Don't wait too long to drink this. Nice rich color. Earthy and ripe berry aromas with a soft and slightly nutmeg finish. Tastes best a couple hours after opening.
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Nice red colour just beginning to brick, blackberries and earth to the nose, with a choke cherry and spice taste, slightly sour, good balance and finish, still some tannins present. Overall a nice wine drinking very well right now.
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had at a tasting event - didnt make any notes about it so must have been low on the list. i vaguely remember it being very average for a merlot. we didnt go back for 2nds.
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The 2005 Paras Vineyard Mt Veeder merlot is a difficult wine to assess. The color is easy enough to describe with a dark to very dark hue all the way to the rim but the nose is somewhat subdued reminding me of a backward St. Emilion. The oak is unobtrusive with soft vanilla, cloves, and milk chocolate. There's a rather predominant smell of dried leaves and herbs along with a nice touch of bay leaf and licorice. The dark red and black fruits show up last which makes me describe it as backward. I am a French wine man so I went into this bottle not expecting a lot but the more I smell the Paras the more I am impressed with it's evolution in the glass. The alcohol says 14.8 on the bottle but does not show on the nose or palate quite that severely but instead it's the glycerin that shows on the nose. On the palate the glycerin is balanced, if not slightly overpowered by a somewhat searing acidity. The finish is fairly long consisting of ripe silky tannins and minerality. The bottle has now been open forty minutes and is really starting to shine. Just lacking the complexity to make it a great wine but really is impressive and should peak at ten to twelve years of age. Not at all a fruit or oak bomb. Well done.
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9/29/2017 - Alfaro wrote: 92 Points
Still hanging in there strong!
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12/24/2016 - NapaInBaltimore Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has nice supple tannins to balance the still present fruit, was even better the second day!
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12/17/2015 - Alfaro wrote: 90 Points
Still strong, lots of tannins and rich bouquet
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9/2/2014 - Brantparker wrote: 89 Points
Don't wait too long to drink this. Nice rich color. Earthy and ripe berry aromas with a soft and slightly nutmeg finish. Tastes best a couple hours after opening.
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1/3/2013 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice red colour just beginning to brick, blackberries and earth to the nose, with a choke cherry and spice taste, slightly sour, good balance and finish, still some tannins present. Overall a nice wine drinking very well right now.
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3/20/2012 - ernie237 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice and balanced, but with a noticeable amount of mineral flavor. Would prefer a bit more complexity, but the wine is still very pleasing regardless.
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3/11/2011 - bowmanbc wrote: 84 Points
had at a tasting event - didnt make any notes about it so must have been low on the list. i vaguely remember it being very average for a merlot. we didnt go back for 2nds.
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9/27/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Getting quite mineral, as older merlot should. And some chocolate from the barrel. Not bad at all.
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8/29/2010 - kanjimoti wrote: 89 Points
The 2005 Paras Vineyard Mt Veeder merlot is a difficult wine to assess. The color is easy enough to describe with a dark to very dark hue all the way to the rim but the nose is somewhat subdued reminding me of a backward St. Emilion. The oak is unobtrusive with soft vanilla, cloves, and milk chocolate. There's a rather predominant smell of dried leaves and herbs along with a nice touch of bay leaf and licorice. The dark red and black fruits show up last which makes me describe it as backward. I am a French wine man so I went into this bottle not expecting a lot but the more I smell the Paras the more I am impressed with it's evolution in the glass. The alcohol says 14.8 on the bottle but does not show on the nose or palate quite that severely but instead it's the glycerin that shows on the nose. On the palate the glycerin is balanced, if not slightly overpowered by a somewhat searing acidity. The finish is fairly long consisting of ripe silky tannins and minerality. The bottle has now been open forty minutes and is really starting to shine. Just lacking the complexity to make it a great wine but really is impressive and should peak at ten to twelve years of age. Not at all a fruit or oak bomb. Well done.
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