Not much nose showing faint red berry, baking spices, cedar oak, and tar/asphalt. After a couple hours of air, wine has now become more composed with fading black cherry and plum fruit over-shadowed by lots of woody oak flavors and spice as it moves into the mid-palette. Finish is smooth with faded fruit and more prominent oak. Looks like this wine is on the back end of its drinking window, drink now or soon. Purchased from winery and stored in temp controlled cellar.
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Decanted for a couple hours, there was sediment. Fairly straightforward merlot, nice black cherry/plum/strawberry fruit with some oak spice notes. Tannins mostly resolved, slightly dry. Not much depth/complexity, seemed better with more potential when I tasted it at the winery in August 2014. Slightly disappointing, but still a good wine and drinking near peak. I’ll drink my other bottle next year or two, doubt it will improve.
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Brick color at edge, Garnett in center. Plum, spice box, blackberry with a hint of cocoa scents. Plum, cherry, currant flavors with a long finish of chocolate and quince.
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The wine is on the plus side in intensity, concentration, complexity and length... A lot of rounded, soft and ripe aromas. Blackberry, blackcurrant and saw dust. Velvety texture with rounded tannins at first, becomes more present and drying in the finish. The palate shows strawberry jam, chocolate with liquorice and sweet pipe tobacco in the end.
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Very good wine that has room to age. Very dark color, much darker than most merlot. Full taste with dark fruit and currant. Some slight mint on finish. Smooth finish but still has some bold fruit. I would buy this again.
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Love the aromas: I get fresh red currants, roses and violets, tobacco, even some peppermint? Surprisingly grippy on the palate, with firm tannins and moderate acid. Darker fruit (more like black currants and black cherries) along with some tobacco and graphite. A good amount of cedar and mocha, but overall I think it balances out. Long finish with notes of potting soil and vanilla. Very nice, but this is another one for the cellar.
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This deep ruby wine (comprised of 100% Merlot) is sourced from two cool climate estate vineyards at the southern edge of the Napa Valley. It is elegant and balanced, with Bing cherry, raspberry, cardamom and black pepper aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has flavors that run tandem to the aromas. Low-to-medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and seamless alcohol give the wine a supple texture which carries throughout the middle and medium-length finish. Drink now-2020.
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Ripe berries on the nose, quite complex, but still very fruit driven on the palate with hints of spices. The tannins are quite drying but well integrated. Nicely balanced and fresh. Medium length. Very nice.
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Very dark maroon color; tart berry, black fruit, violets nose; tight, rich, creamy textured, tart berry, tart black fruit, black currant, violets palate with balance; could use 2 years; medium-plus finish (14.8% alcohol; 18 months in mix of large and small French oak barrels, 30% new; 3.63 pH; sample provided by winery)
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4/4/2020 - leachriscellar wrote: 90 Points
Leathery, garnett, ruby color. Licorice, eucalyptus, cedar scents. Cherry & stone fruit flavors. Finish of plum, cardamon, spice box.
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2/8/2019 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not much nose showing faint red berry, baking spices, cedar oak, and tar/asphalt.
After a couple hours of air, wine has now become more composed with fading black cherry and plum fruit over-shadowed by lots of woody oak flavors and spice as it moves into the mid-palette. Finish is smooth with faded fruit and more prominent oak.
Looks like this wine is on the back end of its drinking window, drink now or soon. Purchased from winery and stored in temp controlled cellar.
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12/21/2017 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for a couple hours, there was sediment. Fairly straightforward merlot, nice black cherry/plum/strawberry fruit with some oak spice notes. Tannins mostly resolved, slightly dry. Not much depth/complexity, seemed better with more potential when I tasted it at the winery in August 2014. Slightly disappointing, but still a good wine and drinking near peak. I’ll drink my other bottle next year or two, doubt it will improve.
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3/3/2017 - leachriscellar wrote: 92 Points
Brick color at edge, Garnett in center. Plum, spice box, blackberry with a hint of cocoa scents. Plum, cherry, currant flavors with a long finish of chocolate and quince.
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1/22/2015 - Bobhelge wrote: 92 Points
The wine is on the plus side in intensity, concentration, complexity and length...
A lot of rounded, soft and ripe aromas. Blackberry, blackcurrant and saw dust. Velvety texture with rounded tannins at first, becomes more present and drying in the finish. The palate shows strawberry jam, chocolate with liquorice and sweet pipe tobacco in the end.
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8/22/2014 - Bill57 wrote: 87 Points
A little fruit, a little dryness, a good drinkable wine with decent body, maybe still a little young. Wife says more a $20 than a $30 wine
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8/18/2014 - Markie_Sharkie wrote: 90 Points
Very good wine that has room to age. Very dark color, much darker than most merlot. Full taste with dark fruit and currant. Some slight mint on finish. Smooth finish but still has some bold fruit. I would buy this again.
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3/2/2014 - Seneg wrote: 90 Points
Very nice but can wait one or two years more.
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1/3/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Love the aromas: I get fresh red currants, roses and violets, tobacco, even some peppermint? Surprisingly grippy on the palate, with firm tannins and moderate acid. Darker fruit (more like black currants and black cherries) along with some tobacco and graphite. A good amount of cedar and mocha, but overall I think it balances out. Long finish with notes of potting soil and vanilla. Very nice, but this is another one for the cellar.
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11/16/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 84 Points
Simple, uncomplicated, light and bright, drink this on the young side.
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10/16/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 90 Points
This deep ruby wine (comprised of 100% Merlot) is sourced from two cool climate estate vineyards at the southern edge of the Napa Valley. It is elegant and balanced, with Bing cherry, raspberry, cardamom and black pepper aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has flavors that run tandem to the aromas. Low-to-medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and seamless alcohol give the wine a supple texture which carries throughout the middle and medium-length finish. Drink now-2020.
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8/11/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
Ripe berries on the nose, quite complex, but still very fruit driven on the palate with hints of spices. The tannins are quite drying but well integrated. Nicely balanced and fresh. Medium length. Very nice.
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8/9/2013 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Very dark maroon color; tart berry, black fruit, violets nose; tight, rich, creamy textured, tart berry, tart black fruit, black currant, violets palate with balance; could use 2 years; medium-plus finish (14.8% alcohol; 18 months in mix of large and small French oak barrels, 30% new; 3.63 pH; sample provided by winery)
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