Columbia and Willamette Valley Wine Tasting; 6/8/2023-6/11/2023 (Vancouver, WA and the Willamette Valley, OR): Last tasted 8/27/2021, this wine is aging gracefully. Deep ruby in color, it remains aromatically expressive of Bing cherries, black currants, lavender, allspice, cocoa and savory herbs. Medium-to-full-bodied, freshly acidic, judiciously oaked and without alcoholic heat (14.5%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose, wrapped with plentiful silky-textured tannins. Dense on the middle palate and lengthy on the back end, this is a delicious single-vineyard Merlot that has no rough edges. Tasted from a bottle that had been uncorked approximately one hour prior to sampling at Brian Carter's tasting room in Vancouver, WA. Drink now-2031.
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Visiting Vancouver and the Willamette Valley; 8/26/2021-8/30/2021 (Vancouver, WA and the Willamette Valley, OR): Brian Carter has always felt that blended wines typically can offer more than the sum of their components. However, sometimes in the blending process he will come across a wine that deserves to stand out on its own. This was the case in 2016, when he was impressed with the Merlot that had been sourced from the Willard Family Vineyard in Yakima Valley. Accordingly, it was bottled on its own as part of Carter's "One Selection." Deep-to-opaque ruby in color and aromatically very floral, it flaunts a bouquet of lavender, jasmine, allspice, cocoa and dried herbs, all buttressed with an impressive core of dark cherry and black currant fruit. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, softly oaked, seamlessly alcoholic (14.5%) and with abundant silky tannins, it follows through with flavors that mirror the aromas. Dense on the mid-palate and closing with impressive length, this is a stellar New World Merlot that should have substantial longevity. Drink now-2031.
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6/10/2023 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
Columbia and Willamette Valley Wine Tasting; 6/8/2023-6/11/2023 (Vancouver, WA and the Willamette Valley, OR): Last tasted 8/27/2021, this wine is aging gracefully. Deep ruby in color, it remains aromatically expressive of Bing cherries, black currants, lavender, allspice, cocoa and savory herbs. Medium-to-full-bodied, freshly acidic, judiciously oaked and without alcoholic heat (14.5%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose, wrapped with plentiful silky-textured tannins. Dense on the middle palate and lengthy on the back end, this is a delicious single-vineyard Merlot that has no rough edges. Tasted from a bottle that had been uncorked approximately one hour prior to sampling at Brian Carter's tasting room in Vancouver, WA. Drink now-2031.
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11/27/2021 - Nfmds Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initial nose: raspberry, cherry, anise
Later nose: blueberry, greens, strawberry
Very smooth mouthfeel, mod tannins, long linger
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8/27/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
Visiting Vancouver and the Willamette Valley; 8/26/2021-8/30/2021 (Vancouver, WA and the Willamette Valley, OR): Brian Carter has always felt that blended wines typically can offer more than the sum of their components. However, sometimes in the blending process he will come across a wine that deserves to stand out on its own. This was the case in 2016, when he was impressed with the Merlot that had been sourced from the Willard Family Vineyard in Yakima Valley. Accordingly, it was bottled on its own as part of Carter's "One Selection." Deep-to-opaque ruby in color and aromatically very floral, it flaunts a bouquet of lavender, jasmine, allspice, cocoa and dried herbs, all buttressed with an impressive core of dark cherry and black currant fruit. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, softly oaked, seamlessly alcoholic (14.5%) and with abundant silky tannins, it follows through with flavors that mirror the aromas. Dense on the mid-palate and closing with impressive length, this is a stellar New World Merlot that should have substantial longevity. Drink now-2031.
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