Decanted. Tasted after an hour and still somewhat tight. Four hours after opening this was delicious and really started to shine.Dark fruit flavors, integrated tannins with a lingering finish. Was afraid it was past its prime based on some comments but still drinking well.
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Dark purple and black fruit predominate, with deep earthy tones and a myriad of tertiary flavors that are difficult to describe but are fantastic. Tannins seem completely resolved at this point. Finish goes on forever. This bottle seemed at it's peak. I don't think there is any rush here, but based on this bottle would doubt that the wine will benefit from further aging. Excellent on opening. Decanted 20 minutes prior to consumption, mostly to account for the sediment, which was substantial. Beautiful wine.
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Starting to taper off slightly, although that’s splitting hairs since it’s still excellent. Still love this cab, just not quite as lush and stellar as when it was at its peak.
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Consistent with my note of 2 years ago. The wine is still going strong. Perfectly balanced. Not overly acidic. Not too much alcohol (it obviously has a ton but it's not overbearing). A long juicy finish. Enjoyed over 2 days.
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Notes of blackberry, blueberry pie, dew on the nose with cedar, well integrated oak, with chocolate on the finish. This wine is really plush and as a really long and full finish. Mouthfeel is great. 95+
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My wife says I have to stop holding back my score on this wine and admit that this is our 100 point wine. I have to agree with her. It’s a hedonistic beauty, and still has a few years of greatness ahead of it. If you don’t like big, burly Napa cabs (like the 64 point “it’s crap” note below), then you need to skip this one.
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95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. 15.5% ABV, I let it breathe for 45 minutes and drank over 2.5 hours. If you're looking for a rich and layered wine, with a long juicy finish, this is your bottle. The older Merus cabs are always that say. This wine still has lots of alcohol, but the tannin and acidity are well integrated at this point. Black raspberry, black licorice notes. As good on day 2.
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I don't know what other people here see in this wine, it's huge, jammy, tannic and oaky. Doesn't even taste like wine, it has no redeeming qualities at all, it's crap.
One hour decant, which was sufficient and it didn't improve much afterwards. This as a very well integrated and balanced cab as you would expect after 14 years and from a good producer. It was clearly a very good wine at some time in the past, but I'd say it is just good now. Enjoyed the bottle, but the wine is past its prime IMO. Based on this bottle, I'd drink up. Still musters a 92.
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Fantastic. One hour decant, could have used a couple more hours in decanter but developed nicely in glass. Very hedonistic so you have to like this style
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Purchased from the winery, kept at 55. Popped, poured and tasted over 4 hours. Big aromatics of ripe cassis, subtle oak and black fruits. Fat mid palate of same, good fine-grained tannic backbone. Very nicely integrated finish with some length. Delicious! Thanks, Brad and Molly! The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle.
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Poured from magnum, very nice Napa mountain fruit here - new world style but great balance. Blackberries and plums with earthy spiciness and a good backbone of acidity that holds it together. My first time trying a Merus and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to M&E for sharing!
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Zachys Holiday Auction - Dec 2017 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): Poured from a magnum. This was sweet plum spice. Another total mouth coater that just feels a bit hedonistic to me. Strong tannins with a long life ahead of it. This is a wine that I think could handle some more age, but was pretty tasty as well when we had it. Very yummy.
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Surprisingly youthful and expressive but definitely in a prime drinking window. Fully integrated tannins combine with vibrant acidity along with expressive notes of chocolate cake and black tea make for a beautiful mouthfeel, flavor profile and extra long finish.
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Decanted 60 min and drank over another 60 min. Heavenly nose that I could've smelled all night. On the palate some woody pine notes and heavy plum and blueberry notes, without being overly fruity. Tannins and oak completely integrated. Went quick so did not get to follow over extended drinking period.
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Decanted & drank over 40 min. Smooth, mellower than previous bottles. Blueberry fruit, beautifully soft, no tannins. At it's peak, maybe on the downside. Drink now.
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Oh so good. PnP with 20 min of air. Dark and viscous. Everything was balanced. red and black fruit, blackberry jam, blackberry liqueur, hints of wood, everything you could want in an over extracted overripe hedonistic Napa cab! Hid the high AC very well. Glad I have more.
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A big, bold, amazing wine. Reminded us a lot of The Vineyardist which isn't surprising since that's also by Mark Herold. Has at least 5-7 years left at its peak, probably many more than that before it really drops off.
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Very tight when first opened and lots of heat on the finish. So decanted for about 3.5 hours. After decanting we consumed it over 90 minutes. It was very good. It still had plenty of fruit on the mid palate. The finish was good and lasted at least 30 seconds.
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This is excellent right now - tannins in a great spot now. Opened and right away big, red fruits but after a decant for an hour progressively turned darker- blueberry, a little menthol. Really good stuff.
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Not as special as I was hoping for. Big, dark, brooding, rough wine with all kinds of complexity. Very earthy with bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and dirt. Long finish. Felt like a 10 round cage match in your mouth -- interesting but exhausting to drink. Not for the faint of heart.
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Decanted for 1 hour, then drank over 3 hours. 1st glass still tight, later glasses were best. Dark, dense, beautiful fruit, nice finish. Still has much life ahead. Everyone really liked it.
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My contribution to the Cab lineup…had opened about 10 hours prior and let it sit in the bottle…very dark…big nose of dark red and blue fruit with coffee notes…very smooth, but found the finish lacking.
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Dark, brooding wine. Very upfront with fruit and complicated in structure. This wine was a real crowd pleaser. Good stuff and the tannins are softening. Still has many years left before it goes downhill. Great experience!
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Driving more like a Camaro than a Ferrari. Less exotic and streamlined; more muscle and throttle. Hoped to experience a slightly more structured and refined wine with wow factor. 20 second finish.
With the extra air in the glass: on the nose - whereas it was originally dark fruit and dark fruit only, 30 minutes later a good dose of florals and green grass has emerged to add a sense of freshness along with a more noticeable sense of cassis. On the palate, it's lightened up a bit showing better balance overall, but a need for even more air to round out a few rough edges that have emerged. Some tannins make a stronger appearance now, with a slight astringency on the back end.
Will try to check in later. The wine started initially on the pop as big, one-dimensional and lush. 30-45 minutes later - more balanced, but some of the balancing notes seem a bit out of sorts. Will see if they fold back in over the next several hours. 92-94 points for now, though it's hard to evaluate given the evolution over the first 45 minutes.
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Great round dark fruit. Still purple, starting to brown at the edge. Smooth and delicious. Probably near its peak, assuming you want to get in there while the fruit is still vibrant.
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Very complicated wine. Very dark and fruit filled aroma on the nose. Finish had notes raspberry and mocha. This wine once it opened up did not change much. Stayed consistently complex from start to finish. Enjoyable experience.
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Rick's 50th birthday notes and my 10,000th post!; 11/24/2012-11/27/2012 (Chateau Rick): Big boy flavor in this wine. Huge on the palate with just mouth staining purple fruit and chocolate. Classic modern California cab. Really a stark contrast to the rest of the cabs that night as surprisingly, not a single one had that modern chocolate flavor.
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First sips of 1st glass with no decant we're a big blueberry pie. Then the wine tightened up for the rest of that glass. Recorked the bottle and opened 4 hours later. Tannins dissipated and the rest of the bottle was rich, smooth and beautiful. Drink now with decant or hold a few years.
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Boy does this pack a punch. A waterfall of powerful flavors: black cherry, blueberry, plum, coffee, some dark chocolate. Finishes with some sweet vanilla. This wine is thick and mouth coating. I love the young sweet flavors. Will this age well. My guess is yes but why wait. Hedonism for sure.
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Rich, delicious full-bodied, black cherry fruit with cassis, vanillin, oak, currant, and mocha flavors, excellent structure, a little tight, ample tannins, finish short, wished it was rounded and more open in order to appreciate the depth and complexity of wine
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This has just started to hit it's drinking window. It was smooth and fruity with just the faintest touch of heat when first opened. The fruit is still the same blueberry and blackberry pie filliing I tasted 3 years ago. Drink now or over the next 5 years.
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At first hot and overripe. Within five minutes, all of that heat fell underneath a wealth of ripe red raspberry and blackberries - almost pie-like in character. Tons of glycerin and toasty oak. Sound be able to progress for another five plus years. A solid, unique wine with sass!
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Ripe blackcurrants with a silky mocha mid palate burst. A hint of vanilla and oak leads to medium tannins and a lengthy finish. Still has the stuffing to hold but I think it's drinking beautifully right now.
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We ran it through a finer and gentle aerator and the wine showed beautifully. It was just mature enough to show a full palette without uncovering everything all at once. The finish was elegant and the fruit was really stunning (the typical Merus body showed through well). It will probably get better for another 3-5 years, but I didn't regret opening it now. I would still decant it or aerate it, but there's no need to be harsh with the wine to get it open.
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Decanted 3-1/2 hours and served with filet mignon w/black truffle butter. Dark purple and inky. Offere think rich blue and black fruit without heaviness. Structure on the acidic side but with a touch of fine tannins. finishes long and slightly sweet with mocha, vanilla, toast and a touch of mint. Good big stuff but not as explosive or complex as similarly styled Napas at the price point.
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Blind. Beautiful looking. Dark and dense, 93;85. Big, powerful, sweet, delicious with chocolate, cake batter and spicy oak. Felt more like a Syrah in the structure and in the mouth feel but the nose was Cab.
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Traded a glass of this with a table across the floor of the restaurant, as I had sonme Alesia. This Merus was very good, with some new oak (cocoa) poking thru but the flavors were balanced and focused. No boozy ripe edges just real cool and all there.
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Awesome. Huge, concentrated wine, full of fruit and layers of flavor - dark fruit, cocoa, chocolate, ganache - despite its big and bold core, it harbors a silky texture framed by a precise and balanced structure.
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Opened late on the spur of the moment, no detailed notes. While big and full, it seemed to have a precision and focus that surprised me. I'd rate 94-95pts in the context of the style.
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Purchased this w/some reservations because of the widely varied reactions in the CT comments. Having finished the bottle w/friends I now understand the dissonance. Personally, I was underwhelmed. The wine relies way too much on the spiked up alcohol content to achieve what might be described as its "wow" factor. I feel like I've had half a dozen other wines at a lower price point that provide the same taste experience. This is a fruity cab and very bold, but there's little complexity and an uninspiring bouquet to the wine and for the price I kind of expected more.
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I was totally unimpressed with this bottle. Nothing bad but nothing good either. Very odd for a bottle of Merus and for a bottle of wine made by M. Herold in general. I was disapointed.
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Amazing vintage. Impressive right out of the bottle. Required no decanting and continued to develop every 10 minutes. Dark ruby red color. Dark fruit with a velvety offering of multiple layers of balance. From front to back pallet, the wine is a smooth and well rounded as any I've ever had from California. I like Herold juice.
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This wine was good, but did not blow me away. Bouquet was reserved. The wine had a medium body. Nice fruit in the wine, but there was little to no finish. We decanted for about an hour. Started off a little tight and never really opened up. Paired well with a lamb shank, but failed to impress me. Had all the qualities of a Napa cab, but lacked complexity and depth. Would have to drink again...was not bad, but this wine did not impress me-especially for the price.
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This wine drink beautifully and has been one of my top Cabs for the year. The nose had a sweet fruit along with subtle spices and licorice. Beautifully balanced with plenty of fruit to handle the 15.5% alc. Wished it was a magnum.
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Had with Scott at Flemings and we both enjoyed very much. Gave the girls some who are generally not big cab drinkers, big mistake. They loved it and wanted more.
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Painfully intense wine, extraordinary fruit and power of flavor and bouquet. Did not take official notes. More of a wine on contemplation rather than a match for food. Almost amarone like in this sense. Sweetness did become cloying while having this with dinner.
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Incredible dark fruity nose. Thick and velvety in the mouth. Blueberry and blackberry pie filling. Decanted for 2 hours but it did not improve with more air time. Fruit is still very primary and needs some secondary development to balance it out. Hold 94+
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Drank with my wife and a friend, fantastic I need to own more of this well concentrated, rich full bodied hints of ceadar and soft oak, currant, blackberry, wild berry intense, and elegant descriptive of the pallet sensation. well balanced and complex, long sustaining finish that ends with hints of leathy soft herbal sensation
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04 Napa Cabs, plus a few more - Schrader, Merus, Foley, LLC: The darkest of the 3 cabs in color. Like Cab on steriods. Big nose of blackberry, cassis and espresso. Super concentrated with strong tannins. This wine needs some time, but will be a stunner in the future.
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While this no doubt is an excellent wine, I was a little let down. It does walk a fine line of over extraction / over oaked and over everything, but if thats your style your going to like this more than me. That said it walked it pretty well, its a hedonistic bomb that has some acidity and tannic structure to hold the wine together. I'd rather drink this on its own than with dinner.
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Took to Bones in Atlanta the Thursday before heading to the race at Talladega. Dropped off early so Scott, the sommelier, could decant for a few hours for us. Spectacular. Perfectly integrated. Best bottle of wine I have ever had.
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Had before an incredible sushi meal, at Dave's home. Nose was slightly muted, but as a pop and pour wine, it doesn't get much better. Absolutely no heat whatsoever-silky smooth, with a wonderfully long finish. I am a big fan of Mark Herold, and his wines are incredible, regardless of the vintage.
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This is truly to be a LEGENDARY WINE. How can this stuff be legal to drink?! It's so darn INCREDIBLE!!! This is a bottle of wine that can truly help ANYONE appreciate how fantastic wine can be. Tons of depth and complexity displayed in this bottle. The aroms of dark cherries, cola, lead, casis and chocolate are overwheliming. The palate is filled with HUMUNGOUS FRUIT!!! This IS a face-melting wine. The finish goes on and on well over a minutes. I can literally chew on this juice. Fantastic. This is the definition of a BLOCKBUSTER CALIFORNIA CABERNET.
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Not yet ready to drink, but difficult to leave alone. We had a friend from Chicaco who's a Napa Afectionado, and so we had to drink this. Some serious sediment, but the nose, flavours and experence are exceptional. Going to be fantastic after three or four more years.
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Broke this out for Christmas dinner and wowed everyone. Could be for dessert all by itself. Chocolate covered cherries and espresso nosewith a huge core of black fruits. The midpalate is more than fullbodies almost syrupy but not overdone. More chocalte and mocha laced oak is evident in the huge but sleek finish. Merry Christmas Mark Herold.
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I think this has reached the status of the 02. Pure chocolate on the nose with black currant and blackberries. Liquid silk in the mouth. Coats your entire mouth with an almost syrupy texture but not overdone. You just think pure class as you drink this down. This is truly a wine that lives up to the hype. Gave some to some folks who do not usually drink wine at this level and they were begging for more. Will not miss a year on their mailing list.
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Tasted w/ Marty N., and sent the rest of the btl home with him. Nose more fwd than last time, w/ noticeable elements of oak. Great depth of fruit, w/ fine tannins and a moderately long finish. A fruit bomb without being overpowering.
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I bought a couple of bottles and had to try one, although very young this wine is extraordinary. Deep purple color. The fruit peaks through on the nose and jumps out through out the palate. Black berry and currant and a touch of spice. Very well balanced and very well structured. Need to decant for at least two hours before drinking. If you have the opportunity to buy this wine do so.
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Wowed everyone that tatsted it. Slightly subdued on the nose with an inky black color. Not as balnced as the 02 but still beautifull dark berry flavors move effortlessly across the palate finishing with huge but subtle tannins. Another great effort.
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“Only decanted for 1/2 hour. 92;88. Abit raw and grapy nose initially but coming around later to dark fruit, smoke and licorice. Very soft entry but then tannins kick in but they are not unpleasant and balance is still good. Very good texture. Great, spicy flavors, very sweet, rich, ripe and powerful. Asian spices, flowers, black currant, chocolate and cherry liqueur. Great, long aftertaste with nice bitter finish, anise, warm roasted fruit, milk chocolate. both Lynn and I loved it and gave it 96-97p.”
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Curiosity killed both the cat and this bottle of wine. Very young at present. Inky dark, both to the eye and on the palate. Not much going on with the nose on opening, though this does open up after a bit of time in the glass. An obviously well-made, full throttle style cab with new world style intensity of fruit. Given similar levels of alcohol, the Merus is more refined and smooth than the 2005 Marquis S2 recently tasted, though the two invite some comparison given similarities in depth and intensity. Also evokes memories of the 2003 Pahlmeyer Red. Maybe its the shared use of Taransaud oak ;) !
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Although very young this wine is extraordinary. Deep purple color. Despite its youth ripe fruit peaks through on the nose and jumps out through out the palate. Black berry and currant and a touch of spice. Very well balanced and very well structured. Need to decant for at least two hours before drinking.
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5/2/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought by my friend Christopher. Had it blind and picked the grape and region but was off in the year by 3.
Going strong and great finish.
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3/11/2023 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Last bottle. Good as ever
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10/12/2022 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with past notes
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7/7/2022 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the most consistent wines I've ever purchased. Every bottle has been great.
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6/17/2022 - vmontell26 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted. Tasted after an hour and still somewhat tight. Four hours after opening this was delicious and really started to shine.Dark fruit flavors, integrated tannins with a lingering finish. Was afraid it was past its prime based on some comments but still drinking well.
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11/24/2021 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple and black fruit predominate, with deep earthy tones and a myriad of tertiary flavors that are difficult to describe but are fantastic. Tannins seem completely resolved at this point. Finish goes on forever. This bottle seemed at it's peak. I don't think there is any rush here, but based on this bottle would doubt that the wine will benefit from further aging. Excellent on opening. Decanted 20 minutes prior to consumption, mostly to account for the sediment, which was substantial. Beautiful wine.
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10/30/2021 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Starting to taper off slightly, although that’s splitting hairs since it’s still excellent. Still love this cab, just not quite as lush and stellar as when it was at its peak.
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8/10/2021 - mdvillaverde wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with past notes. The wine is consistently and always in great shape. Beautiful.
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5/16/2021 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with my note of 2 years ago. The wine is still going strong. Perfectly balanced. Not overly acidic. Not too much alcohol (it obviously has a ton but it's not overbearing). A long juicy finish. Enjoyed over 2 days.
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5/8/2021 - jdrhyne Likes this wine: 95 Points
Notes of blackberry, blueberry pie, dew on the nose with cedar, well integrated oak, with chocolate on the finish. This wine is really plush and as a really long and full finish. Mouthfeel is great. 95+
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8/2/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great balance and complexity. Dark notes, berries and smokes. Very pleasant and long finish.
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6/7/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior note after a 2 hr double decant; delicious & ready to drink, no rush
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12/26/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted for 90 min, deep ruby, black cherry with some vanilla, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, drink or hold
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11/19/2019 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
Terrific. Hitting on all cylinders.
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8/23/2019 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 100 Points
My wife says I have to stop holding back my score on this wine and admit that this is our 100 point wine. I have to agree with her. It’s a hedonistic beauty, and still has a few years of greatness ahead of it. If you don’t like big, burly Napa cabs (like the 64 point “it’s crap” note below), then you need to skip this one.
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5/28/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. 15.5% ABV,
I let it breathe for 45 minutes and drank over 2.5 hours. If you're looking for a rich and layered wine, with a long juicy finish, this is your bottle. The older Merus cabs are always that say. This wine still has lots of alcohol, but the tannin and acidity are well integrated at this point. Black raspberry, black licorice notes. As good on day 2.
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11/28/2018 - Money4wine wrote: 64 Points
I don't know what other people here see in this wine, it's huge, jammy, tannic and oaky. Doesn't even taste like wine, it has no redeeming qualities at all, it's crap.
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6/12/2018 - Marsman Likes this wine: 92 Points
One hour decant, which was sufficient and it didn't improve much afterwards. This as a very well integrated and balanced cab as you would expect after 14 years and from a good producer. It was clearly a very good wine at some time in the past, but I'd say it is just good now. Enjoyed the bottle, but the wine is past its prime IMO. Based on this bottle, I'd drink up. Still musters a 92.
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5/11/2018 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still awesome. No evidence of falling off. One of our favorite Napa cabs.
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4/1/2018 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 98 Points
Perfection. Ready to drink. Immense bottle life left in this beast!!!
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3/31/2018 - kfk wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. One hour decant, could have used a couple more hours in decanter but developed nicely in glass. Very hedonistic so you have to like this style
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12/29/2017 - MoreWinePlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased from the winery, kept at 55. Popped, poured and tasted over 4 hours. Big aromatics of ripe cassis, subtle oak and black fruits. Fat mid palate of same, good fine-grained tannic backbone. Very nicely integrated finish with some length. Delicious! Thanks, Brad and Molly!
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle.
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12/2/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Poured from magnum, very nice Napa mountain fruit here - new world style but great balance. Blackberries and plums with earthy spiciness and a good backbone of acidity that holds it together. My first time trying a Merus and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to M&E for sharing!
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12/2/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Zachys Holiday Auction - Dec 2017 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): Poured from a magnum. This was sweet plum spice. Another total mouth coater that just feels a bit hedonistic to me. Strong tannins with a long life ahead of it. This is a wine that I think could handle some more age, but was pretty tasty as well when we had it. Very yummy.
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11/8/2017 - dfresh wrote: 98 Points
Surprisingly youthful and expressive but definitely in a prime drinking window. Fully integrated tannins combine with vibrant acidity along with expressive notes of chocolate cake and black tea make for a beautiful mouthfeel, flavor profile and extra long finish.
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2/24/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pnp...In the zone...drink up...see prior notes
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2/3/2017 - nfafoglia Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich black fruit with very soft tannins and a long finish.
Stood out among 2 other excellent wines served at dinner: 2004 Behrens & Hitchcock Herrick-Moulds and 2007 Cliff Lede Songbook.
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1/19/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 96 Points
Can't say it better than my prior notes. Such a great wine. Not sure it will benefit from more cellar time.
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10/27/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 60 min and drank over another 60 min. Heavenly nose that I could've smelled all night. On the palate some woody pine notes and heavy plum and blueberry notes, without being overly fruity. Tannins and oak completely integrated. Went quick so did not get to follow over extended drinking period.
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9/8/2016 - patwjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted & drank over 40 min. Smooth, mellower than previous bottles. Blueberry fruit, beautifully soft, no tannins. At it's peak, maybe on the downside. Drink now.
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8/20/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 97 Points
Oh so good. PnP with 20 min of air. Dark and viscous. Everything was balanced. red and black fruit, blackberry jam, blackberry liqueur, hints of wood, everything you could want in an over extracted overripe hedonistic Napa cab! Hid the high AC very well. Glad I have more.
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7/24/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking as beautifully as the last bottle!
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6/22/2016 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding again. Would never guess it's an '04, drinks much younger than that. Lots of deep dark fruit, big and bold. A great wine.
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6/17/2016 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
wow - amazing stuff. pure, smooth, powerful.
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5/13/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Creamy deliciousness....dark thick viscous red and blue fruits, oak and wood and near perfect integration, so good!
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4/30/2016 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great wine!
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4/30/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Intense black cherry and cassis aromas and flavors with silky smooth texture culminating in a long long finish.
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1/21/2016 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A big, bold, amazing wine. Reminded us a lot of The Vineyardist which isn't surprising since that's also by Mark Herold. Has at least 5-7 years left at its peak, probably many more than that before it really drops off.
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6/29/2015 - daniel.jay wrote: 94 Points
Dense, chewy, strong mocha/coffee note.
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3/15/2015 - stconner wrote: 93 Points
Very tight when first opened and lots of heat on the finish. So decanted for about 3.5 hours. After decanting we consumed it over 90 minutes. It was very good. It still had plenty of fruit on the mid palate. The finish was good and lasted at least 30 seconds.
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3/8/2015 - ruchottalex Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is excellent right now - tannins in a great spot now. Opened and right away big, red fruits but after a decant for an hour progressively turned darker- blueberry, a little menthol. Really good stuff.
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1/6/2015 - J0R0 wrote: 95 Points
Very rich.
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1/6/2015 - J0R0 wrote:
Wow
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12/14/2014 - iamandyc wrote: 91 Points
Not as special as I was hoping for. Big, dark, brooding, rough wine with all kinds of complexity. Very earthy with bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and dirt. Long finish. Felt like a 10 round cage match in your mouth -- interesting but exhausting to drink. Not for the faint of heart.
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11/8/2014 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 94 Points
A beautiful cab. First of three bottles for us. More complete tasting note to follow on subsequent bottles.
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9/30/2014 - finca wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Layer and layer of flavor afte a couple of hours
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9/18/2014 - patwjr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1 hour, then drank over 3 hours. 1st glass still tight, later glasses were best. Dark, dense, beautiful fruit, nice finish. Still has much life ahead. Everyone really liked it.
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8/26/2014 - hanasowner wrote: 93 Points
My contribution to the Cab lineup…had opened about 10 hours prior and let it sit in the bottle…very dark…big nose of dark red and blue fruit with coffee notes…very smooth, but found the finish lacking.
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8/14/2014 - Bcw1989 wrote: 93 Points
Dark, brooding wine. Very upfront with fruit and complicated in structure. This wine was a real crowd pleaser. Good stuff and the tannins are softening. Still has many years left before it goes downhill. Great experience!
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6/10/2014 - dfresh wrote: 91 Points
Driving more like a Camaro than a Ferrari. Less exotic and streamlined; more muscle and throttle. Hoped to experience a slightly more structured and refined wine with wow factor. 20 second finish.
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4/18/2014 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yummy rich dark chocolate and red fruits, very fruit forward and almost lush. A real crowd pleaser.
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3/20/2014 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Yummy rich fruit forward dense style dinking young and sexy. Real crowd pleaser.
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1/5/2014 - vanpe003 wrote:
Cellar Mini-Disaster; 12/15/2013-1/15/2014 (At Home): Pop/pour. Actually a bit monolithic at opening, so waited 30 minutes or so.
With the extra air in the glass: on the nose - whereas it was originally dark fruit and dark fruit only, 30 minutes later a good dose of florals and green grass has emerged to add a sense of freshness along with a more noticeable sense of cassis. On the palate, it's lightened up a bit showing better balance overall, but a need for even more air to round out a few rough edges that have emerged. Some tannins make a stronger appearance now, with a slight astringency on the back end.
Will try to check in later. The wine started initially on the pop as big, one-dimensional and lush. 30-45 minutes later - more balanced, but some of the balancing notes seem a bit out of sorts. Will see if they fold back in over the next several hours. 92-94 points for now, though it's hard to evaluate given the evolution over the first 45 minutes.
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10/11/2013 - zinfidel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great round dark fruit. Still purple, starting to brown at the edge. Smooth and delicious. Probably near its peak, assuming you want to get in there while the fruit is still vibrant.
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6/1/2013 - nfafoglia wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well. Coffee and black, ripe fruit dominate the nose. Soft, bitter-swet fruit on the palate with very soft tannins.
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5/1/2013 - Bcw1989 wrote: 93 Points
Very complicated wine. Very dark and fruit filled aroma on the nose. Finish had notes raspberry and mocha. This wine once it opened up did not change much. Stayed consistently complex from start to finish. Enjoyable experience.
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1/20/2013 - InflationHedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
No notes, but absolutely awesome on day 2.
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11/27/2012 - clayfu wrote:
Rick's 50th birthday notes and my 10,000th post!; 11/24/2012-11/27/2012 (Chateau Rick): Big boy flavor in this wine. Huge on the palate with just mouth staining purple fruit and chocolate. Classic modern California cab. Really a stark contrast to the rest of the cabs that night as surprisingly, not a single one had that modern chocolate flavor.
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11/14/2012 - MikeBiker wrote: 94 Points
Quite a wonderful wine. Very smooth with a long finish. More of a heavy cab. Decanted for 1.5 hours and it could have used more...
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8/8/2012 - ptelgenh wrote: 94 Points
At least as good as last year's bottle. Plenty of stuffing left. Not for the feint of heart
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12/17/2011 - jhngo wrote: 92 Points
chewy bold dark fruit
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11/11/2011 - greekwineaux wrote: 95 Points
Birthday night bottle #2 during the GOP debate on Wednesday. This wine edged out the Vice Versa 2004 cab-great fruit, lengthy finish. Amazing wine.
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10/9/2011 - patwjr wrote: 95 Points
First sips of 1st glass with no decant we're a big blueberry pie. Then the wine tightened up for the rest of that glass. Recorked the bottle and opened 4 hours later. Tannins dissipated and the rest of the bottle was rich, smooth and beautiful. Drink now with decant or hold a few years.
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10/7/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
Boy does this pack a punch. A waterfall of powerful flavors: black cherry, blueberry, plum, coffee, some dark chocolate. Finishes with some sweet vanilla. This wine is thick and mouth coating. I love the young sweet flavors. Will this age well. My guess is yes but why wait. Hedonism for sure.
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9/11/2011 - erichbrandt wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Need I say more?
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9/9/2011 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich, delicious full-bodied, black cherry fruit with cassis, vanillin, oak, currant, and mocha flavors, excellent structure, a little tight, ample tannins, finish short, wished it was rounded and more open in order to appreciate the depth and complexity of wine
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7/18/2011 - bambam wrote: 94 Points
This has just started to hit it's drinking window. It was smooth and fruity with just the faintest touch of heat when first opened. The fruit is still the same blueberry and blackberry pie filliing I tasted 3 years ago. Drink now or over the next 5 years.
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7/8/2011 - DHutch wrote: 94 Points
At first hot and overripe. Within five minutes, all of that heat fell underneath a wealth of ripe red raspberry and blackberries - almost pie-like in character. Tons of glycerin and toasty oak. Sound be able to progress for another five plus years. A solid, unique wine with sass!
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7/4/2011 - ptelgenh wrote: 93 Points
Ripe blackcurrants with a silky mocha mid palate burst. A hint of vanilla and oak leads to medium tannins and a lengthy finish. Still has the stuffing to hold but I think it's drinking beautifully right now.
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3/5/2011 - thenapalist wrote: flawed
Corked bottle
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3/5/2011 - dfresh wrote: 95 Points
Massive, opulent, and extracted. Drink alone, too good to drink with food.
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2/1/2011 - mikecoxtx Likes this wine: 96 Points
We ran it through a finer and gentle aerator and the wine showed beautifully. It was just mature enough to show a full palette without uncovering everything all at once. The finish was elegant and the fruit was really stunning (the typical Merus body showed through well). It will probably get better for another 3-5 years, but I didn't regret opening it now. I would still decant it or aerate it, but there's no need to be harsh with the wine to get it open.
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12/13/2010 - MJTed wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3-1/2 hours and served with filet mignon w/black truffle butter. Dark purple and inky. Offere think rich blue and black fruit without heaviness. Structure on the acidic side but with a touch of fine tannins. finishes long and slightly sweet with mocha, vanilla, toast and a touch of mint. Good big stuff but not as explosive or complex as similarly styled Napas at the price point.
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9/22/2010 - mikecoxtx wrote: 93 Points
Tasted a bit like it was in a dormant phase. The nose was heavy brown sugar. It was reserved on the palette for a Merus, but still pretty awesome!
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5/29/2010 - chiliman96 wrote: 92 Points
well balanced; silky smooth; fully integrated tannins; refined
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4/25/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Blind. Beautiful looking. Dark and dense, 93;85. Big, powerful, sweet, delicious with chocolate, cake batter and spicy oak. Felt more like a Syrah in the structure and in the mouth feel but the nose was Cab.
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2/15/2010 - Baeyens Cellars wrote: 95 Points
One of the best 2004 California Cabs I've tasted. Huge dark fruits, still plenty of tannins, great balance, structure and textured mouth feel.
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2/14/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Traded a glass of this with a table across the floor of the restaurant, as I had sonme Alesia. This Merus was very good, with some new oak (cocoa) poking thru but the flavors were balanced and focused. No boozy ripe edges just real cool and all there.
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2/13/2010 - S. Lorin wrote: 95 Points
Awesome. Huge, concentrated wine, full of fruit and layers of flavor - dark fruit, cocoa, chocolate, ganache - despite its big and bold core, it harbors a silky texture framed by a precise and balanced structure.
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1/30/2010 - vanpe003 wrote:
Opened late on the spur of the moment, no detailed notes. While big and full, it seemed to have a precision and focus that surprised me. I'd rate 94-95pts in the context of the style.
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1/2/2010 - prufrocksabogado wrote: 91 Points
Purchased this w/some reservations because of the widely varied reactions in the CT comments. Having finished the bottle w/friends I now understand the dissonance. Personally, I was underwhelmed. The wine relies way too much on the spiked up alcohol content to achieve what might be described as its "wow" factor. I feel like I've had half a dozen other wines at a lower price point that provide the same taste experience. This is a fruity cab and very bold, but there's little complexity and an uninspiring bouquet to the wine and for the price I kind of expected more.
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12/22/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Impressive wine. Every time it is better than expected. Gave it to Lynn blind and she even gave it 96 points.
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11/3/2009 - drycab wrote:
I was totally unimpressed with this bottle. Nothing bad but nothing good either. Very odd for a bottle of Merus and for a bottle of wine made by M. Herold in general. I was disapointed.
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10/16/2009 - Share 67 wrote: 97 Points
Amazing vintage. Impressive right out of the bottle. Required no decanting and continued to develop every 10 minutes. Dark ruby red color. Dark fruit with a velvety offering of multiple layers of balance. From front to back pallet, the wine is a smooth and well rounded as any I've ever had from California. I like Herold juice.
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9/12/2009 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
Still extraordinary. See previous notes.
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6/26/2009 - Longpour wrote: 92 Points
This wine was good, but did not blow me away. Bouquet was reserved. The wine had a medium body. Nice fruit in the wine, but there was little to no finish. We decanted for about an hour. Started off a little tight and never really opened up. Paired well with a lamb shank, but failed to impress me. Had all the qualities of a Napa cab, but lacked complexity and depth. Would have to drink again...was not bad, but this wine did not impress me-especially for the price.
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5/27/2009 - Baeyens Cellars wrote: 95 Points
This wine drink beautifully and has been one of my top Cabs for the year. The nose had a sweet fruit along with subtle spices and licorice. Beautifully balanced with plenty of fruit to handle the 15.5% alc. Wished it was a magnum.
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4/22/2009 - bamhome wrote: 95 Points
Had with Scott at Flemings and we both enjoyed very much. Gave the girls some who are generally not big cab drinkers, big mistake. They loved it and wanted more.
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2/16/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. WOW!!! An amazing wine. Very dark color. Wonderful balance of fruit and tannins. Really long finish. An absolute treat!!!
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1/4/2009 - Haltermr wrote: 93 Points
Painfully intense wine, extraordinary fruit and power of flavor and bouquet. Did not take official notes. More of a wine on contemplation rather than a match for food. Almost amarone like in this sense. Sweetness did become cloying while having this with dinner.
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12/26/2008 - bambam wrote: 94 Points
Incredible dark fruity nose. Thick and velvety in the mouth. Blueberry and blackberry pie filling. Decanted for 2 hours but it did not improve with more air time. Fruit is still very primary and needs some secondary development to balance it out. Hold 94+
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9/26/2008 - Phin wrote: 96 Points
4 hour decant. Superior. Tremendous balance. Black fruits. Coffee and chocolate. Super long finish.
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9/10/2008 - The Wine Guy wrote: 95 Points
Drank with my wife and a friend, fantastic I need to own more of this well concentrated, rich full bodied hints of ceadar and soft oak, currant, blackberry, wild berry intense, and elegant descriptive of the pallet sensation. well balanced and complex, long sustaining finish that ends with hints of leathy soft herbal sensation
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8/2/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 95 Points
superb nose. massive tannic dart that needs a few years of bottle age, but this is a beauty.
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7/23/2008 - dmoritz wrote: 94 Points
04 Napa Cabs, plus a few more - Schrader, Merus, Foley, LLC: The darkest of the 3 cabs in color. Like Cab on steriods. Big nose of blackberry, cassis and espresso. Super concentrated with strong tannins. This wine needs some time, but will be a stunner in the future.
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7/6/2008 - olm2000 wrote: 92 Points
great flavors and concentration but a bit too much oak for my palate
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5/30/2008 - Ekoostik wrote: 93 Points
While this no doubt is an excellent wine, I was a little let down. It does walk a fine line of over extraction / over oaked and over everything, but if thats your style your going to like this more than me. That said it walked it pretty well, its a hedonistic bomb that has some acidity and tannic structure to hold the wine together. I'd rather drink this on its own than with dinner.
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5/19/2008 - pakabear wrote: 94 Points
Nose was a bit mute to me, some strawberry and raspberry, but not much. Massive extraction on the palate with real good balance.
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5/4/2008 - pakabear wrote: flawed
Corked...
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4/29/2008 - SWatson wrote: 97 Points
Took to Bones in Atlanta the Thursday before heading to the race at Talladega. Dropped off early so Scott, the sommelier, could decant for a few hours for us. Spectacular. Perfectly integrated. Best bottle of wine I have ever had.
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4/4/2008 - greekwineaux wrote: 97 Points
Had before an incredible sushi meal, at Dave's home. Nose was slightly muted, but as a pop and pour wine, it doesn't get much better. Absolutely no heat whatsoever-silky smooth, with a wonderfully long finish. I am a big fan of Mark Herold, and his wines are incredible, regardless of the vintage.
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3/25/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 95 Points
This is truly to be a LEGENDARY WINE.
How can this stuff be legal to drink?! It's so darn INCREDIBLE!!!
This is a bottle of wine that can truly help ANYONE appreciate how fantastic wine can be.
Tons of depth and complexity displayed in this bottle. The aroms of dark cherries, cola, lead, casis and chocolate are overwheliming.
The palate is filled with HUMUNGOUS FRUIT!!! This IS a face-melting wine. The finish goes on and on well over a minutes.
I can literally chew on this juice. Fantastic. This is the definition of a BLOCKBUSTER CALIFORNIA CABERNET.
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1/16/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 95 Points
Not yet ready to drink, but difficult to leave alone. We had a friend from Chicaco who's a Napa Afectionado, and so we had to drink this. Some serious sediment, but the nose, flavours and experence are exceptional. Going to be fantastic after three or four more years.
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12/27/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 96 Points
Broke this out for Christmas dinner and wowed everyone. Could be for dessert all by itself. Chocolate covered cherries and espresso nosewith a huge core of black fruits. The midpalate is more than fullbodies almost syrupy but not overdone. More chocalte and mocha laced oak is evident in the huge but sleek finish. Merry Christmas Mark Herold.
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12/8/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 97 Points
Face melting Cab.
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10/13/2007 - headdocs wrote: 88 Points
I was suprised by the lack of typical Cabernet fruit in this young bottle, especially with all of the WS hype. Look forward to seeing how it ages .
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9/24/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 96 Points
I think this has reached the status of the 02. Pure chocolate on the nose with black currant and blackberries. Liquid silk in the mouth. Coats your entire mouth with an almost syrupy texture but not overdone. You just think pure class as you drink this down. This is truly a wine that lives up to the hype. Gave some to some folks who do not usually drink wine at this level and they were begging for more. Will not miss a year on their mailing list.
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9/8/2007 - vanpe003 wrote:
Northwoods Wineapalooza; 9/7/2007-9/9/2007 (Boulder Junction, Wisconsin): No dtl'd notes. Marker for 3 day tasting @ Wineapalooza. This and the '04 Metisse were slightly behind the '04 Foley on my card, but all three caught my attention.
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8/25/2007 - pakabear wrote: 96 Points
this bottle is fantastic, needs a good 4 or more hours to breath first.
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7/30/2007 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
Very thick and dark. Subdued nose. seems more simple than 01, 02, or 03
May be more of an early drinker.
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7/29/2007 - drycab wrote: 96 Points
BIG fruity California cab, but pretty well balanced. It was my WOTN against an 03 Staglin and an 03 Keever, but that wasn't unanimous.
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7/27/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted w/ Marty N., and sent the rest of the btl home with him. Nose more fwd than last time, w/ noticeable elements of oak. Great depth of fruit, w/ fine tannins and a moderately long finish. A fruit bomb without being overpowering.
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4/28/2007 - jhh001 wrote: 90 Points
I bought a couple of bottles and had to try one, although very young this wine is extraordinary. Deep purple color. The fruit peaks through on the nose and jumps out through out the palate. Black berry and currant and a touch of spice. Very well balanced and very well structured. Need to decant for at least two hours before drinking. If you have the opportunity to buy this wine do so.
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4/16/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Wowed everyone that tatsted it. Slightly subdued on the nose with an inky black color. Not as balnced as the 02 but still beautifull dark berry flavors move effortlessly across the palate finishing with huge but subtle tannins. Another great effort.
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4/15/2007 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
“Only decanted for 1/2 hour. 92;88. Abit raw and grapy nose initially but coming around later to dark fruit, smoke and licorice. Very soft entry but then tannins kick in but they are not unpleasant and balance is still good. Very good texture. Great, spicy flavors, very sweet, rich, ripe and powerful. Asian spices, flowers, black currant, chocolate and cherry liqueur. Great, long aftertaste with nice bitter finish, anise, warm roasted fruit, milk chocolate. both Lynn and I loved it and gave it 96-97p.”
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4/7/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
Curiosity killed both the cat and this bottle of wine. Very young at present. Inky dark, both to the eye and on the palate. Not much going on with the nose on opening, though this does open up after a bit of time in the glass. An obviously well-made, full throttle style cab with new world style intensity of fruit. Given similar levels of alcohol, the Merus is more refined and smooth than the 2005 Marquis S2 recently tasted, though the two invite some comparison given similarities in depth and intensity. Also evokes memories of the 2003 Pahlmeyer Red. Maybe its the shared use of Taransaud oak ;) !
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4/5/2007 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
Although very young this wine is extraordinary. Deep purple color. Despite its youth ripe fruit peaks through on the nose and jumps out through out the palate. Black berry and currant and a touch of spice. Very well balanced and very well structured. Need to decant for at least two hours before drinking.
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