2000 Chalk Hill Merlot

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 91.3 points

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  4/17/2008 - sleepyhaus wrote: 92 Points

  The last bottle and sad to see it go. This was a wonderful batch of wine. The nose was as perfect as ever, all flowers and crushed red fruit jumping from the glass. The finish was just a bit short as if to say that it was indeed time, and had been drunk at it its peak. Still though, this wine far and away exceeded any expectation that I had had for it.

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  4/9/2008 - sleepyhaus wrote: 90 Points

  Opened after having to pour out an '01 lafarge, so hadn't planned to drink this. Nonetheless, the nose was as beautiful as the other bottles I've had, very perfumed, very lovely, more flowers than anything else. Unfortunately this bottle had a weaker palate than the others, not bad, just not as expressive. Still quite nice and I found myself just inhaling from the last of the glass because the nose was so very nice. I'll say it again, underappreciated and a real steal at the prices this can be found for.

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  3/25/2008 - sleepyhaus wrote: 93 Points

  Having drank several very nice bottles of this wine over the past few months, I was pleasantly surprised to find this the best bottle yet. Popped and poured and realized the tannins were firm and raspy and needed a bit of air to calm down. Some time in the glass and the bottle left open for an hour or so, then the wine started to sing. Gorgeous pure dark ruby, lovely nose of chocolate, a faint hint of mocha. Flavors were sweet but never artificially so. This was the type of merlot experience you get from a really nice right bank bordeaux, but with the California flavor profile. Taste was of bittersweet chocolate and more raspberry ganache than the more common cherry. Firm but fine tannin provided a smoky backdrop to carry through the moderately long finish.
  These bottles are showing some variation, though all have shown well. This bottle is drinking at its peak, but with none of the nod towards eventual retirement that the others had shown. This bottle would have been excellent two years or more from now, I know it. I will continue to drink the rest and track the trend, and I will keep my eye out for well-aged chalk hill merlot, which can be had at auctions for a song, at least relative to the quality.

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  3/24/2008 - Arch57 wrote: 93 Points

  An awesome wine picked out by my 25 year old son for a gift. Had that overall impression of a fine Pomerol. A nice amount of age on this with a wonderful nose of boysenberry and a bit of spice. This wine had a long, smooth 20+ second finish. Very well crafted.

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  3/23/2008 - sleepyhaus wrote: 91 Points

  Nice, drinking very well right now. Now through the end of the year is probably the time to drink this wine.

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