other merlots a run for the money. Drink now or over the next 3-4 years.
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2/2/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club California Merlot; 2/1/2012-2/2/2012: Amazing stuff with blueberries, spice, cherry, plums and earth. Complex wine and long finish. Not a power house but very aromatic and tasty. Drink now or cellar for five years. Wonderful!
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1/28/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Does Merlot (Gail's House): Very dark red-purple color. Pop and pour, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. Nose has a lovely dusty, cedary quality with distint clove notes, spices, tobacco, cassis, blackberry, black cherry. The palate is full bodied and rich with a lovely core of black fruit, oak, spices, tobacco. Very smooth and elegant, long finish. This was quite lovely and I suspect has lots of life left. My #2 WOTN and tied for group third.
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1/27/2012 - MCUBEB wrote: 88 Points
Notes of red and black fruit on the nose that is followed by same red and black fruit carrying through all the way to the finish. Delicious and straight forward wine. Drink now
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12/6/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 85 Points
Not what I was hoping for. Still enjoyed the plum fruit, but the alcohol at the finish is not pleasant. Medium bodied, not a terribly long finish. Their 2002 was so much better.
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11/21/2011 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 92 Points
still very nice - good fruit and well-rounded
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10/31/2011 - Tpety wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very nicely after a 6 hour decant. Light level of sediment requires a decant. Soft tannins with a fruit driven profile. You can tell there's cabernet in the blend. A very, very nice wine with steaks.
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10/2/2011 - Rosengoo wrote: 91 Points
I opened this at home and drank it over the course of 2 hours. The colour was a mid deep as expected and the nose had a strong bouquet of cherries with a hint of chocolate. The tannins were nicely balanced and there was strong cherry flavours as well. After about 45 minutes I also got surprising tastes of toast and a hint of bacon in the glass. I enjoyed this bottle and wish there were more merlots like Paloma.
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8/19/2011 - Rosengoo wrote: 90 Points
I brought this to a restaurant and we tried a small sample and then decanted for approximately 30 minutes. Quite light in colour with a mild bouquet. Surprisingly, it was quite tangy with a bit too much spice on it when it was originally tasted. After an hour or so, it settled down nicely into a good merlot with lots of caramel in it. I've had better but I've also had a lot worse.
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6/25/2011 - blaine wrote:
Not my cup of tea, big, jammy, flabby. I guess it's the style, as everyone else here seems to love it, but for me this was another example of the "big, jammy" winemaking wave that seemed to have peaked around the 04 vintage.
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5/11/2011 - emf Likes this wine:
beautiful Merlot, lots of good fruit and softening tannins.
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5/9/2011 - falbi wrote: 100 Points
Outstanding wine, great balance in the fruit very velvety!
The wine looks Garnet colored.
The legs are Medium.
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4/27/2011 - MJTed wrote: 89 Points
OK for a Merlot with some dark berry fruit, mocha and prominent , but better integrated oak. Fairly short but spicy finish. Nice grip even with age but don't see it going anywhere.
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4/20/2011 - KevinS wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby color. "Cool" nose of dark fruit and eucalyptus or bay leaf. More savory than fruity on the palate, with a beef blood quality, some molten chocolate and maybe a little clove on the finish. Revels in its California-ness, but it's probably not a Merlot for everybody...
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3/26/2011 - MCUBEB wrote: 89 Points
Notes of strawberry jam, vanilla and whiff of alcohol. Lush cherries, raspberries, black berries, chocolate on the palate and which carries trough on the finish that is overtaken at the end by alcohol. Its delicious wine that is easy to enjoy but lacks the complexity and the balance that will make it an outstanding wine. Drink now and enjoy.
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3/25/2011 - winot wrote: 91 Points
Med deep to deep ruby - nose was closed and a bit reductive at first, but after an hour opened up to blackberry, boysenberry fruit, subtle oak providing nuance - smooth palate, with dark fruits, a bit dark and heavy for my palate, but balanced and tasty, good ripe but present tannins, decent acidity, very nice wine.
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12/18/2010 - AllRed wrote:
4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Joe P's): Garnet color. Notes of meat, red currants, pepper, violets and florals. Flavors of spicy red fruit, nutmeg, plum and fruit roll-ups. Fine tannins, a bit chalky; blackberry liqueur and plum qualities on the finish.
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12/4/2010 - glg wrote: 90 Points
Improved from earlier bottles. Drinking well, but not nearly as good as 2001 or 2002.
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11/26/2010 - Rosengoo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at Morton's Steak House. I have yet to be disappointed with a bottle of Paloma and this bottle continued that trend. Very smooth with light acidity. Overall a great Berry balance with hints of vanilla. A wonderful California merlot.
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11/6/2010 - TwoSmoochies wrote: flawed
TCA!
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2/8/2010 - emf wrote:
A big dark merlot, with dark plum and chocolate on the nose and in the mouth. Big tannins that should continue to soften. Enjoyed this very much. We probably should have decanted this.
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1/31/2010 - spotfin wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruits, plum, mocha, chocolate, typical Paloma Merlot rounding into form. Not for the feint of heart.
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10/30/2009 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 92 Points
Wow - this is a merlot?!
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10/10/2009 - N2Vin wrote: 95 Points
Dinner With Bob and Pam White, Nancy Collins, and Friends (At Residence in Oakland Hills, CA): Fantastic nose of super ripe red berry, sweet oak, chocolate and crushed flowers. The fruit is so sweet and compelling on this wine. Taste confirms the powerful ripe black cherry, raspberry, mocha, rose and creamy oak. Long and sensual finish.
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10/4/2009 - MJTed wrote: 89 Points
I didn't try this at release but think it wold have showed better based on previous vintages. Ripe, but somewhat muted fruit profile that has yielded to excessive oakiness. Decent finish of mocha and spice but core and midpalate lacking.
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8/23/2009 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
luscious fruit and velvety tannins with a reasonably long finish. Great Merlot!
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8/21/2009 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
"Slumming" with the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Inky garnet color. Aromas of dill and vanilla, along with dark fruit tones. Medium-bodied, with flavors of red fruit, cherry and vanilla. I thought this was a Cali Cab. 91-92 pts.
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7/17/2009 - spotfin wrote: 92 Points
Mature, balanced, delish.
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6/14/2009 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 94 Points
Wowsa - great wine!
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6/12/2009 - hifiwine wrote: 93 Points
fantastic merlot
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4/30/2008 - Phin wrote: 94 Points
Red and blue fruits with spice and chocolate. Well balanced.
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12/3/2007 - glg wrote: 85 Points
I found this OK, but not worth the tariff. Generally thin and with a rather dull nose. I had higher expectations for this. Maybe it is in a awkward phase, so I'll make a note not to open another until 2009.
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10/25/2007 - winefool wrote: 86 Points
WS NYWE Grand Tastings; 10/25/2007-10/26/2007 (Marriott Marquis): Perhaps just the bottle, but I found this wanting and hot, especially compared to past successes there.
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10/11/2007 - scooter260 wrote: 87 Points
Just ok....not nearly in the same league ast 01 or 02. Too young perhaps? Just not as fruity as past vintages. Drank with sirloin steaks from Clanceys.
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10/4/2007 - texaswino wrote: 92 Points
A year plus in the cellar has helped this wine considerably. Much more balanced than the first time I had it. Somewhat lighter in color than expected but the fruit is there and delicious. Notes of toffee, coffee, vanilla. Dusty berry fruit and a medium long finish. Excellent Merlot...wish it was $40 instead of $60 though. 92-93
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6/7/2007 - ken-yyz wrote: 89 Points
Lighter in colour than I expected. Very vibrant nose. Palate lacked the tell tale chocolate notes that I so often experience with a Perloma merlot. Lighter bodied, more red than dark fruits and almost comes off as a zin. Still, very very nice but just not quite what I was expecting.
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4/18/2007 - yanik wrote: 92 Points
great nose and not typical Merlot
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4/11/2007 - Ekoostik wrote: 90 Points
This is a nice wine, much more concentrated fruit than 2003. Not as good as 2002 though. Quite a bit of oak currently present. A good wine that just isnt worth its $60 price tag for me.
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1/27/2007 - Frijole wrote:
cloudy burgundy, light edges
Nose: chalk, earth, cherry, oak, chocolate, pine
Pal: deep berries, chalk, chocolate, smoke, vanilla, tannins, almonds
Feel: full, chalky, astringent
Finish: long
TC8
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1/3/2007 - beachnic wrote: 91 Points
Too early on this one but beautiful aromas and glycerine levels and ripe fruit. Too bad the tannins are too big right now for me to enjoy this much. When they die down and the fruit keeps comming on strong and it maintains good balance, this will be very good. 91-93pts on potential.
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12/28/2006 - Nanda wrote: 87 Points
Chicago Wine Geeks taste Merlot (Chicago, IL): Ruby red with an ultraripe zin-like nose. Oozes concentrated sweet fruit on the palate. Not at all merlot-like. Would have enjoyed more if this hadn't been a blind merlot tasting! Quite possibly an off bottle.
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12/24/2006 - irish87 wrote: 96 Points
Wow. The 02 Audellsa Cab Reserve I had decanted was corked so I popped this as a replacement. Infacticide, but it's been in the cellar for a month and I was curious. Had this at the winery out of barrel when it was young (I think, although it may been the 03). Super ripe, concentrated, blueberry/chocolate milk shake. The chocolate/mocha notes are phenomenal. Endless finish. Barb and Jim did great with this one.
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12/20/2006 - TripDaddy wrote: 94 Points
Another winner for Barb and JIm. Stellar effort.
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12/17/2006 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Tasted double blind at the December Blind Drunks tasting. Inky garnet color. Notes of dark fruit, vanilla and toffee. Spicy oak, with dark berry flavors and sweet tannins.
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10/28/2006 - HT5 wrote:
Blind Tasting Rank:
1. '04 Paloma Merlot Spring Mountain District (reorder-6)
2. '03 Bennett Lane Cab Primus Reserve (reorder-2)
3. '03 Lewelling Cab (reorder-2)
4. '03 Seavey Cab (no reorder)
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