If the label didn't say Merlot, I would not have known. Dry and austere, not like the Merlots I remember. Maybe it's me but I consider it 28.99 down the drain.
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A really good QPR wine which makes it a good bet / get at higher end steak houses with their mark up which happens to be exactly what we did at Steak 48 in Charlotte NC with this wine. Already drinking quite well but if possible would recommend a 60-90 minute decant. Approaching a good drinking window so drink or hold - with proper cellaring this has years to go and likely at least a 1 point improvement in the score. Full bodied, very dark purple, no bricking, muscular fruit & oak core, already reasonably balanced and a long aftertaste. Big powerful fruit forward dark nose with dark stone fruit, red cherry, blueberry and a hint of smoke. Flavor profile very pleasant and as expected from a youngish well made Napa merlot - oak, dark fruit and cherry up front with more red berry, coffee and leather on the mid- and end palates. Definitely recommend.
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Lots of vanilla on the nose, some bright red fruit notes. On the palate it went downhill - not enough fruit - it tasted a bit "mean." There's something missing here and I'm not certain what. On a hunch, I went to my cellar and looked for something else to open as a comparable. A 2018 Mollydooker Boxer shiraz - a different varietal - but another concentrated red with plenty of vanilla - and it tastes much, much better.
So what's up here? It's not flawed. It's not badly made. It's just not satisfying. Clearly many people disagree with me. I'm unsure about this. Is it just a matter of taste? Or do I need to spend more money to find a Napa Merlot that is satisfying?
A wonderful Merlot reminiscent of the great Merlot's in the 1990s. A balance of black and red fruit with a jammy mid-palate and a nice finish of oak with moderate tannins and alcohol.
Paired nicely with grilled Porterhouse steaks.
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this is getting worse each time I have it...just a little bit uneven (tight?) and lopsided with overaccentuated vanilla and dark fruit, that runs a little bit concentrated hot...still a very enjoyable wine, with dark mocha cherry chocolate and syrup...but not as amazing as in the past
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Nice Merlot. Popped the cork and let it breath for 2 hours. Paired with filets, mashed potatoes and Cesar salad. Full bodied, but well balanced with smooth tannins. Excellent buy for $26 at Costco. Better value than the cab.
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Ripe red cherries, plums, smoke, cedar, vanilla. Medium bodied, medium tannin. Oak-driven. Decent structure but nothing special here. Not quite a “one dimensional” wine...let’s call it “two dimensional.”
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Berries and a hint of forest on our nose, we aerated on pour into a decanter about 45 minutes before our entree. Mellowed out from initial tasting, agree with another poster, noted of Cherry, Mochs, and Herbs on the palate Paired with eggplant ravioli and a simple red sauce, and sautéed cauliflower. Cheers
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Very very young. Cab lovers’ merlot. Enjoyable to drink but tannins are not integrated quite yet… better as we let it sit open, aerated on pour. Subtle coffee on the nose. Deep ruby color with cherry and raspberry notes, jammy without being a fruit bomb, with little bit of cassis/pepper, agree on the mocha with another reviewer. Sub-$30, great QPR. Will get better over next few years.
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Ruby color with slow legs. Cassis, oak and blackberry on the nose. Mixed jam, black cherry and a little stoniness on the palate. Nice medium velvety finish.
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Excellent wine...started off as a 90--a little two dimensrional and overly sweet with some Merlot fruit bomb...but got really nice playful and complex...dark cherry, mocha, some herbal notes....amazing for the price.
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3/27/2023 - lpettet Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice merlot (and I'm not a big merlot fan). Went well with meat and veggies very well. Will get again.... to have a merlot in my cellar.
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12/25/2022 - patprovost@ymail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
It was ok. Drank on Christmas in Vegas. It doesn't need a long decant, maybe only 30-40 min needed. Will wait until 2025+ to open the other bottle.
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10/2/2022 - BadOyster wrote: 90 Points
Intro to Noble Grapes Tasting: Prototypical no-brained well-done Cali Merlot.
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6/28/2022 - seijaro wrote: 86 Points
If the label didn't say Merlot, I would not have known. Dry and austere, not like the Merlots I remember. Maybe it's me but I consider it 28.99 down the drain.
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6/5/2022 - richshoes Likes this wine: 89 Points
really full bodied classic merlot--thick and juicy...a little bit hot, sweet and overwhelming, but a lot of nice fruit--dark cherry, mocha, blackberry
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5/21/2022 - Yagil wrote: 89 Points
after 1-2 hours this wine opened up and was enjoyable along paired food
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5/6/2022 - Aris1a wrote: 88 Points
Drinkable, but that is about it. Nothing special.
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4/16/2022 - ikkaariainen Does not like this wine: 91 Points
A really good QPR wine which makes it a good bet / get at higher end steak houses with their mark up which happens to be exactly what we did at Steak 48 in Charlotte NC with this wine. Already drinking quite well but if possible would recommend a 60-90 minute decant. Approaching a good drinking window so drink or hold - with proper cellaring this has years to go and likely at least a 1 point improvement in the score. Full bodied, very dark purple, no bricking, muscular fruit & oak core, already reasonably balanced and a long aftertaste. Big powerful fruit forward dark nose with dark stone fruit, red cherry, blueberry and a hint of smoke. Flavor profile very pleasant and as expected from a youngish well made Napa merlot - oak, dark fruit and cherry up front with more red berry, coffee and leather on the mid- and end palates. Definitely recommend.
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4/11/2022 - alohashirt wrote: 86 Points
Lots of vanilla on the nose, some bright red fruit notes. On the palate it went downhill - not enough fruit - it tasted a bit "mean." There's something missing here and I'm not certain what. On a hunch, I went to my cellar and looked for something else to open as a comparable. A 2018 Mollydooker Boxer shiraz - a different varietal - but another concentrated red with plenty of vanilla - and it tastes much, much better.
So what's up here? It's not flawed. It's not badly made. It's just not satisfying. Clearly many people disagree with me. I'm unsure about this. Is it just a matter of taste? Or do I need to spend more money to find a Napa Merlot that is satisfying?
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4/4/2022 - Icemn21 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice merlot for the price, definitely a step up from typical “grocery store” wines.
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3/27/2022 - The Magician Likes this wine: 92 Points
A wonderful Merlot reminiscent of the great Merlot's in the 1990s. A balance of black and red fruit with a jammy mid-palate and a nice finish of oak with moderate tannins and alcohol.
Paired nicely with grilled Porterhouse steaks.
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3/21/2022 - richshoes Likes this wine: 88 Points
this is getting worse each time I have it...just a little bit uneven (tight?) and lopsided with overaccentuated vanilla and dark fruit, that runs a little bit concentrated hot...still a very enjoyable wine, with dark mocha cherry chocolate and syrup...but not as amazing as in the past
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2/28/2022 - richshoes Likes this wine: 88 Points
Had it on a day with a lot of high end Pinots and it tasted less amazing--a little more dense and uneven and hot. Lot of mocha cherry, dark berry
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2/24/2022 - bluehorseshoe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice Merlot. Popped the cork and let it breath for 2 hours. Paired with filets, mashed potatoes and Cesar salad. Full bodied, but well balanced with smooth tannins. Excellent buy for $26 at Costco. Better value than the cab.
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2/20/2022 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 85 Points
Ripe red cherries, plums, smoke, cedar, vanilla. Medium bodied, medium tannin. Oak-driven. Decent structure but nothing special here. Not quite a “one dimensional” wine...let’s call it “two dimensional.”
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1/24/2022 - flydcjets Likes this wine: 90 Points
Berries and a hint of forest on our nose, we aerated on pour into a decanter about 45 minutes before our entree. Mellowed out from initial tasting, agree with another poster, noted of Cherry, Mochs, and Herbs on the palate Paired with eggplant ravioli and a simple red sauce, and sautéed cauliflower.
Cheers
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1/21/2022 - rykennedy55 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very very young. Cab lovers’ merlot. Enjoyable to drink but tannins are not integrated quite yet… better as we let it sit open, aerated on pour. Subtle coffee on the nose. Deep ruby color with cherry and raspberry notes, jammy without being a fruit bomb, with little bit of cassis/pepper, agree on the mocha with another reviewer. Sub-$30, great QPR. Will get better over next few years.
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1/13/2022 - Twopawsup Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby color with slow legs. Cassis, oak and blackberry on the nose. Mixed jam, black cherry and a little stoniness on the palate. Nice medium velvety finish.
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1/11/2022 - lpettet wrote: 86 Points
fair. not a lot of flavor.
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12/3/2021 - Niccolo Donzella wrote: 92 Points
Lots of promise here.
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11/15/2021 - richshoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent wine...started off as a 90--a little two dimensrional and overly sweet with some Merlot fruit bomb...but got really nice playful and complex...dark cherry, mocha, some herbal notes....amazing for the price.
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