Community Tasting Note
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msuwine wrote: 85 points
May 25, 2021 - This ripe and blowsy Cabernet blend strikes me as confected and over-priced, so please read no further if you're looking for affirmation on a purchase already made. I'm an unapologetic fan of modern Napa Valley, but this is the Valley at its high-end worst, with generic flavor (e.g., fruit, alcohol, tannin, and acidity...check!) but nothing more (e.g., originality, tension, um... no). Maybe this is in a jammy awkward phase, but this second wine tastes like a third one. Pick your adjective - ugh, yuck, sigh - I can't remember another wine that I've more resented the price tag.
Dark purple in color; full in body; nose of Baby Ruth, milk chocolate, and cherry liqueur. Flavors of blueberry pie, Hershey bar, and cherry cola, with a sweet and generic finish (read: if you tasted it in a $15 grocery store wine, you'd be fine; otherwise, no.) I enjoy many Melka wines, but this has way too much vanilla milkshake to be impressive (especially for a mountain wine). Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Decant long enough to drink some (a lot of) good wine first, but probably just wait a few years and hope for the best. 15.4% alcohol.3 people found this helpful 3,968 views
11 Comments
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Mark1npt commented:
5/26/21, 6:35 AM - Lol dude.....how do you really feel?
I just paid $130 for a single bottle 2 weeks ago....now you have me wondering why I did! Brand is obviously a good wine but you gotta wonder if all these places out in Napa are just dumping whatever juice isn't fit for their $400 cabs into an inferior crappy product? I don't mind paying $50-60 for a decent Wed night drinker but don't charge me $130-150 for it! I'll probably try it this weekend....... -
MJP Hou TX commented:
5/26/21, 8:05 AM - Beautifully property and a fun visit but I think with the recent purchase of the property and management changes this might have been to the detriment of the wine. Hopefully they get back on track.
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Mark1npt commented:
5/26/21, 8:13 AM - Ahhh, isn't that always what happens in Napa when there's new owners? You would think, if one is buying a known good quality brand (no pun intended) the new owners would do everything in their power to make sure the good name (and good wine) continued, no?
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msuwine commented:
5/26/21, 3:04 PM - Hey guys, thanks for all the comments. There's nothing like a grumpy tasting note to spark conversation! I added the possibility that I caught this at a jammy moment, but I am usually OK with that kind of wine.
I saw that new ownership came on in 2019, but kept the winemaking team, so who knows which direction it all goes. I love the Pritchard Hill location, though I was surprised to read this wine is from estate fruit located near the winery (it, um, didn't taste like a mountain wine).
Oh well, Mark, I hope you have a better experience with this wine than I did! -
MJP Hou TX commented:
5/26/21, 3:13 PM - I opened a 15 Red Blend and was pretty disappointed upon opening. One dimensional with high heat and acid. Day two was much better. Still at $250 a bottle a bit of a disappointment. Brio 15 was much more pleasant.
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msuwine commented:
5/26/21, 6:54 PM - Interesting. I haven't ever had any other Brand wines, and I bought this as kind of a "tester." Given the price of Brand's wines, I'm kind of glad I didn't like this wine - Pritchard Hill prices are rather unforgiving!
It's interesting, too, since Melka is now consulting on the wines at Nine Suns (as of 2018), a wine I've enjoyed over recent vintages. Between the two, I'm sure there is some argument about "terroir" (my dirt versus my neighbor's dirt), but there has to be some limit. -
Mark1npt commented:
5/26/21, 7:13 PM - Looking forward to trying my bottle in the next week or so.....hope it's better than yours MSU.....
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Mark1npt commented:
5/26/21, 7:16 PM - MJP, sorry to hear of your experience with the '15s.....what has happened to this once proud Brand???
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MJP Hou TX commented:
5/26/21, 7:24 PM - I enjoyed the 15 Brio at $150 more than the PB at $250.
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Mark1npt commented:
5/26/21, 7:27 PM - Pricing is just getting out of control.....I think many people have reached the breaking point.
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MJP Hou TX commented:
5/26/21, 7:53 PM - Especially when it trades now for $100 less and that’s with our massive inflation!