2011 Cupcake Vineyards Merlot

Community Tasting Notes (6) Median Score: 82 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Mike Kopanski's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/30/2014 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 86 Points

  This is one of those wines that sneaks up on you. The nose makes you think is is going to be a one dimensional fruit bomb, and even the first sip is soft and easy drinking, tending to make you think about underrating it. Then the mid palate and finish reveal a superbly balanced, though not terribly concentrated perfectly acceptable value priced Merlot. Nice expressive blueberry and boysenberry fruit. Some secondary flavors like cocoa bean, pistachio, mild green pepper and graphite. The acid is sneaky adequate. The finish is dried crushed blueberry with a touch of plum. With a little more umph, this wine could score several points higher.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View bianca15's profile
  • Report Issue

  10/15/2014 - bianca15 wrote: 85 Points

  Not bad for the price. A smooth simple Merlot. Fruity, not complex. But what do you expect for this price.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View TWDummy's profile
  • Report Issue

  7/11/2014 - TWDummy Does not like this wine: 50 Points

  Ruby in color with light aromas of green bean, green pea and cranberry. On the palate - dry with medium acidity and highly tannic to the point of astringency. Medium bodied with flavors of green bean, raspberry, vanilla, red cherry and charred wood. Nano finish. A good example of clumsily made wine from high-production, low-quality fruit. Coastal CA. 2011 had an unusually cool ripening season giving this severely under-ripe Merlot its vegetal through-line. Astringent, unpleasant wine - total green bean bomb. At $8 a bottle the only oak this wine would have cuddled up with would have been cheap, charred oak chips. I would not recommend. There are plenty of decent, albeit simple, red wines out there in the $6 to $10 range.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Appreciative's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/2/2014 - Appreciative Likes this wine:

  Aromas of blackberry to the point of blackberry pancake syrup and some lighter red fruit ones of strawberry, cherry, and currant. Easy drinking and a little light on the finish. Pleasant mouthfeel and food friendly.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View lovanc@outlook.com's profile
  • Report Issue

  10/27/2013 - lovanc@outlook.com wrote:

  Jammy, oaky with no tannic balance.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 6 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.