March 31, 2022 - Still sipping beautifully with lots of room to run, if cellared well.
March 14, 2019 - Such a nice wine. The red fruit is just about gone, but still has high acidity that's nicely integrated with dark fruit overtones. Classic NW mid-palate of cedar, tobacco, and roasted kale with a smoky, earthy finish. My last bottle - but I know where to find more.
February 27, 2019 - Day 1: Heavy on the spice, ripe cherries, oak, vanilla and crushed rock. Again it is the finish of this alcoholic mess of a wine. Charred Bourbon Barrels. Not any better than the last bottle.
Day 2: Might be the strangest wine experience of my life. First bottle of this was almost undrinkable. This one no different. Day 2 finally getting to a classic Washington State Merlot. Subtle funk with tar, shoe leather, spices, minerals and mocha. Really rich and intense wine with 8 years of age. This is why I was so excited to pick this up in the first place. Drinking well on day 2 which tells me these have some years of cellaring. 90 points.
Day 3: Leather, red currants, earth, spice and oak. Medium plus finish. Very concentrated wine and would go really well with a steak. 91 points
Recommendation: Let these sleep for a while. If you drink these on day 1 you will be disappointed from the batch I purchased locally in Minneapolis for $21.
October 9, 2018 - Candied black cherry, really rich, finish for days......oh, I love Woodward Canyon!
January 11, 2018 - Dark, glass-clinging garnet red-purple. Nose of boysenberry syrup and pie crust, echoed on the palate with a bit of ash. Full body, medium plus tannins, and medium long finish. Another great Washington Merlot (though the alcohol is a wee bit high). Perfect with my beef stew.
December 25, 2017 - Refined and restrained.
December 23, 2016 - Wow, big wine. Red fruits, tannins , dark colored coats the glass. Chocalate, vanilla on the nose. A dense wine you would not know its a merlot. Still developing this wine needs 3-5 more years.
October 17, 2014 - 'They blend late.' 'No field blending.'
chocolate. a touch of VA. a dark fruited merlot. a dense fruit aroma. big fruit right up front on the palate. lively merlot. shows just a lick of sweet vanilla on the palate.
March 19, 2014 - Well built, the wine imparts a sense of place, modest oak treatment. Noticeably high alcohol on the nose and palate creates a balance issue. The wine is too light to mask the alcohol. 89-90. The 2012 Nelms Road Merlot is a better investment.
October 3, 2013 - Fairly expressive nose of baking spices, spiced cherry. Palette shows deep layers of dark fruit and vanilla, nutmeg, dark chocolate, cinnamon. Medium plus tannins frame things nicely. Both big but smooth. Pretty nice wine.