Sour cherry, dried plum, baking spices. Heavy crystalization in the glass. Tannins are faded and fruit is going too. Lovely mature wine. Won't get any better.
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Uncorked and allowed to breathe for an hour. Beginning to show bricking around the edges. Some eucalyptus on the nose, black pepper, vanilla and heavily-toasted oak. The nose components carry into the flavor profile, and the wine crosses the palette like a thin syrah. Some sour-cherry/cough drop on the finish, that doesn't taste as bad as the descriptor. Still perfectly drinkable but probably a few months on the down-side of the hill. Drink up.
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Somewhat more throaty version of a Foley claret; rich and sumptuous showing black currant and blackberry fruit; still tight even after 24 hours, plenty of life in this one still!
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Drank from Mag- this wine is in a good spot. I agree with the Syrah style Merlot, very good and big in your face fruit. My blind guess would be a 50/50 Syrah/Merlot blend. I didn't get the heat on this wine. Let breath 1 hour before drinking and drank over 3+ hours with guest.
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Opened 2 hours before dinner, left in the cellar. Decanted at the restaurant. Dark garnet, dark fruits with a pronouned oak overlay. Very " hot " on the nose, serioulsy detracting from the experience I expected. Not helped by the warm ambient temp in the restaurant
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In a great place today, benefits from 1-2 hours air. Typically Foley style, very fruit-forward with layers of rich dark fruit and depth. Only have one bottle remaining, which I'll mark for 2017, though i imagine this could still have many years ahead of itself.
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Excellent wine. Merlot isn't my forte and this drinks like a full bodied syrah (probably restrained for the good Mr Foley). Inky purple, good nose, plush integrated black and blue fruit that still has an edge and probably can go several more years - we decanted about 2 hours. Very long finish. Not sure why I only bought cab & petit syrah in subsequent vintages but would like to have more of this.
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Decanted for over two hours and consumed over the next three. Found plums, prunes and possibly some blueberry on the palate and a very brief finish. Just not my style of merlot.
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Decanted half the bottle and followed over 3 hours. Easy drinker right out of the bottle, none of the green notes i found 18 mo's ago. Still pours dark purple, lightened around the rim, nose of heavily toasted oak, cardamom, white pepper, adn a eucalyptus / blackberry blend. Medium weight with a silky mouthfeel, there's tons of black fruit, plum, and a finish that's just really smooth and elegant, but with a bite that reminds you of the straight-forwardness of a Foley. This should drink well for another 2-6 years.
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PNP with pesto....big beast of wine with super high octane, even drunk straight from cellar...seemed a mix of cherry liquer and some wine...maybe the remaining 3/4 with steak tonight will seem more balanced and pleasant
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Sorry to be a spoiled sport, but I'm not near as willing as everyone else to give this wine 90+ points. It is very good, tasty and well made, but to my palate is not particularly layered or concentrated, and lacks something on the mid palate. The color is rich dark purple. The nose has oak, but it does not bring out that mocha, chocolate aroma many Napa Merlot's do. There is a minty, green pepper influence to the black cherry and blackberry fruit. Plenty of oak. The tannins and alcohol are about as integrated as they are going to get, while fruit is just starting to fade. I am certain this bottle was properly cellared. We poured through the vinturi and paired with a ribeye. Nice finish of graphite enhanced, minty black cherry.
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It's so underrated to revisit some of your previous favorites :) I have always loved Bob Foley's wines. Even after my palate has largely "moved on" to older world subtleties, I was delighted by this. Very rich, dense nose and palate of black fruit and dusty cocoa powder. No detectable heat in this showing. Medium finish. Zero rush to open your next bottle of this. Enjoy!
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liked this, served Christmas Eve dinner with family. As always Foley wines are a crowd pleaser but geeks can appreciate it too. Very aromatic with nice flavors and silky tannins. good but still has plenty of life
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this was a wonderful surprise. It was showing fantastic. Rich and full bodied, mocha, chocolate and coffee notes and a rich full bodied texture. I am glad I have 2 more.
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Decanted an hour. Big sweet nose of blackberry, black cherry and chocolate liquor. Full bodied fruit, chocolate and major alcohol on the palate. Soft tannins and alcohol on the finish. What I expect from a Foley Merlot.
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Decanted for air and immediately consumed, over 2 hours. Now this tastes like a merlot with Cab Franc notes - the most modest green notes early-on which quickly fade along with some pepper and spice. Medium-to-light in weight as is common with the vintage, nice dark fruit but not long-lasting. 3+ hours after opening the wine has lost much of its backbone, leading me to believe that a decant will be detrimental in the coming years.
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Nose: Massive Cherry, Blackberry and Bakers Chocolate. Literally chocolate covered berries with some oak notes on the nose. Plate: Rich and loaded with fruit. Blueberry, Blackberry, Ripe Cherry and supple chocolaty notes. The Midpalate is dense and grows with air, but the wine shows its heat. Finish: More of the same. Slightly tannic, but not overbearing. Had this one with pulled pork sliders at Post 390.
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I love Foley's wines. His merlot is very extracted and tastes more like a cab than many cabs but with a great mid palate. I have had numerous mags of this wine but this one was a little backward. Probably just timing. Still drank great.
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Great juice. Nearly black in color, awesome nose of fruits, cocoa and earth. Poured and tasted without decanting; wine was excellent and just got better over two hours. Very long finish.
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A fantastic merlot, silky smooth with firm tannins. A bit hot right out of the bottle, but with two hours of decanting it was well integrated. Even better on day 2.
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Typically outstanding Foley. Opened at restaurant; a bit tight in the absence of decanting, but drinking great after 20 minutes of swirling in glass. huge fruit, long finish.
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I really like this wine. A very big and bold highly extracted Merlot with beautiful notes of candied black fruit with velvety tannins and long finish with. Easy to enjoy on its own.
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Decanted and consumed over3.5 hours. Right out of the bottle this tasted much more like a syrah than a merlot - lots of pepper and spice, felt like syrup in the mouth. Some of the syrah notes remain on the nose after several hours, but the fruit has toned-down and the wine is (only slightly) softer, but still very young. This is dramatically different than the bottle I had 6 months ago, and still needs several more years to come to its own
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This was a yummy merlot. A little more cabernet fruity than most merlots. Also got a smoke and toasted oak on the nose. Tannins were very smooth and would buy again. My wife like this and was suprised that it was a merlot, in a positve way.
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This was well liked. Still rather primary and oaky, there is good material underneath and the wine is very well balanced. Not a fruit bomb, as I had expected, there are interesting white pepper and bitter almond flavors on the palate which make this intriguing. Smooth texture and nice structure. The oak is present, but not obtrusive and I believe that it will integrate well with time. Medium+ finish. Not very complex at this stage. This drinks like a good California / Bordeaux blend and I like it. Probably a little overpriced for what it is.
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2 hour decant and drunk from Somm stems. All the garlic and sugar smells in the kitchen kind of mask the nose on this wine, which was enjoyable upon opening with the finest-grained tanins adding some depth. The 2 hour decant has the tanins melt into the juice, which is well balanced blue fruit with a little blackberry to boot. This is an outstanding merlot, definately from California, but with a slightly softer and more approachable profile that's typical of the vintage.
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Restaurant purchase for group dinner (Cut-LV), generally pop and pour. Showed nice balance and mouthfeel. Dark fruit showcasing currants, blackberry, plum, some spices in a package that's medium in weight with a silky mouthfeel. Not a shy wine, but certainly not overpowering.
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Inky purple. Definitely the boldest merlot I have ever had. Interesting herb/sage on the nose and palate, but not at all vegetal. A little pepper and spice almost reminiscent of petite syrah or zinfandel. Definitely fits the ripe, Foley style.
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Very dark ruby color. The nose is packed with candied red fruits. Dense and full to medium bodied, with surprising dash of acidity for such a ripe wine. Very Foleyesque jamminess, but marred by a bit of heat in the finish. This wine seems to have very pleasurable aspects, but is disjointed with the alcohol running a little ahead of the fruit, acid and tannin. I do not have a lot of experience with Foley Merlots, but it seems to me that he has not yet achieved the level of the early Pride Merlots in his own wines. Still, this is a very good wine that I am perhaps been a little hard on due to to the memories of early pride Merlots. It was liked quite a bit by my companions.
Color rubí profundo. La nariz está llena de frutas rojas caramelizadas, obvio producto de la madurez de las uvas al cosechar. Denso, de cuerpo corpulento a medio, con una sorprendente pizca de acidez dada la aparente madurez de la materia prima. Muy Foliesque en la confitura de su fruta, pero exhibe un poco de calor en el terminado. Este vino tiene aspectos muy rescatables como la intensidad frutal y la densidad, pero está un poco desbalanceado porque el alcohol parece adelantado respecto de la fruta, acidez y tanino. No tengo tanta experiencia con los Merlots de Robert Foley Vineyards pero me parece que este excelente enólogo no ha alcanzado el nivel de excelencia que tuvieron los Pride Merlots hechos bajo su tutela. Quizás es por esa remembranza que estoy siendo un poco duro, pues mis acompañantes alabaron el vino.
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Nice currant and candied black fruit. Well balanced. I kept trying to compare this to Pride Mountain merlot (another Foley wine.) I prefer the Pride but this wine is unique. Enjoyed with grilled pork tenderloin... just cause' I felt like it. Paired well.
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Dark color, and given a two hour decant. Cocoa, plum, dark cherry, oak, black currant, spice on the nose, with plum, dark chocolate, macerated cherries, currant flavors, and a certain woodsiness in the mouth that I can't in down. Betrays some high alcohol as it warms. Grippy tannins, and good background acidity. It's a superbly built and primary wine right now. This was my only bottle. I'd like to have another to try 3-4 years down the line. Promising.
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Lots of coffee on the nose (and coming back on the finish!) and bitter chocolate, too. Cherry fruit, some raspberry candy, a little cassis, and some herbal, green notes, too. This is big but modest at the same time... Not exactly an elegant wine, but it's not overdone in the least.
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Nicely made, if a bit pedestrian. Primary use was in a Merlot based blackberry sauce for sorbet and souffle purposes. Since very little is done to cook the alcohol out of the sauce and it is heavy on the Merlot, using a high-quality bottle makes a big difference in outcome. I hope Bob isn't offended! I won't use the Claret for cooking, I promise! :)
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1/27/2018 - 82Latour wrote: 90 Points
Sour cherry, dried plum, baking spices. Heavy crystalization in the glass. Tannins are faded and fruit is going too. Lovely mature wine. Won't get any better.
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10/2/2016 - davidandrose Likes this wine:
Uncorked and allowed to breathe for an hour. Beginning to show bricking around the edges. Some eucalyptus on the nose, black pepper, vanilla and heavily-toasted oak. The nose components carry into the flavor profile, and the wine crosses the palette like a thin syrah. Some sour-cherry/cough drop on the finish, that doesn't taste as bad as the descriptor. Still perfectly drinkable but probably a few months on the down-side of the hill. Drink up.
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5/30/2016 - winejnky Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic merlot, love it! See 1/14/2016 nite for full details.
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5/25/2016 - 82Latour wrote: 90 Points
Sweet cherry, dried plum, baking spices and toffee fill the glass; sweet and supple tannins; mid finish.
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2/24/2016 - team-blackburn wrote: 93 Points
PNP lush mellow tannins well balanced.
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1/4/2016 - winejnky wrote: 93 Points
Somewhat more throaty version of a Foley claret; rich and sumptuous showing black currant and blackberry fruit; still tight even after 24 hours, plenty of life in this one still!
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8/28/2015 - VinoPKM wrote: 90 Points
Drank from Mag- this wine is in a good spot. I agree with the Syrah style Merlot, very good and big in your face fruit. My blind guess would be a 50/50 Syrah/Merlot blend.
I didn't get the heat on this wine. Let breath 1 hour before drinking and drank over 3+ hours with guest.
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7/26/2015 - dolphindoc wrote: 85 Points
Opened 2 hours before dinner, left in the cellar. Decanted at the restaurant. Dark garnet, dark fruits with a pronouned oak overlay. Very " hot " on the nose, serioulsy detracting from the experience I expected. Not helped by the warm ambient temp in the restaurant
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5/17/2015 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a great place today, benefits from 1-2 hours air. Typically Foley style, very fruit-forward with layers of rich dark fruit and depth. Only have one bottle remaining, which I'll mark for 2017, though i imagine this could still have many years ahead of itself.
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5/3/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent wine. Merlot isn't my forte and this drinks like a full bodied syrah (probably restrained for the good Mr Foley). Inky purple, good nose, plush integrated black and blue fruit that still has an edge and probably can go several more years - we decanted about 2 hours. Very long finish. Not sure why I only bought cab & petit syrah in subsequent vintages but would like to have more of this.
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3/2/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious Merlot! Continues to drink beautifully!
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12/20/2014 - absolutvodka wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding as always
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12/4/2014 - budman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow!!!!
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9/12/2014 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth... and ready. Watch for some sediment!!
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5/28/2014 - oenophilemoose wrote: 84 Points
Decanted for over two hours and consumed over the next three. Found plums, prunes and possibly some blueberry on the palate and a very brief finish. Just not my style of merlot.
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5/17/2014 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted half the bottle and followed over 3 hours. Easy drinker right out of the bottle, none of the green notes i found 18 mo's ago. Still pours dark purple, lightened around the rim, nose of heavily toasted oak, cardamom, white pepper, adn a eucalyptus / blackberry blend. Medium weight with a silky mouthfeel, there's tons of black fruit, plum, and a finish that's just really smooth and elegant, but with a bite that reminds you of the straight-forwardness of a Foley. This should drink well for another 2-6 years.
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4/20/2014 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous after 2 hour decant.
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3/12/2014 - Mr T wrote:
PNP with pesto....big beast of wine with super high octane, even drunk straight from cellar...seemed a mix of cherry liquer and some wine...maybe the remaining 3/4 with steak tonight will seem more balanced and pleasant
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2/18/2014 - team-blackburn wrote: 93 Points
This followed my previous note, it kept getting better by the day.
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1/28/2014 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 89 Points
Sorry to be a spoiled sport, but I'm not near as willing as everyone else to give this wine 90+ points. It is very good, tasty and well made, but to my palate is not particularly layered or concentrated, and lacks something on the mid palate. The color is rich dark purple. The nose has oak, but it does not bring out that mocha, chocolate aroma many Napa Merlot's do. There is a minty, green pepper influence to the black cherry and blackberry fruit. Plenty of oak. The tannins and alcohol are about as integrated as they are going to get, while fruit is just starting to fade. I am certain this bottle was properly cellared. We poured through the vinturi and paired with a ribeye. Nice finish of graphite enhanced, minty black cherry.
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12/31/2013 - nortonnose wrote: 93 Points
It's so underrated to revisit some of your previous favorites :) I have always loved Bob Foley's wines. Even after my palate has largely "moved on" to older world subtleties, I was delighted by this. Very rich, dense nose and palate of black fruit and dusty cocoa powder. No detectable heat in this showing. Medium finish. Zero rush to open your next bottle of this. Enjoy!
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12/25/2013 - rmartin Likes this wine: 91 Points
liked this, served Christmas Eve dinner with family. As always Foley wines are a crowd pleaser but geeks can appreciate it too. Very aromatic with nice flavors and silky tannins. good but still has plenty of life
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6/30/2013 - WinePT wrote: 90 Points
Big, rich dark fruit, chocolate notes, some spice. Tasted from decanter over 2 hours.
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5/8/2013 - skibum819 Likes this wine: 92 Points
this was a wonderful surprise. It was showing fantastic. Rich and full bodied, mocha, chocolate and coffee notes and a rich full bodied texture. I am glad I have 2 more.
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4/21/2013 - jdbcolumbus wrote: 91 Points
Decanted an hour. Big sweet nose of blackberry, black cherry and chocolate liquor. Full bodied fruit, chocolate and major alcohol on the palate. Soft tannins and alcohol on the finish. What I expect from a Foley Merlot.
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9/7/2012 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for air and immediately consumed, over 2 hours. Now this tastes like a merlot with Cab Franc notes - the most modest green notes early-on which quickly fade along with some pepper and spice. Medium-to-light in weight as is common with the vintage, nice dark fruit but not long-lasting. 3+ hours after opening the wine has lost much of its backbone, leading me to believe that a decant will be detrimental in the coming years.
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6/8/2012 - RockinCabs wrote: 90 Points
Nose: Massive Cherry, Blackberry and Bakers Chocolate. Literally chocolate covered berries with some oak notes on the nose. Plate: Rich and loaded with fruit. Blueberry, Blackberry, Ripe Cherry and supple chocolaty notes. The Midpalate is dense and grows with air, but the wine shows its heat. Finish: More of the same. Slightly tannic, but not overbearing. Had this one with pulled pork sliders at Post 390.
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4/22/2012 - awineo Likes this wine: 90 Points
I love Foley's wines. His merlot is very extracted and tastes more like a cab than many cabs but with a great mid palate. I have had numerous mags of this wine but this one was a little backward. Probably just timing. Still drank great.
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11/25/2011 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful blackberry and black cherry aromas and flavors with chocolate and subtle oaky notes. Delicious with Chicago style deep dish pizza!
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9/18/2011 - Fishboy wrote: 90 Points
Similar notes
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8/30/2011 - wino31 wrote: 93 Points
Consistently delicious bottle of wine.
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3/20/2011 - shk5157 wrote: 89 Points
big fruit, but not overly complex. Probably should have aged longer
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3/2/2011 - wino31 wrote: 94 Points
Great juice. Nearly black in color, awesome nose of fruits, cocoa and earth. Poured and tasted without decanting; wine was excellent and just got better over two hours. Very long finish.
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2/28/2011 - shk5157 wrote: 90 Points
huge berry, albeit not as complex as some Pride Merlot offerings
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2/17/2011 - team-blackburn wrote: 91 Points
A fantastic merlot, silky smooth with firm tannins. A bit hot right out of the bottle, but with two hours of decanting it was well integrated. Even better on day 2.
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1/31/2011 - wino31 wrote: 93 Points
Typically outstanding Foley. Opened at restaurant; a bit tight in the absence of decanting, but drinking great after 20 minutes of swirling in glass. huge fruit, long finish.
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1/17/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Makes you not realize you are drinking a merlot.
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12/7/2010 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Big and bold. Smooth mouthfeel, with firm tannins. Yum.
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9/4/2010 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
I really like this wine. A very big and bold highly extracted Merlot with beautiful notes of candied black fruit with velvety tannins and long finish with. Easy to enjoy on its own.
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8/7/2010 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and consumed over3.5 hours. Right out of the bottle this tasted much more like a syrah than a merlot - lots of pepper and spice, felt like syrup in the mouth. Some of the syrah notes remain on the nose after several hours, but the fruit has toned-down and the wine is (only slightly) softer, but still very young. This is dramatically different than the bottle I had 6 months ago, and still needs several more years to come to its own
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7/30/2010 - mjsherwin68 wrote: 91 Points
This was a yummy merlot. A little more cabernet fruity than most merlots. Also got a smoke and toasted oak on the nose. Tannins were very smooth and would buy again. My wife like this and was suprised that it was a merlot, in a positve way.
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6/22/2010 - Fishboy wrote: 90 Points
Really nice merlot with with blue and black fruit, anise, and currants. Almost bordeaux like in some ways. Still very young.
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4/2/2010 - pifcho wrote: 90 Points
This was well liked. Still rather primary and oaky, there is good material underneath and the wine is very well balanced. Not a fruit bomb, as I had expected, there are interesting white pepper and bitter almond flavors on the palate which make this intriguing. Smooth texture and nice structure. The oak is present, but not obtrusive and I believe that it will integrate well with time. Medium+ finish. Not very complex at this stage. This drinks like a good California / Bordeaux blend and I like it. Probably a little overpriced for what it is.
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1/24/2010 - davidandrose wrote:
2 hour decant and drunk from Somm stems. All the garlic and sugar smells in the kitchen kind of mask the nose on this wine, which was enjoyable upon opening with the finest-grained tanins adding some depth. The 2 hour decant has the tanins melt into the juice, which is well balanced blue fruit with a little blackberry to boot. This is an outstanding merlot, definately from California, but with a slightly softer and more approachable profile that's typical of the vintage.
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12/30/2009 - budman wrote: 91 Points
I think this needs some time to come together.
It's very good now, but will improve with time.
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12/20/2009 - pgm wrote: 90 Points
A nice, firm merlot, with cherry, raspberry, and nice plum notes tonight, and cocoa. Some herbal spice notes give it class. 90+
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10/15/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Restaurant purchase for group dinner (Cut-LV), generally pop and pour. Showed nice balance and mouthfeel. Dark fruit showcasing currants, blackberry, plum, some spices in a package that's medium in weight with a silky mouthfeel. Not a shy wine, but certainly not overpowering.
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8/27/2009 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Inky purple. Definitely the boldest merlot I have ever had. Interesting herb/sage on the nose and palate, but not at all vegetal. A little pepper and spice almost reminiscent of petite syrah or zinfandel. Definitely fits the ripe, Foley style.
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7/23/2009 - hcampana wrote: 87 Points
Very dark ruby color. The nose is packed with candied red fruits. Dense and full to medium bodied, with surprising dash of acidity for such a ripe wine. Very Foleyesque jamminess, but marred by a bit of heat in the finish. This wine seems to have very pleasurable aspects, but is disjointed with the alcohol running a little ahead of the fruit, acid and tannin. I do not have a lot of experience with Foley Merlots, but it seems to me that he has not yet achieved the level of the early Pride Merlots in his own wines. Still, this is a very good wine that I am perhaps been a little hard on due to to the memories of early pride Merlots. It was liked quite a bit by my companions.
Color rubí profundo. La nariz está llena de frutas rojas caramelizadas, obvio producto de la madurez de las uvas al cosechar. Denso, de cuerpo corpulento a medio, con una sorprendente pizca de acidez dada la aparente madurez de la materia prima. Muy Foliesque en la confitura de su fruta, pero exhibe un poco de calor en el terminado. Este vino tiene aspectos muy rescatables como la intensidad frutal y la densidad, pero está un poco desbalanceado porque el alcohol parece adelantado respecto de la fruta, acidez y tanino. No tengo tanta experiencia con los Merlots de Robert Foley Vineyards pero me parece que este excelente enólogo no ha alcanzado el nivel de excelencia que tuvieron los Pride Merlots hechos bajo su tutela. Quizás es por esa remembranza que estoy siendo un poco duro, pues mis acompañantes alabaron el vino.
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6/20/2009 - brian przyzycki wrote: 91 Points
Nice currant and candied black fruit. Well balanced. I kept trying to compare this to Pride Mountain merlot (another Foley wine.) I prefer the Pride but this wine is unique. Enjoyed with grilled pork tenderloin... just cause' I felt like it. Paired well.
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6/13/2009 - pgm wrote: 90 Points
Notes pretty much as before (5/22), but I'm revising my score slightly downward. Drank next to Cougar Crest (WA), which showed more character.
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6/10/2009 - mdstenner wrote: 90 Points
Dark color, and given a two hour decant. Cocoa, plum, dark cherry, oak, black currant, spice on the nose, with plum, dark chocolate, macerated cherries, currant flavors, and a certain woodsiness in the mouth that I can't in down. Betrays some high alcohol as it warms. Grippy tannins, and good background acidity. It's a superbly built and primary wine right now. This was my only bottle. I'd like to have another to try 3-4 years down the line. Promising.
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5/25/2009 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
Lots of coffee on the nose (and coming back on the finish!) and bitter chocolate, too. Cherry fruit, some raspberry candy, a little cassis, and some herbal, green notes, too. This is big but modest at the same time... Not exactly an elegant wine, but it's not overdone in the least.
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5/1/2009 - nvandyk wrote: 92 Points
Nicely made, if a bit pedestrian. Primary use was in a Merlot based blackberry sauce for sorbet and souffle purposes. Since very little is done to cook the alcohol out of the sauce and it is heavy on the Merlot, using a high-quality bottle makes a big difference in outcome. I hope Bob isn't offended! I won't use the Claret for cooking, I promise! :)
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