For this bottle, the optimum time to drink. Have owned since release; cork release and condition perfect. Nice deep color, with a very slight hint of age. Scent of dusty berry, curing fruit; pleasant. Cherry, apricot, vanilla, currant, gooseberries. Very smooth finish. Little tannicity. Enjoy.
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Previous bottle consumed 4 years ago, this has evolved great. Still primary, lots of life left. Deep, rich fruit but balanced and some herbal aromas; blind I would have guessed Northern Rhone syrah.
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This was very much closed on opening. It really opened up after 2+ hours of air and a slight fridg chill (from the cellar)...a requirement with bigger reds during the Phoenix inferno/summer/inferno. It was soft and smokey with the darkest of fruit. Brooding, dry, earthy, dusty and notes of cocoa powder. Intriguing and drinking great today with years to go.
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Pulled the cork on this wine after a recent La Jota Merlot of the same vintage. I preferred the La Jota but this was a nice weekday bottle as a bridge to the weekend.
Purple color. This wine had that wonderful smoldering nose of a good Napa cab. I could smell this all night. This bested two other wines this evening including a very good bottle of 2011 Calon Segur. This wine offers flavors of dark cherry, plum and cocoa powder. Fruit forward. I'm a fan of Plumpjack Merlot and this is a good vintage for them and maybe the best I've had. 94
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Really interesting wine. Super dark, with some savory/earthy notes on the nose that bordered on stewed tomatoes. Some of that blew off, but not entirely. A couple hours in a decanter helped, but it needed several more. By the end, I was interested, but frustrated. Was it the Malbec? Was it me? Either way, I look forward to another bottle in a couple years.
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New world Merlot from a stellar vintage. This bottling has mellowed and come together nicely since my last bottle in 19. Still some bite to the tannins but overall a lovely bottle. Chocolate, plums with touches of red fruit. Medium finish. No harm in opening now but I think there is upside in a few years.
92+
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Decanted 2 hours. Very fruit forward: backberry, cassis. The tannins appear mid-pallette and give it more structure. There some pepper on the back palette, a little leather, a little graphite. Unlike previous reviewers, I thought this well-balanced, a bigger merlot.
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Agree with Fozmonster's note. I like big wines, especially when balanced, but this was out of balance. Decanted 1.5hr and drank over next 2 hours. Too one-note (fruit/alcohol) and became fatiguing for last 2 glasses. Maybe would be a better experience with food as I drank it stand-alone.
I have 2 more bottles and will wait another year to see if tannins help integrate better but without any discernible acid to balance I'm not sure how this will differ with time.
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Delicious. Deep ruby in the glass purple core, pronounced aromas and flavors, nose of blackberry and cacao, palate is dry and fruit is ripe, plum, black currant, cherry, notes of cedar, vanilla, leather, full bodied long finish
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- Brick color. It's somewhat balanced with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - PnP, a little hot. Smooth tannins, needs more time in the bottle.
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Slightly disjointed on popping open but rather quickly came together with a bit of air. Very smooth with just a few rough edges that may come together with a few years more in bottle. A bit of bite on the finish from the alcohol and good acidity but overall a very enjoyable, classy Merlot with plenty of fruit and spices.
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Nice wine with Killen’s steak. Dark plum purple color, leggy in glass, lifted nose of cherries, dark chocolate, ink. Med in mouth, slightly more acidic which belies it’s look and alc level - a good thing. Layered finish, fruits, earthy, closes with choc cherries. Interesting wine, decent QPR, solid merlot.
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"Our Merlot grapes were cold soaked for 4-5 days before the onset of fermentation. The fermentation was then allowed to reach a maximum temperature of 92 degrees F, & pressed off the skins after 8-10 days.
"The wine was then moved into oak barrels where they underwent malolactic fermentation. 75% of these barrels were new barrels and the balance were once-filled barrels. 88% of our Merlot barrels were FR oak Bordeaux barrels, & 12% were AM oak barrels. The coopers used include Sylvain, Taransaud, Nadalie, & Demptos. A touch of Malbec was added to the blend to add depth & weight to the palate. The Merlot was aged for 19 mos before bottling." 3,052 cases
N: RIPE, tough to parse, but attractive; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE frt met by PUCKERISH astringency which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, very, VERY slightly puckerish finish with an elegant swtness & a very, VERY slight spiciness to the very, VERY fine tannions. NEEDS through '19, then drinking for 4 yrs more. Artfully done! 15.4% ABV; My EXC-/EXC. 93-95 pts Vinous, 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, & 90-92 WA. [This vendor's $51.95 is at LEAST $7 < anyone else on wine-searcher!]
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4/19/2024 - 993 Likes this wine: 93 Points
For this bottle, the optimum time to drink. Have owned since release; cork release and condition perfect. Nice deep color, with a very slight hint of age. Scent of dusty berry, curing fruit; pleasant. Cherry, apricot, vanilla, currant, gooseberries. Very smooth finish. Little tannicity. Enjoy.
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1/2/2024 - peeks13 wrote: 92 Points
Previous bottle consumed 4 years ago, this has evolved great. Still primary, lots of life left. Deep, rich fruit but balanced and some herbal aromas; blind I would have guessed Northern Rhone syrah.
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12/9/2023 - DfwCabLover Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice easy drinking wine, but nothing fantastic.
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9/19/2023 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was very much closed on opening. It really opened up after 2+ hours of air and a slight fridg chill (from the cellar)...a requirement with bigger reds during the Phoenix inferno/summer/inferno.
It was soft and smokey with the darkest of fruit. Brooding, dry, earthy, dusty and notes of cocoa powder.
Intriguing and drinking great today with years to go.
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9/7/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pulled the cork on this wine after a recent La Jota Merlot of the same vintage. I preferred the La Jota but this was a nice weekday bottle as a bridge to the weekend.
Give it some air if opening today.
Drink or hold.
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10/17/2022 - swade wrote: 94 Points
Purple color. This wine had that wonderful smoldering nose of a good Napa cab. I could smell this all night. This bested two other wines this evening including a very good bottle of 2011 Calon Segur. This wine offers flavors of dark cherry, plum and cocoa powder. Fruit forward. I'm a fan of Plumpjack Merlot and this is a good vintage for them and maybe the best I've had. 94
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6/19/2022 - KFloveswine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Richer and more tannic than a typical merlot. Fruity nose and dry finish. Good stuff.
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12/23/2021 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really interesting wine. Super dark, with some savory/earthy notes on the nose that bordered on stewed tomatoes. Some of that blew off, but not entirely. A couple hours in a decanter helped, but it needed several more. By the end, I was interested, but frustrated. Was it the Malbec? Was it me? Either way, I look forward to another bottle in a couple years.
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11/9/2021 - Hoddick wrote: 88 Points
Tannic merlot
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11/1/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 92 Points
New world Merlot from a stellar vintage. This bottling has mellowed and come together nicely since my last bottle in 19. Still some bite to the tannins but overall a lovely bottle. Chocolate, plums with touches of red fruit. Medium finish. No harm in opening now but I think there is upside in a few years.
92+
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3/14/2021 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chocolate tones with long finish
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1/23/2021 - Callybrian Likes this wine: 91 Points
PNP Wonderful nose full of casis and dark cherry, a hint of earthiness. Nice dry cherry on the palate with a long finish.
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12/25/2020 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark chocolate with sweet soft tannins
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9/17/2020 - Crusty Reader Likes this wine: 92 Points
A big merlot, still young, opened to big fruit, well-balanced. Consumed over 3 days.
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9/8/2020 - tomoem Likes this wine: 91 Points
I concur with CT member TJMAYNE. His notes were spot on and I completely agree with them. Bravo to TJMAYNE.
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6/29/2020 - Tjmayne wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Very fruit forward: backberry, cassis. The tannins appear mid-pallette and give it more structure. There some pepper on the back palette, a little leather, a little graphite. Unlike previous reviewers, I thought this well-balanced, a bigger merlot.
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5/30/2020 - cjohnson2960 wrote:
Monica's three kids are home. Enjoyed with Taylor watching "Sideways." Clinked glasses when Miles warned, "We're not drinking fucking Merlot."
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3/18/2020 - Pluecht Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full bodied beautiful wine. Nice structure.
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3/4/2020 - Heimanator Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great wine, always enjoy it
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1/27/2020 - peeks13 wrote: 89 Points
Agree with Fozmonster's note. I like big wines, especially when balanced, but this was out of balance. Decanted 1.5hr and drank over next 2 hours. Too one-note (fruit/alcohol) and became fatiguing for last 2 glasses. Maybe would be a better experience with food as I drank it stand-alone.
I have 2 more bottles and will wait another year to see if tannins help integrate better but without any discernible acid to balance I'm not sure how this will differ with time.
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1/5/2020 - FozMonster wrote: 89 Points
Way too fruit forward for me. Wanted to like it but moved on to a different bottle.
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12/31/2019 - WineCenturyAZ wrote:
Delicious. Deep ruby in the glass purple core, pronounced aromas and flavors, nose of blackberry and cacao, palate is dry and fruit is ripe, plum, black currant, cherry, notes of cedar, vanilla, leather, full bodied long finish
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12/7/2019 - Kayentacellars wrote: 93 Points
- Brick color. It's somewhat balanced with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - PnP, a little hot. Smooth tannins, needs more time in the bottle.
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9/29/2019 - Supersyd7 wrote:
Snooth
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8/23/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
With lots of oak spice on the but in a good way. Structure, powerful, lots of depth, that's really good.
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7/6/2019 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Slightly disjointed on popping open but rather quickly came together with a bit of air. Very smooth with just a few rough edges that may come together with a few years more in bottle. A bit of bite on the finish from the alcohol and good acidity but overall a very enjoyable, classy Merlot with plenty of fruit and spices.
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6/24/2019 - Pluecht wrote: 93 Points
Smooth tannins. Full body. Hold.
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6/20/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
There is no 2017 Merlot because of the fires. And no Syrah either. Some tougher tannins in there, shows the new oak applied.
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5/30/2019 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine with Killen’s steak. Dark plum purple color, leggy in glass, lifted nose of cherries, dark chocolate, ink. Med in mouth, slightly more acidic which belies it’s look and alc level - a good thing. Layered finish, fruits, earthy, closes with choc cherries. Interesting wine, decent QPR, solid merlot.
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2/17/2019 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
This finished number 1 in our Merlot tasting(blind). It had the best personality and texture. Less bold than the Shafers, but more sophisticated.
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1/29/2019 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine. Chocolate covered cherries
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12/8/2018 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very enjoyable wine, good Merlot
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11/15/2018 - Tyler C Likes this wine: 93 Points
I just love this merlot. Fine tannins, meaty dark fruits and wonderful long fruits.
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9/8/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 4 *shared* reds] from 09/07/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 96% Merlot & 4% Malbec
"Our Merlot grapes were cold soaked for 4-5 days before the onset of fermentation. The fermentation was then allowed to reach a maximum temperature of 92 degrees F, & pressed off the skins after 8-10 days.
"The wine was then moved into oak barrels where they underwent malolactic fermentation. 75% of these barrels were new barrels and the balance were once-filled barrels. 88% of our Merlot barrels were FR oak Bordeaux barrels, & 12% were AM oak barrels. The coopers used include Sylvain, Taransaud, Nadalie, & Demptos. A touch of Malbec was added to the blend to add depth & weight to the palate. The Merlot was aged for 19 mos before bottling." 3,052 cases
N: RIPE, tough to parse, but attractive; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE frt met by PUCKERISH astringency which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, very, VERY slightly puckerish finish with an elegant swtness & a very, VERY slight spiciness to the very, VERY fine tannions. NEEDS through '19, then drinking for 4 yrs more. Artfully done! 15.4% ABV; My EXC-/EXC. 93-95 pts Vinous, 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, & 90-92 WA. [This vendor's $51.95 is at LEAST $7 < anyone else on wine-searcher!]
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