Best wine of the tasting! Number one for three out of four tasters. Nez expressif de réglisse rouge, de fumé, d'épices, d'olives et de notes végétales. Un vin mature aux tannins poussiéreux...umami. Un vin harmonieux, charnu, équilibré et complexe. Encore bien frais pour un 2007. Longue finale quelque peu asséchante sur une pointe d'épices. Merveilleux !
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Wow! What an uninspired wine! True, it’s a wine I’ve kept too long, especially considering it’s only a 375ml bottle. Magenta from rim to core. Nothing spectacular on the nose or palate: some cherry and steeped tea ... that’s about it. Linear and nondescript. Fortunately, not my purchase. No sediment. 14.5% alc. With beef burgers from Table 44. Recommended with reservations.
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Early Jan 2019: dark crimson color; intense and sweet nose of cherries, plum, chocolate and slight vanilla; smooth dark fruits on the palate accompanied by mouth filling mellow tannins; medium/full body.
Excellent Merlot. Based on the amount of tannins encountered this wine should stay another 8-10 years on the current level or even improve 1-2 points.
Tasted in direct comparison to a Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (see tasting note).
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Not going to rate as I think I waited too long on this one. Slight bricking to rim. Initial reaction was disappointment. Just did an '08 not too long ago and it was outstanding. My wife who will tell you she doesn't know anything about wine except if she likes it or not said maybe it will be better tomorrow. Well she was right on that one. Still not what the '08 had going but wat better. Smooth like a merlot should be. Slightly boozy on the finish so was not surprised to see 14.5% on the label. Probably would have been more hidden with fruit 2 years ago. But that also isn't something that offends me either. It's booze for Christ sake. It has alcohol in it. My recommendation is not to wait on this one.
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Deep, dark reddish-purple in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with dark cocoa overtones, leather, earthy, spices, herbs, coffee grounds, minerals, some cedar & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, lush & rich, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries and plums, mocha, earthy, minerals, herbs, spices and a hint of toasty oak & vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but has the potential to develop further with additional aging if cellared properly. Showing quite well at nearly 10 years of age. Previous tasting notes are all over the place on this wine. Is it due to bottle variation or individual storage conditions?
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Nice well made merlot. Bursts of California merlot flavor - red berry, plum, chocolate and tobacco. Lacking the definition and focus of better alternatives.
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Just like the last bottle. Sadly my last bottle. Popped and poured through Vinturi into a decanter and then let it decant for several hours. Excellent nose. A dark crimson/black in color. On the palate, a nice dark red cherry and cigar combo with just a hint of vanilla left an impression on me. Nice smooth and elongated finish. Highly recommended.
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Second bottle. Soft, plush, round. Nice fruit, but not too long or concentrated. Integrated tannins, slightly maturing wine, but the structure is somewhat thin, letting me to believe this is slightly beyond peak. Drink now. Good wine, pleasant, round, but nothing special.
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Best if you decant 2 hours. Soft, plush, round. Nice fruit, but not too long or concentrated. Integrated tannins, slightly maturing wine, but the structure is somewhat thin, letting me to believe this is slightly beyond peak. Drink now. Good wine, pleasant, round, but nothing special.
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Popped and poured through Vinturi into a decanter and then let it decant for several hours. Excellent nose. A dark crimson/black in color. Let it decant and it was singing a sweet tune. On the palate, a nice dark red cherry and cigar combo with just a hint of vanilla left an impression on me. Nice smooth and elongated finish. Glad I have one more left. Highly recommended.
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Opened up immediately -- no decanting required. Agree with previous posters, a 'watery' quality to this wine. Very drinkable, a surprisingly light Cab Sauv. Predominately oak, burnt oak, and spice on the nose and palate. Clean finish, perhaps lingering burnt oak. Fairly straight forward, but its easy 'drinkability' made it pleasant. Drink now, in my opinion this will not hold much past 2014.
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Nose of prunes, plums, hint of vanilla and dark cherry, similar palate fine tannins and acidity quite smooth mouth feel very straight forward went perfectly with lamb burgers
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Per Mælings; 3/24/2013-3/26/2013 (Bjarne sin kåk, Frogner): Aromas of dark berries, ripe fruit, tobacco, vanilla and leather. Light and fruity in the mouth with medium tannins that become more present in the finish. Good wine, but a bit too expensive.
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A very well-structured Merlot with a lovely balance of fruit (blackberry, cassis, hints of wild strawberry), good supporting oak (hints of vanilla and cocoa) and a streak of fresh acid still noticable. Very smooth, but also quite complex.
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Popped & poured during Thanksgiving before dinner. Nose of dark cherry, blackberry & vanilla. Medium palate. Big & fruity, red cherries, blueberries, vanilla & oak. Very lengthy finish. It got better & better as the night went on. Rating is after 4 hrs.
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Excellent Merlot from a great producer, really tasty - Dark, full bodied with a nose of plum, mocha, blackfruit, spice and vanilla, well structured, balanced and complex, sweet, smooth on the palate with terrific length, excellent! (91 Points).
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Absolutely delicious. Full bodied, and rich. Great color. I ordered a few more bottles immediately. Went very well with the Prime Rib dinner we had. More please!
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Very good wine. Took some time to come together after opening but once it did there was lovely dark cherry and ripe strawberry fruit, good integrated acidity, easy going, but non non-existent tannins and nice weight. Lots of secondary layers--wild herbs, tomato leaf, cedar, plum, black raspberry.
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Soft supple cherries red currant with grip and a fair amount of acidity. Fruit shows well. This has more years ahead of it. Also has slight funk and green peppers on the nose. 90+
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Seductive dark rim with a bright ruby red rim with a boisterous mix of aromas bursting from the glass. A great nose of dark cherries, plums, espresso, black olives, violets, cedar, slight touch of sweet tobacco, and wet earth. Concentrated dark fruit flavors on the attack, leading to a lush raspberries meets milk chocolate mid-palate with refreshing acidity that keeps the over cloying sweetness at bay. The finish is a bit herbal, and thin, however the tannins are polished and well integrated. A very concentrated wine where the main objective is elegance, the fruit is kept in check by the great acidity, a mid-bodied effort with great structure.
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A very well-balanced, crowd pleasing merlot. Everyone enjoyed this wine. Good fruit, food-friendly acidity and nice full Napa structure. On par with many of the other tasting notes. Requires careful decanting due to sediment but I generally consider sediment to be a good sign as it often indicates minimal processing. Would buy again for around the $40 price tag.
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Very approachable for a napa cab of this type. Lovely structure and balancing acidity. Nice red fruit up front finishing to overtones of leather, and cedar with hints of spicyness. Very much like wine should taste. Probably not a lot of aging left. Definitely watch for heavy sediment -- decant carefully or watch the bottle end.
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This was much less interesting than at the tasting room, and I suspect it's shut down. Hollow nose, with subtle cherry, plum, and sweet spice. Nice and smooth, and the flavors are all still there, so I hope they rebound with my next bottle.
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From 50ml bottle. Inky ruby. Geraniums and violets dominate the vanillat-sweetened red fruit on the nose. Medium plus bodied, highly extracted raspberries, dark cherries, a touch of bell peppers, leathery tannins, tobacco, and a medium finish. This is a really powerful merlot. 90 nose, 88 palate, so 89.
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This was a very big dissapointment. Very light nose of cherry. Very lacking, nothing special. Not even close to being worth the price. Practically no finish at all.
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Deep purple, spice nose, cedar, dark cherry, pepper, long finish, smooth. This is a somewhat vibrant wine that we had with Spain cuisine. While drinking well now, this could easily cellar another 5 years to 2016+ although I am not certain it would improve.
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Smells like cheap red wine and tastes that way too. This wine is completely generic and way overpriced. This is not the Duckhorn we used to drink ten years ago.
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Really good merlot for a none merlot drinker -- enjoyed it but was overpowered by Lewis Cabernet drank previously -- but a great pop and pour for the money!
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Restaurant purchase with steaks. This bottle was appealing with black cherry notes, and with further air time, coffee and spice. Though not very deep or concentrated, there is good structure, elegance and mouthfeel. Certainly not a qpr selection, particularly at a restaurant mark-up but this was a solid showing.
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Another great bottle of this wine. I seem to have quite a different assessment from several other recent tasters. This is consistently a full, rich, well-structured Merlot. While it's generous and easy to drink, it's no lightweight, innocuous wine (the curse of many Merlots)--there's ample complexity and power.
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This is supposed to be an exceptional wine. Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley has limited production and distribution, but it has a long history of good wines. Going back to 2000, places like the Wine News and the Wine Enthusiast give it 90+ points for each vintage. (Remember though, I’m distrustful of the Wine Enthusiast after it’s 87 points for the Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.) Duckhorn Vineyards is apparently so good, it has a cult following. They must be rich cult members because this bottle costs $54, but I got it on sale for $40.
This bottle has been open for about three hours, and there has been wine in the glass for at least an hour. So it should be open.
It’s pretty dark for a Merlot. It’s about 95% opaque, but the color isn’t dark. It’s ruby in color, and the tall meniscus is sunset purple.
The nose has cantaloupe, cola, eucalyptus, strawberries, and a hint of black pepper.
On the palate are tart green apples, blackberries, cherries, smoke, and it’s kinda juicy. But the juiciness disappears on the dry finish – dry for a merlot.
The texture is quite amazing in its resilience.
In the end, I’m not getting the greatness from this. It’s a good wine, but it’s not $53 or $40 good. I’ve had equally as good for $12. Still, I’ll say 88 points.
Drank in the chaos of my brother's house so couldn't take too seriously. Wasn't overly impressed, seemed to lack concentration and was characterless. Enjoyed the '06 Shingleback the night before more so.
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Third of three bottles in a week. Each bottle has been stellar (family visit). Was going to give it another 92, but decided that if I loved a young Napa Cab this much I'd give it a 93 (latent anti-Merlot bias? : ). A great, well-made wine.
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Opened a second bottle at the request of my guests--who loved the wine. Drank with pea risotto and herb and asiago crusted chicken. Every bit as good as the first bottle. Just lovely.
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One of the nicest DV wines in years. The same person who started the night with a "Sideways" crack about merlot couldn't get enough of this wine. The fruit is lush and expansive, but the cab gives this wine weight and structure in abundance.
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Drinking great for a new release. Smooth, lush and approachable, with fine grained tannins. The fruit offers cherry, plum, cassis with hints of cedar and coffee. The Cab is there in the blend offering backbone and depth. Very good young Merlot!
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I've sampled this vintage 5 times since its release. Upon initial tasting, I was very impressed. I am especially pleased to note that Duckhorn Merlot has finally come roaring back, as it had largely lost its appeal to me since its glory days of the late 90's. Since then, none of the vintages has struck me as particularly memorable, until this one. Although I would not have scored my initial sampling this high, it has been interesting to note that in each sampling over the past few months, the vintage has progressively impressed me, with my 93 score squarely and confidently placed on the most recent (Friday, 6/18/2010, at N9ne Steakhouse in Chicago). Our server brought a caraffe, as he usually does for me, however I was so impressed upon initial out-of-bottle tasting that I declined the decanter. It took little time to open but, in that short time, "open up" simply meant that it went from "very, very good" to "great" in its evolution.
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4/8/2024 - team-blackburn wrote: 90 Points
Still has fairly tight tannins, opened up after an hour decant.
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7/30/2023 - gpcoleman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still good!
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2/14/2023 - Rhythmdoc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Unbelievably, this was still great in 2023
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8/29/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best wine of the tasting! Number one for three out of four tasters.
Nez expressif de réglisse rouge, de fumé, d'épices, d'olives et de notes végétales. Un vin mature aux tannins poussiéreux...umami. Un vin harmonieux, charnu, équilibré et complexe. Encore bien frais pour un 2007. Longue finale quelque peu asséchante sur une pointe d'épices. Merveilleux !
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8/1/2019 - timewithwine wrote:
Wow! What an uninspired wine! True, it’s a wine I’ve kept too long, especially considering it’s only a 375ml bottle. Magenta from rim to core. Nothing spectacular on the nose or palate: some cherry and steeped tea ... that’s about it. Linear and nondescript. Fortunately, not my purchase. No sediment. 14.5% alc. With beef burgers from Table 44. Recommended with reservations.
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1/2/2019 - Fatty Cat wrote: 92 Points
Early Jan 2019: dark crimson color; intense and sweet nose of cherries, plum, chocolate and slight vanilla; smooth dark fruits on the palate accompanied by mouth filling mellow tannins; medium/full body.
Excellent Merlot. Based on the amount of tannins encountered this wine should stay another 8-10 years on the current level or even improve 1-2 points.
Tasted in direct comparison to a Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (see tasting note).
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5/13/2017 - bzukaitis wrote:
Not going to rate as I think I waited too long on this one. Slight bricking to rim. Initial reaction was disappointment. Just did an '08 not too long ago and it was outstanding. My wife who will tell you she doesn't know anything about wine except if she likes it or not said maybe it will be better tomorrow. Well she was right on that one. Still not what the '08 had going but wat better. Smooth like a merlot should be. Slightly boozy on the finish so was not surprised to see 14.5% on the label. Probably would have been more hidden with fruit 2 years ago. But that also isn't something that offends me either. It's booze for Christ sake. It has alcohol in it. My recommendation is not to wait on this one.
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12/26/2016 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with dark cocoa overtones, leather, earthy, spices, herbs, coffee grounds, minerals, some cedar & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, lush & rich, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries and plums, mocha, earthy, minerals, herbs, spices and a hint of toasty oak & vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but has the potential to develop further with additional aging if cellared properly. Showing quite well at nearly 10 years of age. Previous tasting notes are all over the place on this wine. Is it due to bottle variation or individual storage conditions?
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12/22/2016 - MrBubble6 wrote: 52 Points
Drank too late. Thin, better next day.
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10/27/2016 - Luis987 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic w undertones of a wonderful cab
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1/22/2016 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Nice well made merlot. Bursts of California merlot flavor - red berry, plum, chocolate and tobacco. Lacking the definition and focus of better alternatives.
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12/5/2015 - weinmatt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Raspberry, plum, and tomato with a surprisingly solid backbone. Well paired with homemade veal marsala. Drink up!
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6/27/2015 - BrunelloBob wrote: 89 Points
Lost this one in the cellar...Glad I did, wouldn't make a habit of it. Tomato and raspberry. Drink now.
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3/21/2015 - BURGHen Boy wrote: 90 Points
Up front dark fruits backed up with a strong wave of oak and tannin. Boldly styled, right in the drinking range before fruit begins to fade.
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2/21/2015 - maxima wrote: 86 Points
Satiné et assez boisé, surfait et over-rated. Mitigé en ce moment.
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2/7/2015 - travelme Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just like the last bottle. Sadly my last bottle. Popped and poured through Vinturi into a decanter and then let it decant for several hours. Excellent nose. A dark crimson/black in color. On the palate, a nice dark red cherry and cigar combo with just a hint of vanilla left an impression on me. Nice smooth and elongated finish. Highly recommended.
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1/18/2015 - famularoj Likes this wine: 97 Points
Like silk in the mouth. Smooth, the bouquet absolutely fantastic.
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8/17/2014 - KenPlace wrote: 90 Points
Second bottle. Soft, plush, round. Nice fruit, but not too long or concentrated. Integrated tannins, slightly maturing wine, but the structure is somewhat thin, letting me to believe this is slightly beyond peak. Drink now. Good wine, pleasant, round, but nothing special.
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8/1/2014 - vinofan2 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Plum, currant & smoke aromas. Thick tannins drenched with juicy steak flavors. Could easily hold up to another 2 years in the cellar.
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7/18/2014 - KenPlace wrote: 90 Points
Best if you decant 2 hours. Soft, plush, round. Nice fruit, but not too long or concentrated. Integrated tannins, slightly maturing wine, but the structure is somewhat thin, letting me to believe this is slightly beyond peak. Drink now. Good wine, pleasant, round, but nothing special.
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7/4/2014 - travelme Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured through Vinturi into a decanter and then let it decant for several hours. Excellent nose. A dark crimson/black in color. Let it decant and it was singing a sweet tune. On the palate, a nice dark
red cherry and cigar combo with just a hint of vanilla left an impression on me. Nice smooth and elongated finish. Glad I have one more left. Highly recommended.
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6/7/2014 - CabSauv543 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened up immediately -- no decanting required. Agree with previous posters, a 'watery' quality to this wine. Very drinkable, a surprisingly light Cab Sauv. Predominately oak, burnt oak, and spice on the nose and palate. Clean finish, perhaps lingering burnt oak. Fairly straight forward, but its easy 'drinkability' made it pleasant. Drink now, in my opinion this will not hold much past 2014.
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2/15/2014 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
Tannin has really softened and fruit has darkened since the last bottle. Still a nice merlot, but Drink up.
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12/9/2013 - bdisk1235 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic, well-rounded wine.
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11/28/2013 - jefe-alto wrote: 90 Points
Good color and nose, with great body. Pleased even our finicky cab drinking friends. Drinking well now.
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9/18/2013 - JS199 wrote: 88 Points
A weak merlot from a great vintage. Drank over 3 hours and it never really came together, disjointed and thin.
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7/1/2013 - tfharris Likes this wine: 86 Points
I love duckhorn merlot, but this one did not measure up. Felt that it was kind of dull and almost watered down.
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5/31/2013 - ajweststeyn wrote:
Wonderful bottle!
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5/24/2013 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 89 Points
Consistent with previous experience
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5/24/2013 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose of prunes, plums, hint of vanilla and dark cherry, similar palate fine tannins and acidity quite smooth mouth feel very straight forward went perfectly with lamb burgers
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4/19/2013 - tfharris Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very elegant and bolder than most Merlots. Got better with decanting. I wish i had more!
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4/11/2013 - carlsport Likes this wine: 89 Points
Red and purple fruits. Some vanilla/oak. Pleasant.
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4/8/2013 - The Wine Sherpa wrote: 89 Points
Nicer than the first bottle. Classic fruit. Was a little tight but opended nicely over time.
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4/6/2013 - JoeB300 wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful wine opened for 2 hours and it smoothed out nicely.
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3/26/2013 - EndreS wrote: 87 Points
Per Mælings; 3/24/2013-3/26/2013 (Bjarne sin kåk, Frogner): Aromas of dark berries, ripe fruit, tobacco, vanilla and leather. Light and fruity in the mouth with medium tannins that become more present in the finish. Good wine, but a bit too expensive.
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3/22/2013 - The Vinsider Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very well-structured Merlot with a lovely balance of fruit (blackberry, cassis, hints of wild strawberry), good supporting oak (hints of vanilla and cocoa) and a streak of fresh acid still noticable. Very smooth, but also quite complex.
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2/27/2013 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice noe of blue fruit, some plums and hints of vanilla, similar palate with a smooth mouth feel and a nice finish
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2/14/2013 - rjdoan Likes this wine: 92 Points
A great merlot. Nice dark color. Good nose with dark fruit. Mild tannins, good complexity in the mouth.
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12/1/2012 - tfharris wrote: 88 Points
Found it to be pretty regular merlot, not what i had hoped for.
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11/22/2012 - vinniemontoni wrote: 93 Points
Popped & poured during Thanksgiving before dinner. Nose of dark cherry, blackberry & vanilla. Medium palate. Big & fruity, red cherries, blueberries, vanilla & oak. Very lengthy finish. It got better & better as the night went on. Rating is after 4 hrs.
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11/17/2012 - Tarrant wrote: 91 Points
Excellent Merlot from a great producer, really tasty - Dark, full bodied with a nose of plum, mocha, blackfruit, spice and vanilla, well structured, balanced and complex, sweet, smooth on the palate with terrific length, excellent! (91 Points).
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10/20/2012 - bradsamuel wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely delicious. Full bodied, and rich. Great color. I ordered a few more bottles immediately. Went very well with the Prime Rib dinner we had. More please!
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9/29/2012 - eoinhharkins wrote: 90 Points
Solid well made merlot nice fruit good structure and a reasonable finish
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3/27/2012 - Yack Man wrote: 86 Points
Nice color with modest depth, oak … I’m not excited with this overpriced merlot. There are better merlots out there.
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3/9/2012 - The Vinsider wrote: 91 Points
Very good wine. Took some time to come together after opening but once it did there was lovely dark cherry and ripe strawberry fruit, good integrated acidity, easy going, but non non-existent tannins and nice weight. Lots of secondary layers--wild herbs, tomato leaf, cedar, plum, black raspberry.
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2/26/2012 - rjohns57 wrote: 92 Points
Drank like a cab
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2/21/2012 - Dacronboy1 wrote: 90 Points
Very rich. Dark burgundy color. Bold with no tannin. Love this wine.
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2/18/2012 - wineguy58 wrote: 90 Points
Soft supple cherries red currant with grip and a fair amount of acidity. Fruit shows well. This has more years ahead of it. Also has slight funk and green peppers on the nose. 90+
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1/29/2012 - Lee Fining wrote: 85 Points
Tannins dominate this wine.
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12/9/2011 - GoodfellaWizeguy wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1 hr. As others have mentioned, there was sediment. Fruit forward with good acidity and a medium finish.
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11/3/2011 - QSilver wrote: 88 Points
Last bottle of the 2007 Merlot for us. Not quite as good as we remembered.
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10/21/2011 - Gobi wrote: 91 Points
Seductive dark rim with a bright ruby red rim with a boisterous mix of aromas bursting from the glass. A great nose of dark cherries, plums, espresso, black olives, violets, cedar, slight touch of sweet tobacco, and wet earth. Concentrated dark fruit flavors on the attack, leading to a lush raspberries meets milk chocolate mid-palate with refreshing acidity that keeps the over cloying sweetness at bay. The finish is a bit herbal, and thin, however the tannins are polished and well integrated. A very concentrated wine where the main objective is elegance, the fruit is kept in check by the great acidity, a mid-bodied effort with great structure.
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10/9/2011 - toddmk wrote: 90 Points
A very well-balanced, crowd pleasing merlot. Everyone enjoyed this wine. Good fruit, food-friendly acidity and nice full Napa structure. On par with many of the other tasting notes. Requires careful decanting due to sediment but I generally consider sediment to be a good sign as it often indicates minimal processing. Would buy again for around the $40 price tag.
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10/4/2011 - BrunelloBob wrote: 91 Points
Sweet cedar, cherry, awesome tannins. A real nice merlot, my style.
Maybe half a point better on Day 2. Watch the shmutz.
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9/20/2011 - Kenmarchant wrote: 91 Points
Very approachable for a napa cab of this type. Lovely structure and balancing acidity. Nice red fruit up front finishing to overtones of leather, and cedar with hints of spicyness. Very much like wine should taste. Probably not a lot of aging left. Definitely watch for heavy sediment -- decant carefully or watch the bottle end.
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9/17/2011 - Porchino wrote: 89 Points
Big merlot
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9/15/2011 - chriskfla wrote: 90 Points
opens up in about an hour to reveal excellent nose, big tannins for a merlot, leather, dark fruit, long finish. beautiful.
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9/10/2011 - Tudz Drkl wrote:
This was good. Deep red fruits, well structured with food friendly acidity... It went so fast I have no notes.
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7/11/2011 - Chriskrueger wrote: 89 Points
Pretty thin, but finished strong.
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7/3/2011 - 1NYCGUY wrote: 90 Points
Good everyday drinking merlot
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5/23/2011 - flying_wineau wrote: 87 Points
This was much less interesting than at the tasting room, and I suspect it's shut down. Hollow nose, with subtle cherry, plum, and sweet spice. Nice and smooth, and the flavors are all still there, so I hope they rebound with my next bottle.
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5/14/2011 - wineotim wrote: 83 Points
Almost imperceptible nose, fleshy, plummy and light palate, nothing remarkable here. Disappointing, tasted at B-21.
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5/8/2011 - DNABog wrote: 80 Points
QUite dissapointing. Terribly tight, unfriendly even with steak. No balance, no fun.
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4/30/2011 - merryberry wrote: 89 Points
From 50ml bottle. Inky ruby. Geraniums and violets dominate the vanillat-sweetened red fruit on the nose. Medium plus bodied, highly extracted raspberries, dark cherries, a touch of bell peppers, leathery tannins, tobacco, and a medium finish. This is a really powerful merlot. 90 nose, 88 palate, so 89.
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3/14/2011 - CTmark wrote: 87 Points
This was a very big dissapointment.
Very light nose of cherry.
Very lacking, nothing special. Not even close to being worth the price.
Practically no finish at all.
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3/5/2011 - Steve Brickley wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple, spice nose, cedar, dark cherry, pepper, long finish, smooth. This is a somewhat vibrant wine that we had with Spain cuisine. While drinking well now, this could easily cellar another 5 years to 2016+ although I am not certain it would improve.
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3/3/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 87 Points
California Night (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Overdone. One dimensional. Not loving this. Super over rated. Pass.
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3/1/2011 - EmilyE wrote: 85 Points
Generous rating
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2/26/2011 - The Wine Sherpa wrote: 87 Points
Did not open up as much as I would have liked after Vintiuri. Strikes me as over priced. Cherry on the nose and attack.
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2/12/2011 - Hawk94 wrote: 90 Points
Fruity nose, dark red, fresh and young, good acidity, silky tannin, soft, medium finish. A few years cellaring will make it better.
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2/12/2011 - Teafan wrote: 91 Points
Soft and inviting. Jam berry fig. Slight anise. Subtle velvet oak finish
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1/29/2011 - bowmanbc wrote: 90 Points
very nice - good fruit, smooth at the end. not as complex as I'd like for the price ($30), but still a good bottle of wine.
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1/25/2011 - Pedroel wrote: 88 Points
Good depth and flavor, without anything special to make it worth $42; worth about half that. The finish was especially lacking.
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12/19/2010 - winejnky wrote: 84 Points
Smells like cheap red wine and tastes that way too. This wine is completely generic and way overpriced. This is not the Duckhorn we used to drink ten years ago.
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11/14/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 89 Points
Really good merlot for a none merlot drinker -- enjoyed it but was overpowered by Lewis Cabernet drank previously -- but a great pop and pour for the money!
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11/2/2010 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherry, currant and mineral nose. Full, warming and graceful palate with a long, toasty finish.
4/5
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11/2/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 91 Points
This is just such a complete Merlot, and the consistency from bottle to bottle has been excellent. Excellent weight and structure. Love it!
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10/24/2010 - gmbdds wrote: 90 Points
Restaurant purchase with steaks. This bottle was appealing with black cherry notes, and with further air time, coffee and spice. Though not very deep or concentrated, there is good structure, elegance and mouthfeel. Certainly not a qpr selection, particularly at a restaurant mark-up but this was a solid showing.
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10/14/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 86 Points
West Coast Tasting (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Good. Kinda boring but decent chocolate action. Standard. Not my favorite.
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9/24/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 92 Points
Another great bottle of this wine. I seem to have quite a different assessment from several other recent tasters. This is consistently a full, rich, well-structured Merlot. While it's generous and easy to drink, it's no lightweight, innocuous wine (the curse of many Merlots)--there's ample complexity and power.
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9/20/2010 - thelinebreak wrote: 88 Points
This is supposed to be an exceptional wine. Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley has limited production and distribution, but it has a long history of good wines. Going back to 2000, places like the Wine News and the Wine Enthusiast give it 90+ points for each vintage. (Remember though, I’m distrustful of the Wine Enthusiast after it’s 87 points for the Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.) Duckhorn Vineyards is apparently so good, it has a cult following. They must be rich cult members because this bottle costs $54, but I got it on sale for $40.
This bottle has been open for about three hours, and there has been wine in the glass for at least an hour. So it should be open.
It’s pretty dark for a Merlot. It’s about 95% opaque, but the color isn’t dark. It’s ruby in color, and the tall meniscus is sunset purple.
The nose has cantaloupe, cola, eucalyptus, strawberries, and a hint of black pepper.
On the palate are tart green apples, blackberries, cherries, smoke, and it’s kinda juicy. But the juiciness disappears on the dry finish – dry for a merlot.
The texture is quite amazing in its resilience.
In the end, I’m not getting the greatness from this. It’s a good wine, but it’s not $53 or $40 good. I’ve had equally as good for $12. Still, I’ll say 88 points.
http://thelinebreak.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/in-pursuit-of-the-juiciest-wine-day-fifty-five-duckhorn-merlot-2007/
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9/13/2010 - hutch wrote: 89 Points
Rich, young wine. Nice structure. This may be expensive and is able to sell itself on the label, but it's still a good wine. 89+
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8/22/2010 - lumpyelbow wrote: 86 Points
Drank in the chaos of my brother's house so couldn't take too seriously. Wasn't overly impressed, seemed to lack concentration and was characterless. Enjoyed the '06 Shingleback the night before more so.
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8/14/2010 - BigBoy_Sonoma wrote: 85 Points
Blackberries, fig, cherry with cedar an hints of smokey oak tannins. This wine is a B.
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8/1/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 93 Points
Third of three bottles in a week. Each bottle has been stellar (family visit). Was going to give it another 92, but decided that if I loved a young Napa Cab this much I'd give it a 93 (latent anti-Merlot bias? : ). A great, well-made wine.
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7/31/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 90 Points
One of the nicest Merlots in years -- very good -- popped and poured and it drank great!
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7/24/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 92 Points
Opened a second bottle at the request of my guests--who loved the wine. Drank with pea risotto and herb and asiago crusted chicken. Every bit as good as the first bottle. Just lovely.
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7/24/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 92 Points
One of the nicest DV wines in years. The same person who started the night with a "Sideways" crack about merlot couldn't get enough of this wine. The fruit is lush and expansive, but the cab gives this wine weight and structure in abundance.
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7/19/2010 - GrapeApe808 wrote:
Good Merlot, just way too ripe and sweet for my palate.
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6/24/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 91 Points
Drinking great for a new release. Smooth, lush and approachable, with fine grained tannins. The fruit offers cherry, plum, cassis with hints of cedar and coffee. The Cab is there in the blend offering backbone and depth. Very good young Merlot!
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6/20/2010 - VJX900 wrote: 93 Points
I've sampled this vintage 5 times since its release. Upon initial tasting, I was very impressed. I am especially pleased to note that Duckhorn Merlot has finally come roaring back, as it had largely lost its appeal to me since its glory days of the late 90's. Since then, none of the vintages has struck me as particularly memorable, until this one. Although I would not have scored my initial sampling this high, it has been interesting to note that in each sampling over the past few months, the vintage has progressively impressed me, with my 93 score squarely and confidently placed on the most recent (Friday, 6/18/2010, at N9ne Steakhouse in Chicago). Our server brought a caraffe, as he usually does for me, however I was so impressed upon initial out-of-bottle tasting that I declined the decanter. It took little time to open but, in that short time, "open up" simply meant that it went from "very, very good" to "great" in its evolution.
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6/12/2010 - wineguy58 wrote: 88 Points
still young. cherries and tannic oak needs a year to settle
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5/11/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 89 Points
Sweetish, with coffee aromas. Like the SB, fine for what it is, nothing more. 89-90
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5/3/2010 - castle2 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not as good as previous vintages
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3/27/2010 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very well now, recommended. We had it at Boulevard's in SF.
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3/15/2010 - Carl Thoma Likes this wine: 88 Points
Solid Merlot, lost of fruit, pleasant but not overly complex..
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