The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like strawberry and raisin. It tastes like orange, fig, raisin and strawberry jam. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Ripe, dark fruit for days. Plums and blackberry. A little smokey. Round. Nice length on the finish. Balanced. Clean. Medium body. In a really good place right now. 92
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Heavy and extracted as expected with moderate tannins. Stewed dark fruit, milk chocolate, and damp earth/funk. The fruit comes of slightly murky/dirty but otherwise the wine in while makes an attempt at flashiness. Needs 2-3 years to mellow out.
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This 100% Merlot is a somewhat odd combination of ripe fruit and leathery structure that works - more or less - though it left me wanting for a bit more roundness and lift. Dark red in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, olive, and menthol. Tastes of boysenberry, black raspberry, leather, and tapenade, with a dry and somewhat tannic finish. 15% alcohol. This Merlot is well-priced, but it's a bit savory (read: olivey) for my taste. Drink in next few years.
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P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which leads into a LONG, balanced, spicy/tangy finish with touches of bitter/SWTNESS. Suspecting a potential elegance, it needs/DESERVES into mid-'19, then likely drinking for 3-4 yrs more. My VG+/EXC-; 93 pts Vinous (Galloni) & 90 WA. [As of early Mar '20, wine-searcher still shows 3 sources @ $70].
Note: 1st tasted on 7/8/17
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P: MF, poss Full, body; Rndish entry; ALMOST swtish frt (threshold R.S.?) met by mid palate puckerish astringency, this pretty much resolving by the LONG, almost swtish, yet tangy, VERY slightly bitter finish. For most NEEDS 2 yrs or so. NICELY done in a rich/RIPE style! 90-92 Vinous, 90 WA [This vendor's $49.95 crushes the current comp by > 20%!]
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6/27/2023 - Matty the wine collector wrote: 91 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like strawberry and raisin. It tastes like orange, fig, raisin and strawberry jam. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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5/22/2022 - swade wrote: 92 Points
Ripe, dark fruit for days. Plums and blackberry. A little smokey. Round. Nice length on the finish. Balanced. Clean. Medium body. In a really good place right now. 92
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1/1/2019 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Heavy and extracted as expected with moderate tannins. Stewed dark fruit, milk chocolate, and damp earth/funk. The fruit comes of slightly murky/dirty but otherwise the wine in while makes an attempt at flashiness. Needs 2-3 years to mellow out.
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8/30/2018 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
Argh I thought I ordered the cab sauv. Time to wear a disguise so no one sees me drinking merlot
... or enjoying it. But actually I do.
Super extracted merlot on steroids ... and that's how I like it.
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6/4/2018 - msuwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
This 100% Merlot is a somewhat odd combination of ripe fruit and leathery structure that works - more or less - though it left me wanting for a bit more roundness and lift. Dark red in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, olive, and menthol. Tastes of boysenberry, black raspberry, leather, and tapenade, with a dry and somewhat tannic finish. 15% alcohol. This Merlot is well-priced, but it's a bit savory (read: olivey) for my taste. Drink in next few years.
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4/25/2018 - Cabernetking Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit. On my second bottle. Very good merlot and good QPR for Napa Merlot this good. Good Merlot is the best value in Napa Valley.
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4/16/2018 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Distributor tasting. No formal notes. 90 points.
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1/20/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 01/19/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% Merlot; 88% Fr, 12% Am oak, 75% of the barrels being new, the remaining having been used once; 15% ABV
N: Ripe, jammy berries
P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which leads into a LONG, balanced, spicy/tangy finish with touches of bitter/SWTNESS. Suspecting a potential elegance, it needs/DESERVES into mid-'19, then likely drinking for 3-4 yrs more. My VG+/EXC-; 93 pts Vinous (Galloni) & 90 WA. [As of early Mar '20, wine-searcher still shows 3 sources @ $70].
Note: 1st tasted on 7/8/17
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7/8/2017 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [Various Reds & 3 CA Chards] for 7/7/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% Merlot; 88% Fr, 12% Am oak, 75% of the barrels being new, the remaining having been used once; 15% ABV
N: RIPE, vanilla atop... ? Intensity lurking?
P: MF, poss Full, body; Rndish entry; ALMOST swtish frt (threshold R.S.?) met by mid palate puckerish astringency, this pretty much resolving by the LONG, almost swtish, yet tangy, VERY slightly bitter finish. For most NEEDS 2 yrs or so. NICELY done in a rich/RIPE style! 90-92 Vinous, 90 WA [This vendor's $49.95 crushes the current comp by > 20%!]
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