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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.9 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 180 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ikesmith on 10/27/2022 flawed bottle: Corked (676 views) | | | Tasted by mxpbuy on 6/23/2022 & rated 92 points: From Magnum. Big and lush as expected. Plenty of overripe blueberry with some dark chocolate notes; touch of vanilla an blackberries on backend. Very smooth. (949 views) | | | Tasted by BHRH on 5/7/2022 & rated 93 points: Decanted 45 minutes - lots of sludge. Remarkably sweet fruit. No hints of age other than a slight brownish edge. I'll grant you that this is not classic Merlot mocha, etc, but what a delicious, delectable treat this is!! After two hours it started a very slight, slow decline - so don't hesitate if you're fortunate enough to have this wine in your cellar! (1061 views) | | | Tasted by BHRH on 12/30/2021 & rated 91 points: Decanted 30 min. Dark with some browning edges. Dark cherries with cedar and some chocolate notes. Dense currants, a little vanilla and some mocha long, smooth finish with well-integrated tannins. I thought it was a wonderful more mature Right Bank BDX on a long plateau. Wife thought it was on the downhill side... but i get to vote :) 91+ (1277 views) | | | Tasted by wineismylife on 9/15/2019 & rated 93 points: WIML93
Tasted non blind. Tasted from Magnum.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of violets, cassis, plum and a hint of smoke. Flavors of Kirsch, cassis, plum and boysenberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. (2309 views) | | | Tasted by norsktorsk on 2/13/2019 & rated 93 points: This wine is drinking quite well. Wish I had more. If you don't like this then I wonder what it takes. (1982 views) | | | Tasted by hanasowner on 2/9/2019 & rated 88 points: Opened about an hour before consuming...still dark in color, though missing a lot of the richness of a bottle three months ago...flavors were more lacking, though the finish was silky smooth...time to drink up in my opinion. (1823 views) | | | Tasted by hanasowner on 10/27/2018 & rated 94 points: Decanted at the restaurant...pungent dark cherries with some chocolate notes...long, smooth finish with tannins well integrated...in a great place. (1951 views) | | | Tasted by Mscruggs on 9/1/2018 & rated 92 points: Wine continues to show and drink well, still plenty of dark fruit with mocha on the finish. (1916 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 7/20/2017 & rated 91 points: This wine is still in a very good place. Fruit and a touch of chocolate on the nose, the palate is dark cherry, mushroom, tobacco and mocha. A nice long finish makes it most enjoyable. Also there was very little sediment in the bottle as opposed to the 2006 which definitely requires a filter. (2590 views) | | | Tasted by galewskj on 3/12/2017 & rated 92 points: Thirsty Games (Jason's House): Decanted about 15 minutes, mostly for sediment, although there wsan't much. There is a lot going on in this merlot, and it is very accessible. The red fruit is soft and sweet. Strawberry and velvety smooth. (2867 views) | | | Tasted by williamswhine on 1/14/2017 & rated 91 points: Dark burnt garnet hue. Eucalyptus, grassy/Bordeaux-like nose, oak. Sour cherry, smooth, spice, oak, leather. Better second day. (2666 views) | | | Tasted by WineGold on 1/6/2017 & rated 92 points: Lush, plush, red fruit. Strawberries, cherries, bit of oak integrated nicely. Still fruit-forward but much of the structural balance has dissipated over time. There isn't much backbone here in terms of tannin and oak, but it still works because the fruit is still singing. It's an interesting wine. Kind of feminine at this point. Has some Napa Valley dust on the palate too. Drink in the next year or so. (2586 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 10/14/2016 & rated 91 points: We opened let sit for and hour or so and then poured slowly through a vintorio. The nose was fruit, the palate was plum, dark cherry, mushroom and mocha. Long finish. (2676 views) | | | Tasted by wine maestro on 9/24/2016 & rated 91 points: Switchback Merlot Vertical - Dana's Wedding (350 views) | | | Tasted by williamswhine on 6/26/2016 & rated 93 points: Dark inky hue. Floral, eucalyptus nose with sweetness at end. Fuller bodied merlot. Sweet cherry, blueberry, velvet, smooth, drinking great. Drank even better second day. Time to drink. (2240 views) | | | Tasted by Barakahn on 6/12/2016 & rated 91 points: Biggest surprise of this wine...wonderful Bordeaux nose. Second biggest surprise, tasty bright sour cherry overwhelmed all else on palate. Over 1.5hrs in, cherry still dominant, though minerality, leather, and dark chocolate notes began to emerge. Oh, and did I mention the powerful sour cherry... (1832 views) | | | Tasted by zinnut on 5/12/2016 & rated 88 points: I agree with others that this one is losing it. Drink soon. Still enjoyable but in a spiral. (1818 views) | | | Tasted by Hamersly on 5/11/2016 & rated 90 points: Much better than the bottle I had a few months ago, bordering on a 91. Drink up and expect some bottle variation. (1812 views) | | | Tasted by travelme on 5/8/2016 & rated 92 points: My last bottle. Just as good as my previous bottles. Drink them soon if you have them. Highly recommended. Drank this for Mother's Day in honor of the great Barbara Richards of Paloma who unfortunately passed away last month. Their is another angel in heaven. Thanks Barbara for being a wine mother to so many who you invited into your home. You will always be remembered by those who met you. (1612 views) | | | Tasted by Hamersly on 2/2/2016 & rated 88 points: Beginning to come apart, tastes a bit tart and harsh although the nose is still lush and full. Hasn't held up nearly as well as the Merlots from the same era that Bob Foley made for Pride; the Pride fruit was presumably just more age worthy. (1530 views) | | | Tasted by Purple Tooth on 11/8/2015 & rated 92 points: Still has lots of power with lots of red, tart fruit for a Merlot. As I was drinking this, it was obvious that this would have been better with more initial sweetness from youth. Still a very complex and powerful wine with a long, dry finish. A bit disjunct....Drink, don't hold (2081 views) | | | Tasted by galewskj on 6/21/2015 & rated 92 points: Slow o'd for an hour, this seems to be at peak right now. Plush, lots of fruit, well-integrated tannins. It is definitely new world and fruit forward, yet it has a nice balance. (2169 views) | | | Tasted by MJTed on 4/29/2015 & rated 90 points: Plush and round. Plums, cherry and toast. Decent grip but time to drink up. (2113 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 4/12/2015 & rated 92 points: Final bottle, followed over two nights. Needed about 40 mins for some off notes to blow off but was otherwise a nice wine in a very nice place. Final bottle, would drink remaining bottles within the year if I had more. (2185 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2008, IWC Issue #138
(Switchback Ridge Merlot Peterson Family Vineyard Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Switchback Ridge Producer website
Switchback Ridge Wines are sourced exclusively from the Peterson Family Vineyard in Calistoga. The property has been in the Peterson family since 1914 and encompasses nearly 100 acres located at the mouth of Dutch Henry Canyon. For over 75 years the property was primarily maintained as a farm and plum orchard, with vines intermingled amongst the trees. In 1990, the orchards were replanted to vineyard, where there are currently 18 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah vines, in addition to a three acre 50+ year old Petite Sirah block that John Peterson helped plant as a child.MerlotMerlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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