January 24, 2020 - Very nice wine with good balance and interest, particularly at price point! Was not as good the second day due to some oxidation.
February 9, 2018 - Very nice bouquet- strawberry nose. Nice notes of cranberry and pepper in the mouth, light finish. Decent.
February 9, 2018 - Nice fresh bouquet- strawberries. Mouth and finish a bit lackluster. Nice pepper and cranberry notes.
July 13, 2015 - Tonight, I don't like this as much as the last two bottles (see November 23, 2014). Opaque purple with a garnet rim. Nose of plum, prune, cassis, licorice, and vanilla. Medium palate of ripe plum, blackberry, and vanilla with licorice on the finish. Nice silky texture. Good length. Pleasant acidity. Mild tannins. Excessive alcohol interferes with the fruit.
November 23, 2014 - Still young and delicious. Dark garnet. Nose of plum, black cherry, blackberry, and cedar. Ripe palate of bright, juicy fruit. Excellent length. Nice acidity. Sweet tannins.
September 27, 2013 - it just is an awkward phase or there isn't much there ... wanted a bit more velvet fruit i love in Merlot ... this one just wasn't quite there. don't get me wrong, this is a good drinkable merlot ... i am just very picky (some would say a bit of a right bank snob)
January 2, 2013 - This is frustrating because I feel like it is really close to being a really good wine but the alcohol gets in the way. If it were just 0.5%-1.0% lower I think this baby would really sing. It has a great mouthfeel with extremely smooth tannins on a medium body wine. The flavor profile isn't overly complex but it has layers of plum, dark berry and vanilla with a full mid-palate and long finish. The only thing I don't like is the heat on the back of my throat on the finish.
December 24, 2012 - Not to my taste. Too much alcohol evident. Did not get much better
later in the evening.
November 25, 2012 - Ready to drink. Light tannins. Flavors of plum and light vanilla. The alcohol seemed a little elevated but wasn't noticeable when we served it with a slight chill (~60-64 degrees).
November 4, 2012 - My wife tasted the first night the bottle was opened (she typically likes a merlot) but didn't really like this one ... it was 'ho-hum' in her terms.
i tasted the second night and wasn't impressed either ... we had a bottle of same wine a few weeks ago that made a much more positive impression