10/30/2023 - jrt Likes this wine:

Enjoyed on a camp out with friends while eating venison bourguignon. Amazing value and drinking youthfully 15 years in. There is a purity and freshness to this wine that makes it almost Burgundian at the cooler temperature at which we were drinking it. Fortunately I have many more bottles to enjoy over the years to come.

9/25/2023 - jrt Likes this wine:

Superb. Still youthful. Everything I love about this producer.

7/8/2023 - jrt Likes this wine:

I have only once before judged a wine a perfect 100. I am unable to think of how this wine could be improved in any way. At 20-years old it is fully mature, but still youthful and can go another 20-years at least. It is everything you could want in a classic Bordeaux in terms of fruit, structure, depth, acidity, freshness and sex appeal. Decanted 1 1/2 hours and drank over the next two. Happily I have plenty more of this and purchased a case for my first son when he was born in 2003.

4/14/2023 - jrt wrote:

A perfectly horrid, over alcoholic and over extracted monstrosity of a wine.

3/26/2023 - jrt Likes this wine:

Decanted one hour from magnum. This was worth waiting for and is at a magnificent point in its development now. I purchased quite a lot of this one upon release and have been checking on its development over the years. It’s evolution was not always smooth, and it was not always so pleasant to drink. I wish I had held them all this long as it is so great right now. My general thinking on Merry Edwards is that they need 8 years to really find themselves and are built for the long haul beyond that. This wine has the legs to go the distance.

12/24/2022 - jrt Does not like this wine:

This was an annoyingly disappointing wine. I had head great things about the winemaker who is primarily associated with raising dolcetto-based wines to superb levels of quality and sophistication. This is her barbara-based wine. She releases her wine when they have some extended years of cellaring in them. This 2014 was purchased at the Wardroom in Easton which champions her wine.

Having said all that, this was an acidic, tannic wine without the fruit to balance it out. It did open up some, and become more approachable, but I would not care to drink it again.

10/8/2022 - jrt Does not like this wine:

I regret that I am a dissenting voice to the other reviewers at this stage. Having enjoyed the wine very much at a tasting at the winery in Tuscany I had purchased these bottles through the wine club. I found the wine overly acidic, fruitless and listless. Not at all as I remembered it at the tasting, Presuming that the wine is just at a difficult stage developmentally, I shall cellar the rest of my bottles for several years and see what time brings us. I have also bought the 2019 and look forward to a comparison when that arrives in the near future.

7/10/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

This is really singing. It was wonderful straight after opened and only got better and better with the decant. Fully mature and showing wonderful fruit, structure and balance. Everything you would want in a CA Syrah.

5/25/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

In a really great place now. I'm glad I held most of my bottles. It is a classic Graves, tremendous purity and elegance in medium weight body. Shows how great wine can be made in imperfect years.

5/25/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

I opened a bottle of my case out of curiosity and was surprised by how well it is drinking at an early stage. Its going to be magnificent and is very approachable and enjoyable now.

5/23/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

At a great place now. I wish I had more. Excellent QPR. A more fully extracted Burgundy that some, and beautifully integrated now.

5/23/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. A marvelously classic Pommard on the lighter side. Elegant, fresh, complete.

4/20/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

I opened this by mistake and would have held several more years. It is delightful right now, reminding me of a well extracted pinot. Its a good wine. There is a slight tartness and tannic kick in the aftertaste that will mellow out with aging. I wish I had more.

4/18/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

I take it back. My last review four years ago was unfavorable. Either it was a bad bottle, or the wine was in a dead stage of development. I drank another bottle last night and it gave great pleasure with good fruit and structure. It will benefit from further cellaring.

4/3/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

A very enjoyable Bordeaux from an ordinary year. My note from 2019 was less enthusiastic, but I stand corrected, as with some more years in the bottle it has come into its own. I enjoyed it so much that I am going to look for more. Having said that, it is an ordinary and not a blockbuster wine of the sort that I love to drink.

1/1/2022 - jrt Likes this wine:

Superb. Year of life left. Modern style.

11/29/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

I have previously written disparagingly about the ME 2010 vintage as being a very rare, less successful one for this producer. And I write this from the perspective of buying these wines every year since the 2005 vintage.

But I have changed by mind. I now think that this vintage just needed more time. And remember, these wines are built to last, even if they are approachable quite young. You only need to look at their dark, fully extracted color, to know that there is longevity in them.

I drank this wine from magnum after a decant. It is drinking magnificently now, and will last for years to come. It it not the most fruit forward vintage, but enough there, and plenty else going on, with a long finish, solid tannic backbone and good structure. If you can find it, enjoy it.

7/16/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

Popper and poured. I'd say its in a good place now and gave great pleasure. Good value too.

6/20/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

This was drunk with great pleasure over a three hour period after a short decant. The wine is fully mature and I doubt it will evolve much further. An elegant exercise is restrain, sometimes Barolo reminds me of Pinot Noir, and I love pinot noir.

5/26/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

I did not mean to age this so long, but it really benefitted and is drinking superbly now. Amazing value.

5/22/2021 - jrt wrote:

A very solid well build Burgundy. Everything you would want is there and a great value. Its fine now, but I will probably hold the rest of my bottles a couple more years.

4/11/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

Drinking amazingly well with some age in it, a slight sweetness comes through, balanced with good acidity. Best not too cold to appreciate the full palate.

4/5/2021 - jrt wrote:

Given the magnificence of their reds and roses I was curious to see what Tempier would do with a white. It is a pleasant enough bone dry wine, but certainly no where near worth the price.

4/5/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

A light and elegant Barolo, more akin to drinking a pinot noire than a cab. But plenty going on and it should not disappoint.

4/5/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

My first of 12 bottles. It looks like its a very obscure producer given the paucity of reviews. I thought it a well made and enjoyable effort, on the bigger side of Barolo with a solid tannic structure and enough fruit to balance it out. It drinks well, but on the young side, and either hang on for a few years or give a good decant.

3/24/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

The first time I have had a 100% merlot from this excellent producer. It's a full bodied offering with enough fruit and structure for the long haul. I won't try another bottle for five years as I have plenty of their other wines that are well aged in my cellar. It's high in alcohol at almost 15%, and while it does not have a hot taste, I prefer my wines with a little less. They only made 50 cases, so I am probably writing this note for myself only, but good work Trespass team!

2/6/2021 - jrt wrote:

Drinking well. Lovely effort. In a good place now.

1/22/2021 - jrt Does not like this wine:

Tight, acidic, introverted, it gives little pleasure at this stage. Billed as a wine to be drunk young, I am left wondering what it will become with some further age? 14 bottles left to go.

1/18/2021 - jrt Likes this wine:

Worth waiting for. In a great place now.

11/5/2020 - jrt Likes this wine:

Needed a little time, and worked best with food, but this is exactly the kind of wine that I love. Its dark, structured, a little acidic, with tons of fruit.

10/26/2020 - jrt wrote:

A weaker showing from a great chateau. It's still enjoyable but a terrible value.

10/26/2020 - jrt wrote:

Only Gruaud Larose could succeed in making a harsh, thin, austere wine in perfect growing conditions.

8/25/2020 - jrt Likes this wine:

I buy at least two cases of this wine each year when released and truly love the style of this very individualistic approach to SB. I really enjoy a SB imbued with tropical tones that is one the drier side.

These wines do benefit from some aging, and three years in, the 2017 is just coming together beautifully. Great job Merry!

7/27/2020 - jrt Likes this wine:

I am a lot more positive on this wine (drunk from magnum) than the other reviewers. It is mature but will, for sure, last up to another decade. I decanted it (some moderate sediment) and it took about 90 minutes to hit its stride coming up from cellar temperature. Good work Constant on another great Syrah.

5/24/2020 - jrt Likes this wine:

We have worked our way through a case of this wine and it has given much pleasure as a quaffable summer wine of superior quality. It is slightly off-dry with both mineralogy and tropical fruits.

4/15/2020 - jrt Does not like this wine:

A simply horrid wine. I have been patient with it, giving it time to find itself and integrate. But there is nothing there, all tannin and acid with no fruit, no structure, zero charm. The worst wine I have had in a long time.

4/13/2020 - jrt Likes this wine:

This was drunk with much pleasure, though I will probably keep my other bottles a couple more years to see how the further integration of the tannins will add complexity. It is a full flavored pinot, dark in character, but enough fruit and tannin to sustain.

4/6/2020 - jrt Likes this wine:

Double decanted and allowed to breathe two hours. I will hold my remaining bottled for several more years. Even at 12 years this is still an infant and needs time to come together. There is a lot going on, and it is approachable, but with the amount of fruit and tannins it needs time.

3/30/2020 - jrt wrote:

A lot has changed with this wine since I last tried it in 2016. It is now at the beginning of its drinking window. This is exactly they type of Bordeaux-blend that I enjoy, not overly huge or fruity, but plenty going on. A real food wine. It will, for sure, continue to evolve beneficially over the next ten years.

10/23/2019 - jrt wrote:

It's drinking well now, tannins are soft and nothing offends. Having said that, there is not a lot going on here, not much fruit and precious little structure, but will serve as an every day wine.

9/2/2019 - jrt Likes this wine:

I think this is going to be a splendid Rioja, in time. It actually gives a lot of pleasure now with good fruit and structure, but has not fully come together yet. As I have 11 more bottles, I will let them slumber for at least 2-3 more years before trying again.

7/1/2019 - jrt wrote:

I concur with other reviewers, that this wine is still young and needs more years of bottle age. Having said that, and looking through the fact that it is not fully showings its stuff, I would not say this is anymore than a sold Bordeaux. Its definitely not worth $2,000. I would go for Smith Haut Lafitte, just as good and reasonably affordable.

7/1/2019 - jrt Likes this wine:

Drank from magnum after double decant and an hour of breathing. My previous magnum was flawed, so I was very happy that this one was in perfect condition. This is Burgundy at its best.

6/30/2019 - jrt Likes this wine:

I very rarely rate a wine so highly. It has hard to find the words for how much I love this wine. It's not massive by West Coast pinot standards, but has a full profile. This best I can do is to say it is complete, everything you would want, fruit, tannin, structure, sense of terroir and amazingly elegant. Unlike some I could mention (ok then, Kistler), this is actually fully worth the $100 price tag.

6/7/2019 - jrt Does not like this wine:

There is no greater fan of Merry Edwards than me, and I have more of her wine in my cellar, by far, than any other producer. Having said that, some years, such as 2012, there is magic in every offering, even down to the budget Russian River blend. And rarely, in years such as 2010, everything disappoints. That is is case with this wine - very little fruit, tannic even after 9 years, and little charm or structure. If you have this wine and didn't like it, please don't give up on Merry Edwards.

3/29/2019 - jrt Likes this wine:

This has settled into a pleasing medium weight pinot, well made and balanced. Most Kistler wines, IMO, need at least 5 years of bottle age, and this one is coming into its window. But it isn't great, and way, way overpriced for what it is. If you want a great West Coast pinot, go for Merry Edwards.

2/19/2019 - jrt Likes this wine:

Some years you hit the jackpot with the Merry Edwards cuvee offering of a blend from her single vineyards and other grapes. 2013 is one of those years and this wine offers a superb price/quality ratio. I have worked my through many of her single vineyard offerings from 2013 and this stands up to any of them at a far lower price. It is everything we have come to expect from a Merry Edwards pinot: dark and fully extracted, a harmonious balance of fruit, tannin and acidity, all packaged in an elegant and enticing style. Good work Merry!

2/10/2019 - jrt Likes this wine:

A lot going on here, lots of fruit and tannins. I agree with the other comments, that it needs a decant of at least an hour, and is only just entering its drinking window. I will try it again in about three years.

1/24/2019 - jrt wrote:

The kind of wine that reminds me of just why I collect wine. It won't change your life, but it will be the highlight of your day. At this point it is beautifully well integrated, soft, black, full, no rough edges, but endless depth. Give it a few minutes to open up and warm up, but it starts showing itself well quite soon after decanting.

11/10/2018 - jrt wrote:

Thin and uninteresting. Currently the worst wine in my cellar. Avoid.