Upon PnP it seemed advanced. Heavy on the forest floor and low on acidity. It was fine sipping on it for a few hours while having galbi at The Kalbi with my brother but it was getting smoother towards the end. Dunno if the complexity or acidity improved much. Was pretty buzzed drinking this with just one other (over 15.5% abv). Next time will depend on initial impression. If it's anything like this I will just wait on it in the decanter.
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No decanter necessary for this big boy. Notes of ripe plum, molasses, graphite and blackberry. with silky tannins and a 20-second finish. Drink now to 2030.
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3/1/24- Soft cork, was able to pull it out by hand once started. Lots of sediment, especially on the cork, and it stained my hands. Tastes funny, like almost candy. Can't tell if it went bad. Doesn't smell bad, but can smell alcohol. Fruit is muted except for that odd candy flavor. Sealed by vacuum pump cork. 3/8/24-I've had a small glass every other day up to today, and today was the best showing. Actually tasted like a cabernet today, with juice and deep fruit. Alcohol has remained strong but today the fruit did not give an inch. This was a very hard wine to figure but it redeemed itself today. I was on the verge of tossing this in fact. I would have this now and hope for the best. I'd taste it upon opening, and if you have similar impression as I did, I'd throw it in decanter. Had this in a deep bowled glass and noticed the legs really persisted on the side, longer than anything in memory.
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Drank over two days. Nose initially closed off by a wall of oak; however, after about an hour, it started opening up to wonderfully complex aromas: menthol, earth, graphite, rich tobacco; while still having a strong primary presence. The palate was very concentrated with cherry and blackberry and a very good balance of wood and brambly crunchy tannins that just worked so well. Finish was satisfying and long. Had to hold back from sipping again just so it could resolve before I could enjoy it all over again. Would love to pop another bottle, but I'll fight the urge. Certain to improve, but such a treat to drink now.
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acquired at an auction these bottles have consistently performed wonderfully. Lush fruit, delicate tannins, and perhaps another five years of life if you still have some.
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Oh, my, my, my. Thankfully, our first of two bottles. And, this could singularly be one of the best aged, and, cellared California Cabernets that I have had the pleasure to enjoy. We were introduced to Merus at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. At our next opportunity in the valley we dropped in, got on the mailing list, and have been on it since. This wine is perfect. No flaw. Major rim variation. Mild sediment. Dark, dark color. Still a residual of dark fruit and florals to the nose. Low tannin and acid. Medium alcohol. Long, long finish. New world flavor, nose, and texture. Paired perfectly with Green Egg barbecued ribs. This is a best of wine, and, I am honored to have enjoyed this wine this evening. I will be much more careful in enjoying our last bottle. The wine is perfectly ready to drink. No where beyond peak, and should have plenty of cellar life left in it.
Opened at noon and kept inside the cellar until 5pm, then double decant for a short 10 min and consumed half an hour later...
Big and bold fruit forward (dried fruits) clasic Napa Cabernet. It has a dark coating and great integration between oak and tannins. Delicious at this stage, sadly my last bottle of 2005.
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Dark purple color, with an almost brownish tone. Gorgeous nose of black fruit, charcoal, chocolate. Wonderfully silky mouth feel. Robust complex flavor profile, primarily blackberry, with herbs, smoke, a garden vegetable (snap pea husk?), a slightly bitter aspect, not unpleasant. Well, if not perfectly integrated. Have been drinking a lot of outstanding Napa Cab during this pandemic, and this holds its own versus bottles 2-4x the price.
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Remarkably durable and evolving Napa Cab. So much depth with structure and yet velvety tannins that the purported 15.6% alcohol is absolutely not an aspect of the flavor profile. Bright red cherries, black currant, sleek, and sweet on the nose.
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Popped the cork and decanted because of the sediment. Big, big, big. Floral perfume and spice nose that was to die for. High AC was distracting. Black and red fruit, liquer and a hot note on the backend. Some earth notes coming in. Needed something ready to go, so popped this. Regret—-this needs a cool fall evening—I think the hotness would fit in better and be less distracting.
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Drinking well now, still likely has 10 more years to enjoy. One of Mark Herolds early masterpieces, this cab hits the nose with powerful black and blue fruit. On the palate, once again black fruit (plum and black cherry), toasty oak and licorice. Last bottle in my cellar, which is too bad.
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Second of 2 bought at auction ($120.00@) a bit over a year ago. I'm re-reviewing because of a materially different tasting experience. Bottle 1 was undeniably tasty, but a bit overripe and not particularly interesting; it also tasted pretty close to the end of its life as a premium wine. This time, opened and immediately resealed, since per my experience and mark's tasting note, air didn't seem to be its friend. Cork came out cleanly but broke thereafter. In the glass, giant nose of ripe red and black fruit and dark flowers. On the immediate palate, fairly intense tannins and heat, almost undrinkable to me. After 15 minutes of vigorous swirling, the tannins and alcohol integrated, and this became sublime. Powerful notes of ripe black cherries, blueberries, blackberries, violets, earthy minerality, glycerine, lead, chocolate, camphor and eucalyptus. Purplish black, full, full bodied, huge legs. Intense, persistent, suffused with sweet, sweet fruit, and complex, if not totally tightly focused. After the first 15 minutes, no heat. I must respectfully disagree with Geaux and say I get virtually no acidity, which not only makes me think that this is a drink sooner wine--although holding up well on the second night--but also a better standalone sipper than a food wine (if it were better in this regard, it would be worth another point or 2). Tons of sediment, so if that sort of thing bothers you, decant, if only to get it out of the wine. Still, a great drink, decent qpr at what I paid, if slightly shaky at full boat retail. 95+
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PnP. Good to go from the start. High alcohol apparent but not overwhelming. Candied cherries, Ludens cherry cough drops, black raspberry, Asian spice, some licorice, faint herbal note. The intense fruit apparent two years ago is maturing and tertiary earthy notes are starting to appear. I think this has hit the apex of fruit and will develop nicely. Plenty of acid to go another 5-7 years. Merus kick-started my Napa wine affinity, and tonite this bottle reminded me why I love the evolution over time.
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My last bottle and just a point or two below the others. This opened and was so awesome at the table at Hyde Park in Sarasota. Lead pencil and oak. I thought we were in for quite the treat. Unfortunately, what started out as a 96 faded quickly to a 93 in less than half an hour. It is still good but it evolved quickly once hit with air and degraded into this slight raisiny/prune tertiary mix of fruit. Still very weighty and powerful. I much preferred the first 15 minutes. Still good but I would personally drink these up quickly if I had any left.
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A fantastic classic Napa cab still possessing plenty of fruit and structure. Has aged into a very nice balance. The tannins are plush and well integrated, the acid subdued but present and the overall experience pleasing. 93 with little improvement forecasted at least for a guy who like lots of fruit and generally drinks wines young.
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Nice aged Napa cab, but little to no bricking, and only a slight drop off in fruit. Dark red/black fruit, nice power with a level or two of depth and still some wood and acid to tie it all together though I think the acid might be waning just a bit. Thanks to Howellmountaincru for opening for us!
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First of 2 bottles from a fairly recent auction purchase (abt $120@). TNs before me are pretty much all on point, whether adulatory or ambivalent. Luscious dark fruit--prunes, plums, blackberry and cherry--with subdued notes of chocolate, cassis and currants. Rich, powerful and delicious, but not particularly subtle or complex. This is Napa winemaking at its most definitive, but not necessarily its best. If you blindfolded me and asked me what this was, my first, second and third guesses would be a high end Napa cab, but my fourth guess would be Amarone, not Bordeaux. Big nose, great legs. Tannins are so finely knit as to be indiscernable, and acidity is, as far as I can tell, non-existent. No signs of oxidation, but I think that this wine is what it is, unlikely to develop further. This went well with a rack of lamb and I'm really enjoying drinking this--I use this construct as I still have half the bottle left--but I couldn't drink this every night (and I don't just mean because of the price).
This records an early Jan 2019 tasting. Dense and ripe, with powerful fig and dark cherry notes and tannins that have mellowed out. Have had this many times and remains a strong wine. Similar notes for a Sept 2018 tasting.
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Great the first night with a Coravin pour. Classic Napa cab, good nose, power and weight in the mouth. Opened the bottle up a few nights later and it was a stewed prune mess. Go figure. 95 with the Coravin, but had to downgrade upon opening.....
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Cork a bit dried out, came out in pieces. Dark red in the glass, decanted for an hour at the restaurant. This was the wotn for the other 3 at the table. Fruity briar nose with great soft black fruit and well integrated tannins. Cassis, and subtle power, layers and acidity tie it all together. This is in a great window right now. Will be good for a while longer but it's awfully smooth right now, so why wait?
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This is One. Sexy. Beast. It was delicious from pop-and-pour to the end. Wonderful layers of fresh black and blue berries, charcoal, melted dark chocolate, dried fruits, grilled peppers. The texture was luscious. And the age has certainly benefited this wine - silky and no hard edges, no flabbiness. We had three wonderful cabs today and at that level, you unfortunately force yourself to nit-pick. Sort of like the Olympics figure skating in PyeongChang. At the elite level, the top tier competitors are all amazing but only one can win gold. For me, there were a few sips where the alcohol level (15%+) caused the finish to unravel a little bit. But, again, this is trying really really hard to find a fault. Otherwise, I doubt anyone would not enjoy this wine.
Attempted to Coravin a glass, but the cork started pushing out. Removed the cork, it slid out with little resistance, and had a glass which was very good after about an hour of air. Put cork back in and stored overnight, had rest of bottle the next night and it was excellent. I guess this tells me that there is plenty of life left in this.
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I didn’t like this wine, I LOVED IT! Very bold, complex and balance. On the nose it’s fresh and the palate gives a deep earthy notes with chocolate and blackberries!
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Tasty Cali cab, but a little too sweet and oaky for my taste. Delicious well-balanced fruit, but doesn't have much complexity. Can go longer, but I'm not sure it will get much better.
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Fantastic nose. Really intoxicating perfume in the classic Napa Valley Cabernet style. The palate needed food to shine. Terrific pair with New York steaks. Just mid maturity right now and can go much longer in a cool cellar.
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Consistent with prior notes notes. Delicious winner that never disappoints. But, tonight is was outperformed. 2008 O'Shaughnessy HM whooped ass tonight.
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Huge, rich, delicious, black cherry fruit with cedar and chocolate flavors, excellent structure, loads of tannin, finish a little short, needs lots of time in the bottle still, try again in 5 years
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PnP, heavenly nose. Delicious. Bouquet of red, blue and black fruit. Tannins? Gone. Wood notes nicely integrated. Dark extracted wine, high A/C apparent but not overpowering.
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In perfect drinking window now. Blueberry and a bit of licorice in the background. Extremely smooth with a phenomenal finish. Not heavy at all despite the alcohol. Very enjoyable.
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This got about 90 minutes of slow ox. Drank over 3.5 hours with wagyu strips and Game 3 of the World Series.
Really nice showing for this wine. Probably not as good as the 2002 Merus we had a year or two ago, but think this is about in the right drinking window for me. Very expressive nose, and the finish is long and on point.
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Didn't have the time to really study and let develop, as I took this to Christmas party. One of the most rubbery corks I ever encountered yet it held the wine intact. Was expecting a beast but got a very balanced, medium bodied wine. Feels like this has evolved and integrated compared to other vintages of Merus I've had. Nice balanced taste, tennis not oppressive and in good balance with the remaining fruit. Might be able to go longer but based on my cork experience I am inclined to drink earlier to enjoy both the fruit and integration. Recommended.
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Fantastic stuff. Great profile on the nose with floral and perfume notes. Spice and blackberry fruit liqueur and perfectly integrated tannins. Seemed thin after an Outpost P.S. but chewy and Oh so good ! Hides high alcohol very well.
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Good stuff. Blue and black fruit profile hides 15.6 AC very well...blackberry liqueur and hints of mocha....tannins there but in harmony ..plenty of bottles left and glad to have them... Plenty of time left.
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Opened ~4 hours in advance and poured from bottle...dark as can be with red fruit and smooth tannins and plenty of backbone. I felt the finish was a bit lacking, but others thought it still has a ways to go. Showed very well against some top flight '05 Cabs.
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PnP, black fruit liqueur, menthol, spice box on the nose, kicked off a bunch of sediment. Palate was less giving with primary black fruit and liqueurs, some pepper on the long finish likely due to HAC. Will let other bottles rest, this might just be in a funky spot.
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Good stuff, tannins in perfect balance with fruit, little oak present, well integrated with near perfect balance. Nose was awesome. Black fruit and some dark red fruit on the palate,making with plum and black fruit liqueurs. After time, hints on cherry, dark chocolate and mocha. Med to long finish.
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decanted for 45 minutes. delicious, smooth, big, beautiful california cab. layers of red fruit, chocolate, long finish. really enjoyable and fantastic with a group of guys having a very well prepared rack of lamb!
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of cocoa powder, plums, currants, and black berries. Flavors of currants, plums, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
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Inky dark color. After 30 minutes, the nose shows anise, blackberry. Some heat. As for the palate: The Big, the Bold and the Beautiful. The nose is complemented with notes of cherry, some raspberry. The tannins are rich and chewy, solid acidity. While this wine has the chops to cellar for many years, it's drinking really well now. Loved this.
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Tough act as it followed the 1997 Jones Family Cab, however this wine stood up and was noticed! Youthful, overpowering at first, then settled down and drank exquisitely.
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Nose: Big, rich, and huge with black cherries, black currant jam, red berries, and blueberry notes. While the nose is on the bigger side, it does hold itself well together with a lot of depth to the tones.
Taste: Full bodied with sneakier tannins. There is a real plushness to the feel with black cherries, black currant jam, blueberries, and some liqueur on the back end.
Overall: This is drinking perfectly right now. While not really my style, this was delicious in a slutty way.
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Perhaps it was the amazing Chinese New Year meal at The Source or our great company, but this Merus Cab was even better than a year ago. Opulent, racy and rich, this fruit forward Cab has dark plum like notes finishing with almost sweet, soft tannins. Terrific complexity with hints of mocha, milk chocolate, and cassis. This Cab has it all and a treat to drink.
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Boys night out in DC. Too young still, even after double decant and open for a few hours. Still way tannic. The older wines crushed this. Ooops, live and learn.
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First off, the bottle is super heavy - heaviest 750ml bottle I have ever seen. The black bottle is matched by a dark and lush cab. Alcohol all over the place - on the nose and in the mouth. Blackberries - not sure why someone described this wine as sweet - its more tart than sweet for me. Bottom line - too much sense of the alcohol and too tart for me - not sure why this scored so well on CT.
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Bold, dark, rich and well balanced...sort of Caymus style: rich and sweet. Needs decanting as it apparently not fined or filtered and has lots of debris which does not detract a bit from the pleasure it imparts.
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Wow, this is a candy store in a bottle. Maple syrup is in abundance, and not a lot else!
On the palette, this wine is rich and thick. It's heavy like diesel, but the wine carries it off. It's super-sweet, so it's not for everyone. Oodles of syrup overpower the cherries. Tannins are pronounced, but well positioned.
This wine does not need food. You can almost chew it on its own.
:0)
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Intensely concentrated with blackberry fruit that is dense, layered and complex. This isn't just a fruit bomb, but its a pure unabashed cult Napa Cab. Despite the intense fruit, there are nice tannins that provide structure and complexity with a finish that lingers for 30 seconds, but has a full mouth feel. Love this 05 Merus.
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Not going to score this, as not convinced there was not something off. Not corked, not cooked, nothing obvious, just a disastrous mid palate and dominated by olive and mint. We were convinced either it really was not Merus (was done blind) or that the bottle was off.
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I was nervous about this wine which we selected for a fancy Christmas buffet at our country club. Some of the CT ranking and comments seemed pretty negative. I loved the wine, let it air about an hour, wonderful aroma and rich full bodied fruit taste...not the least bit over extraced but nicely balanced. I will stretch the remaining bottles for another special occasion over the next two years but this one seems ready to drink right now to my taste.
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Decanted for 3 hours and probably shouldn't have done it! Surprise, Surprise! It seems that this wine is falling apart as it ages. It was wholly disjointed last night and got worse as it aired. Drink up everyone or you will have some foul tasting purple juice in a year, I fear!
--- COLOR: Opaque purple w/med purple rim NOTE: Still underwhelmed by my multi-vintage Merus experience and will not be buying any more. Wasted perhaps $1K? Amazing color, like a black night Syrah. Maybe the blackest Cab I've ever seen. Nose is lovely blackberry liqueur, scorched tobacco leaves, grilled plum, leather, Saigon cinnamon. 3 hour decant really made a huge difference, but this just doesn't have the glycerin/opulence to score higher. Mouth is med+ blackberry liqueur, cassis, brown sugar, brown butter sage. Finish is cassis, lots of tannins, dries out a bit, but is nice & long.
DECANT: 3 hrs GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.3+ COST: 170 VALUE: 2.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: n/a PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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I didn't have high expectations here. My first Merus, and honestly I expected an overhyped overoaked overripe bitter lead bomb. 16% alcohol on the label reinforced this expectation. Inky black like a syrah. First whiff of the nose was volatile wood resin - unpleasant. Wow, I'm really going to hate this. But the resin blew off pretty quickly, and underneath was such huge concentration of very tasty fruit that I liked the wine, quite a bit, in spite of myself. Unapologetic fruit bomb, with no sense of place (although I thought maybe I could taste the motor oil from the floor of the garage), no acidity to provide backbone. But what fruit. Not just big fruit, but nice tasting fruit. Too much oak but not so much as to take much away from the fruit. Not a wine that I'd stock up on at its price, but I'll give it its props.
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Blackberry and oak dominated for the first 6 hours although not over the top. Fairly light bodied and good balance. Really began to open up after 8 hours. By 24 hours was singing. Cassis up front yielded to leather and milk chocolate. Finish is long and silky.
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Opened and decanted for 3 hours before serving with Flannery Rib Cap. Paired beautifully. This wine is big, bold and beautiful. Quickly consumed by 3 of us.
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Pulled the cork 5 hours before the first glass. Explosive nose. Black in color. A wine of considerable concentration and impeccable balance. It coats ever millimeter of your palate. The finish was at least 45 seconds. Terrific stuff.
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Opaque, almost black. Wonderful sweet cassis, black fruit nose sores from the glass. It has a beautiful balance with some air time. This will easily be a 20+ year wine. It is still amazingly primary. Enjoyable now in it's pretty baby phase. I'm glad I have more to follow this as it grows up. The best Merus to date IMO.
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Almost black in color. Aromas of fresh blackberries. Flavors of black cherry, currant, mocha, and anise. Very well balanced. Incredible depth and complexity on the mid palate. Medium bodied. Long elegant finish that last for over a minute. 15.6% alcohol.
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Decanted for an hour before tasting. This is a big-ass, full-throttle cab, but it is well made and quite enjoyable with a steak. Charcoal, currant, cherry and dark fruit liqueur. Long finish with good tannins.
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WAY to early for this one. Double decanting for about 4 hours but this was still a dark brooding monster not giving up to much at this point. With that being said If it just opens up and releases some of that potential it will be a monster. I don't think I'll open another of these for at least 4-5 years.
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Very dark. Brooding, but mostly closed nose. Deep, very full bodied and rich. Tons of dark fruit, lots of oak (but reasonably well balanced), very nice tannins. Just coats the mouth. Way too young, but the fruit is there to outlast the oak...in a number of years this should be a great, and big, cab especially if it picks up some good secondary and tertiary nuances.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Phil popped and poured after purchasing from Knightsbridge. Consistent score from last year. Glass staining deep rich purple color - jammy viscocity. Super lush and abundant amounts of obnoxiously ripe berries, black pepper, soy sauce, balsamic glaze, creme de cassis and dark heady purple flowers. Tremendous effort of a fruit bomb that illustrates the power of Merus Cab. Palate continues the dark berry theme along with more dark flowers, mocha, and slightly liquered cherry cola. Rustic leather with a masculine style. Great weight on the mouth. An expressive and highly extracted effort sporting a 60+ second finish. Consistently one of my favorite Napa Cult Cabs.
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This took a couple of hours to really get going but then it was smooth sailing. Layers of flavor although a bit disjointed at the finish. Couple of years of sleep should do the trick.
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A wonderful cab that is, surprisingly, ready to drink now. On pop and pour, the first thing you notice is the dense, purple / black color, and inky texture of the wine. Strong but not overpowering nose of blackberry, toast, and charcoal, giving way to an excellent taste of blackberry, black cherry, espresso, and a tiny bit of chocolate balanced by earth and mineral, with a small bit of oak that serves to bind all of the other flavors together. Thankfully, the wine does not get into the "sweet" territory. Perhaps most importantly, the tannins are highly refined: they complement the flavors and provide necessary structure and velvet mouth-feel, rather than distracting from the whole experience. Good to open now, but will space out my other 2 bottles over the next 4 or so years.
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Probably the best 05 Cab I've had yet, and it is insanely young but I couldn't resist. The color on this wine is inky black with a purple rim, and there aren't really even legs per se- it just coats the glass. Aromas on the nose are initially a little brooding, but with a long decant there is huge blackberry, black currant, espresso, iron rich minerals and crushed rocks as well as toasty spice and just a bit of earth peeking through. Really hedonistic, dark and powerful nose that follows through on the palate with insanely coating black and blue fruit, and a gorgeous mouthfeel, black licorice and graphite on the long finish. Very ripe but pure and not overdone, there is medium-low acidity and a large amount of tannin. I've been following this wine for about 20 hours now and it's really showing the best at this moment. This is sublime Napa Cabernet, in my opinion... Huge fruit, but not overly sweet and confected, no alcohol sticking out and the ability to age. There is a lot of sediment so I'd advise standing up at least a day ahead and decanting. I won't touch another one for 4 years or so. 95+.
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This was very different in style than anything on the table yet. Big brooding and well structured with very masculine lines. Nice dark black hole fruits of currant and boysenberry with some pomegranate. There was some soy and tarry leather. Consistent notes from previous visits with this wine. What a great wine with certain QPR for its price rage and certainly here tonight. 93/100
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Halloween night-distributing candy with three buddies, sitting outside in front of a fire, sipping 3 different cabs-we spoiled the little ones and gave them plenty. but grilled the trick-or-treaters who were as tall or taller than us, we gave them a little grief before handing over the loot! Some of those kids can really sing! First up was the Merus 2005, from a magnum. We made short work of the Merus, but even with several hours decanting time, it seemed a little tannic. Very nice fruit, but not up to par with previous Merus bottles.
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taste: full on flavors of black cherries, anise, toasty oak, black currants, spice tones, and black liqueur tones just blast you and take hold
overall: This is a massive wine. Almost overpowering, but it keeps it in check just a slight bit. This is a hedonistic experience and it wants to take you for a ride, but I think this needs a bit of time to get itself fully into check to integrate and get the balance that it needs to have it be in that rareified air that you can sense in it
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Decanted for 4 hours before drinking. Deep purple and viscous with wonderful aromas of blackberry and vanilla with hints of slate and steel. It reminded me a lot of a Shafer Hillside without the slight sweetness that makes SHS so distinct. The fininsh lasts as long as it takes to get the glass back to your mouth. It is young and will probably flesh out a little with a few years of cellaring, but it is atypical of Merus in that it really is satisfying young as long as you decant it for long enough. It is hard to find fault in this wine if you enjoy bold Cabernet. It is big but balanced and nuanced. I can't wait to drink the next one.
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Taste from Dan Cushin at WF OB. Black color in the glass. Roasted espresso beans, blackberry, casis, lirorice, and lots of crushed gravel exploding out of this juice! The palate is enormous and bountiful. Rich and layered it exhibits blackberry, mocha, tobacco and more LICORICE. Would have gotten a 95 but I felt the finish was just a bit less complex and full as the '02 and '04. Steller stuff. Absolutely ADORE Merus....then again, WHO WOULDN"T!?!?!? Some of the best California Cab produced today in my opinion -- hands down.
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The color is a dark purple that fades very slightly at the rim. After a few hours in the decanter the nose gives off cassis, blueberry jam, mint and damp earth. The flavor profile of this wine is outstanding and very structured. Ultra ripe and extracted currant, black cherry, sage and cedar all work well together. The finish is very long and the tannins are fine grained. This wine is certainly going to become one of the best of the vintage for Napa Cabs. It needs 3-5 years in the cellar to be fully enjoyed so be patient.
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4/30/2024 - Stufonhead Likes this wine: 92 Points
Upon PnP it seemed advanced. Heavy on the forest floor and low on acidity. It was fine sipping on it for a few hours while having galbi at The Kalbi with my brother but it was getting smoother towards the end. Dunno if the complexity or acidity improved much. Was pretty buzzed drinking this with just one other (over 15.5% abv). Next time will depend on initial impression. If it's anything like this I will just wait on it in the decanter.
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4/5/2024 - jcampano Likes this wine: 95 Points
No decanter necessary for this big boy. Notes of ripe plum, molasses, graphite and blackberry. with silky tannins and a 20-second finish. Drink now to 2030.
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3/1/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 92 Points
3/1/24- Soft cork, was able to pull it out by hand once started. Lots of sediment, especially on the cork, and it stained my hands. Tastes funny, like almost candy. Can't tell if it went bad. Doesn't smell bad, but can smell alcohol. Fruit is muted except for that odd candy flavor. Sealed by vacuum pump cork.
3/8/24-I've had a small glass every other day up to today, and today was the best showing. Actually tasted like a cabernet today, with juice and deep fruit. Alcohol has remained strong but today the fruit did not give an inch. This was a very hard wine to figure but it redeemed itself today. I was on the verge of tossing this in fact. I would have this now and hope for the best. I'd taste it upon opening, and if you have similar impression as I did, I'd throw it in decanter. Had this in a deep bowled glass and noticed the legs really persisted on the side, longer than anything in memory.
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12/25/2023 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
As delicious as the last bottle!
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6/17/2023 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious rich black cherry and cassis aromas and flavors with silky smooth texture culminating in a long finish. Beautifully aged Calif. cab!
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1/21/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine:
Big, rich, chewy, soft, not really my style but was great with the big prime steaks. B&T&L
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12/25/2022 - Outplaying wrote:
Rich and soft with some oak and chocolate. A little alcohol showing. Pretty decent and the kids liked it.
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7/29/2021 - Stufonhead Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank over two days. Nose initially closed off by a wall of oak; however, after about an hour, it started opening up to wonderfully complex aromas: menthol, earth, graphite, rich tobacco; while still having a strong primary presence. The palate was very concentrated with cherry and blackberry and a very good balance of wood and brambly crunchy tannins that just worked so well. Finish was satisfying and long. Had to hold back from sipping again just so it could resolve before I could enjoy it all over again. Would love to pop another bottle, but I'll fight the urge. Certain to improve, but such a treat to drink now.
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6/17/2021 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
acquired at an auction these bottles have consistently performed wonderfully. Lush fruit, delicate tannins, and perhaps another five years of life if you still have some.
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5/31/2021 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
I just love this stuff. All sorts of layers of fruit, graphite, tar, dark chocolate... a hint of rose petals on the nose
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1/6/2021 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Typical Mark Herold cab. Still burly after all these years. No evidence of any dropoff.
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11/4/2020 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 96 Points
Oh, my, my, my. Thankfully, our first of two bottles. And, this could singularly be one of the best aged, and, cellared California Cabernets that I have had the pleasure to enjoy. We were introduced to Merus at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. At our next opportunity in the valley we dropped in, got on the mailing list, and have been on it since. This wine is perfect. No flaw. Major rim variation. Mild sediment. Dark, dark color. Still a residual of dark fruit and florals to the nose. Low tannin and acid. Medium alcohol. Long, long finish. New world flavor, nose, and texture. Paired perfectly with Green Egg barbecued ribs. This is a best of wine, and, I am honored to have enjoyed this wine this evening. I will be much more careful in enjoying our last bottle. The wine is perfectly ready to drink. No where beyond peak, and should have plenty of cellar life left in it.
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9/11/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened at noon and kept inside the cellar until 5pm, then double decant for a short 10 min and consumed half an hour later...
Big and bold fruit forward (dried fruits) clasic Napa Cabernet. It has a dark coating and great integration between oak and tannins. Delicious at this stage, sadly my last bottle of 2005.
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8/7/2020 - mdvillaverde wrote: flawed
I ruined this one by traveling with it. So no score.
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5/21/2020 - FoinZap Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple color, with an almost brownish tone. Gorgeous nose of black fruit, charcoal, chocolate. Wonderfully silky mouth feel. Robust complex flavor profile, primarily blackberry, with herbs, smoke, a garden vegetable (snap pea husk?), a slightly bitter aspect, not unpleasant. Well, if not perfectly integrated. Have been drinking a lot of outstanding Napa Cab during this pandemic, and this holds its own versus bottles 2-4x the price.
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4/12/2020 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious wine. Lots of sediment decanted for 90+ minutes. Had with Mom’s lasagna on Easter.
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3/23/2020 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Remarkably durable and evolving Napa Cab. So much depth with structure and yet velvety tannins that the purported 15.6% alcohol is absolutely not an aspect of the flavor profile. Bright red cherries, black currant, sleek, and sweet on the nose.
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3/13/2020 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 92 Points
Popped the cork and decanted because of the sediment. Big, big, big. Floral perfume and spice nose that was to die for. High AC was distracting. Black and red fruit, liquer and a hot note on the backend. Some earth notes coming in. Needed something ready to go, so popped this. Regret—-this needs a cool fall evening—I think the hotness would fit in better and be less distracting.
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3/4/2020 - jcampano Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking well now, still likely has 10 more years to enjoy. One of Mark Herolds early masterpieces, this cab hits the nose with powerful black and blue fruit. On the palate, once again black fruit (plum and black cherry), toasty oak and licorice. Last bottle in my cellar, which is too bad.
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3/1/2020 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar notes to March 2019 tasting. All I'd add as that it's definitely non a PnP. Needs a good two hours out of the bottle to settle down.
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2/11/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Second of 2 bought at auction ($120.00@) a bit over a year ago. I'm re-reviewing because of a materially different tasting experience. Bottle 1 was undeniably tasty, but a bit overripe and not particularly interesting; it also tasted pretty close to the end of its life as a premium wine. This time, opened and immediately resealed, since per my experience and mark's tasting note, air didn't seem to be its friend. Cork came out cleanly but broke thereafter. In the glass, giant nose of ripe red and black fruit and dark flowers. On the immediate palate, fairly intense tannins and heat, almost undrinkable to me. After 15 minutes of vigorous swirling, the tannins and alcohol integrated, and this became sublime. Powerful notes of ripe black cherries, blueberries, blackberries, violets, earthy minerality, glycerine, lead, chocolate, camphor and eucalyptus. Purplish black, full, full bodied, huge legs. Intense, persistent, suffused with sweet, sweet fruit, and complex, if not totally tightly focused. After the first 15 minutes, no heat. I must respectfully disagree with Geaux and say I get virtually no acidity, which not only makes me think that this is a drink sooner wine--although holding up well on the second night--but also a better standalone sipper than a food wine (if it were better in this regard, it would be worth another point or 2). Tons of sediment, so if that sort of thing bothers you, decant, if only to get it out of the wine. Still, a great drink, decent qpr at what I paid, if slightly shaky at full boat retail. 95+
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2/4/2020 - sdr Does not like this wine: 87 Points
I Guess I Just Don’t Get It (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): Sweet and boring, not much to say.
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12/6/2019 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP. Good to go from the start. High alcohol apparent but not overwhelming. Candied cherries, Ludens cherry cough drops, black raspberry, Asian spice, some licorice, faint herbal note. The intense fruit apparent two years ago is maturing and tertiary earthy notes are starting to appear. I think this has hit the apex of fruit and will develop nicely. Plenty of acid to go another 5-7 years. Merus kick-started my Napa wine affinity, and tonite this bottle reminded me why I love the evolution over time.
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11/3/2019 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 93 Points
No formal notes but recalled it was good, not a fruit driven wine, but balanced and had presence and weight on the palate.
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9/23/2019 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a good spot, very enjoyable with a nice fruit component and freshness while still
Picking up bottle complexity and elegance.
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8/24/2019 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious mature Napa cab that's aging gracefully!
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8/17/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle and just a point or two below the others. This opened and was so awesome at the table at Hyde Park in Sarasota. Lead pencil and oak. I thought we were in for quite the treat. Unfortunately, what started out as a 96 faded quickly to a 93 in less than half an hour. It is still good but it evolved quickly once hit with air and degraded into this slight raisiny/prune tertiary mix of fruit. Still very weighty and powerful. I much preferred the first 15 minutes. Still good but I would personally drink these up quickly if I had any left.
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4/17/2019 - HowellMountainCru Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fantastic classic Napa cab still possessing plenty of fruit and structure. Has aged into a very nice balance. The tannins are plush and well integrated, the acid subdued but present and the overall experience pleasing. 93 with little improvement forecasted at least for a guy who like lots of fruit and generally drinks wines young.
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4/17/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice aged Napa cab, but little to no bricking, and only a slight drop off in fruit. Dark red/black fruit, nice power with a level or two of depth and still some wood and acid to tie it all together though I think the acid might be waning just a bit. Thanks to Howellmountaincru for opening for us!
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3/24/2019 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
First of 2 bottles from a fairly recent auction purchase (abt $120@). TNs before me are pretty much all on point, whether adulatory or ambivalent. Luscious dark fruit--prunes, plums, blackberry and cherry--with subdued notes of chocolate, cassis and currants. Rich, powerful and delicious, but not particularly subtle or complex. This is Napa winemaking at its most definitive, but not necessarily its best. If you blindfolded me and asked me what this was, my first, second and third guesses would be a high end Napa cab, but my fourth guess would be Amarone, not Bordeaux. Big nose, great legs. Tannins are so finely knit as to be indiscernable, and acidity is, as far as I can tell, non-existent. No signs of oxidation, but I think that this wine is what it is, unlikely to develop further. This went well with a rack of lamb and I'm really enjoying drinking this--I use this construct as I still have half the bottle left--but I couldn't drink this every night (and I don't just mean because of the price).
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3/9/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
This records an early Jan 2019 tasting. Dense and ripe, with powerful fig and dark cherry notes and tannins that have mellowed out. Have had this many times and remains a strong wine. Similar notes for a Sept 2018 tasting.
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2/14/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great the first night with a Coravin pour. Classic Napa cab, good nose, power and weight in the mouth. Opened the bottle up a few nights later and it was a stewed prune mess. Go figure. 95 with the Coravin, but had to downgrade upon opening.....
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11/6/2018 - ungerlei Likes this wine: 99 Points
OMG. Sometimes people refer to big cabs as "velvety" or "chewy". This wine is both. Decant and enjoy.
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6/2/2018 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork a bit dried out, came out in pieces. Dark red in the glass, decanted for an hour at the restaurant. This was the wotn for the other 3 at the table. Fruity briar nose with great soft black fruit and well integrated tannins. Cassis, and subtle power, layers and acidity tie it all together. This is in a great window right now. Will be good for a while longer but it's awfully smooth right now, so why wait?
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3/5/2018 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is One. Sexy. Beast. It was delicious from pop-and-pour to the end. Wonderful layers of fresh black and blue berries, charcoal, melted dark chocolate, dried fruits, grilled peppers. The texture was luscious. And the age has certainly benefited this wine - silky and no hard edges, no flabbiness. We had three wonderful cabs today and at that level, you unfortunately force yourself to nit-pick. Sort of like the Olympics figure skating in PyeongChang. At the elite level, the top tier competitors are all amazing but only one can win gold. For me, there were a few sips where the alcohol level (15%+) caused the finish to unravel a little bit. But, again, this is trying really really hard to find a fault. Otherwise, I doubt anyone would not enjoy this wine.
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2/16/2018 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Attempted to Coravin a glass, but the cork started pushing out. Removed the cork, it slid out with little resistance, and had a glass which was very good after about an hour of air. Put cork back in and stored overnight, had rest of bottle the next night and it was excellent. I guess this tells me that there is plenty of life left in this.
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12/10/2017 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
I didn’t like this wine, I LOVED IT! Very bold, complex and balance. On the nose it’s fresh and the palate gives a deep earthy notes with chocolate and blackberries!
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11/26/2017 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 94 Points
big, beautiful and in its sweet spot!
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11/14/2017 - MLwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasty Cali cab, but a little too sweet and oaky for my taste. Delicious well-balanced fruit, but doesn't have much complexity. Can go longer, but I'm not sure it will get much better.
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9/20/2017 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic nose. Really intoxicating perfume in the classic Napa Valley Cabernet style. The palate needed food to shine. Terrific pair with New York steaks. Just mid maturity right now and can go much longer in a cool cellar.
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9/8/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with prior notes notes. Delicious winner that never disappoints. But, tonight is was outperformed. 2008 O'Shaughnessy HM whooped ass tonight.
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6/28/2017 - Mike V wrote: 93 Points
Still a full throttle fruit Bomb. Fun to drink once in a while
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6/18/2017 - bnord81 wrote: 95 Points
At Moulin Fou.
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6/16/2017 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Huge, rich, delicious, black cherry fruit with cedar and chocolate flavors, excellent structure, loads of tannin, finish a little short, needs lots of time in the bottle still, try again in 5 years
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4/29/2017 - Wineshington wrote: 94 Points
Still big fruit, but tannins are integrated and soft. Time to drink!
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4/6/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP, heavenly nose. Delicious. Bouquet of red, blue and black fruit. Tannins? Gone. Wood notes nicely integrated. Dark extracted wine, high A/C apparent but not overpowering.
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3/30/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP....Otherwise consistent with prior notes, but this one had a hot note that distracted from its overall performance.
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2/24/2017 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 95 Points
Another PnP....Just a slight behind the 2004... delicious.
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12/27/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a word, Opulent. Consistent with prior notes. In its primary window, with some secondary notes starting to come into play.
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12/10/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
In perfect drinking window now. Blueberry and a bit of licorice in the background. Extremely smooth with a phenomenal finish. Not heavy at all despite the alcohol. Very enjoyable.
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11/27/2016 - Red Sox Fan wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular
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10/28/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points
This got about 90 minutes of slow ox. Drank over 3.5 hours with wagyu strips and Game 3 of the World Series.
Really nice showing for this wine. Probably not as good as the 2002 Merus we had a year or two ago, but think this is about in the right drinking window for me. Very expressive nose, and the finish is long and on point.
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7/13/2016 - wineloverkang wrote: 88 Points
The flavor is a bit too extracted for my taste.
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3/22/2016 - Hawtdawg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Same as last notes
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12/13/2015 - pmarlo wrote: 94 Points
Didn't have the time to really study and let develop, as I took this to Christmas party. One of the most rubbery corks I ever encountered yet it held the wine intact. Was expecting a beast but got a very balanced, medium bodied wine. Feels like this has evolved and integrated compared to other vintages of Merus I've had. Nice balanced taste, tennis not oppressive and in good balance with the remaining fruit. Might be able to go longer but based on my cork experience I am inclined to drink earlier to enjoy both the fruit and integration. Recommended.
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12/5/2015 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic stuff. Great profile on the nose with floral and perfume notes. Spice and blackberry fruit liqueur and perfectly integrated tannins. Seemed thin after an Outpost P.S. but chewy and Oh so good ! Hides high alcohol very well.
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11/20/2015 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good stuff. Blue and black fruit profile hides 15.6 AC very well...blackberry liqueur and hints of mocha....tannins there but in harmony ..plenty of bottles left and glad to have them... Plenty of time left.
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11/14/2015 - hanasowner wrote: 95 Points
Opened ~4 hours in advance and poured from bottle...dark as can be with red fruit and smooth tannins and plenty of backbone. I felt the finish was a bit lacking, but others thought it still has a ways to go. Showed very well against some top flight '05 Cabs.
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10/4/2015 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 92 Points
PnP, black fruit liqueur, menthol, spice box on the nose, kicked off a bunch of sediment. Palate was less giving with primary black fruit and liqueurs, some pepper on the long finish likely due to HAC. Will let other bottles rest, this might just be in a funky spot.
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7/27/2015 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good stuff, tannins in perfect balance with fruit, little oak present, well integrated with near perfect balance. Nose was awesome. Black fruit and some dark red fruit on the palate,making with plum and black fruit liqueurs. After time, hints on cherry, dark chocolate and mocha. Med to long finish.
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6/26/2015 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
decanted for 45 minutes. delicious, smooth, big, beautiful california cab. layers of red fruit, chocolate, long finish. really enjoyable and fantastic with a group of guys having a very well prepared rack of lamb!
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4/15/2015 - pjgruber wrote: 87 Points
I adore(d) this producer, Seems to have lost fruit. Bad bottle vs hibernating vs past?
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1/5/2015 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of cocoa powder, plums, currants, and black berries. Flavors of currants, plums, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
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11/16/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
Super extract, dark as the night, showing unsmoked tobacco followed by a brutally long finish. This is as rich as it gets...
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8/11/2014 - DonWinspear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Inky dark color. After 30 minutes, the nose shows anise, blackberry. Some heat. As for the palate: The Big, the Bold and the Beautiful. The nose is complemented with notes of cherry, some raspberry. The tannins are rich and chewy, solid acidity. While this wine has the chops to cellar for many years, it's drinking really well now. Loved this.
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4/17/2014 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tough act as it followed the 1997 Jones Family Cab, however this wine stood up and was noticed! Youthful, overpowering at first, then settled down and drank exquisitely.
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3/20/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Big, rich, and huge with black cherries, black currant jam, red berries, and blueberry notes. While the nose is on the bigger side, it does hold itself well together with a lot of depth to the tones.
Taste: Full bodied with sneakier tannins. There is a real plushness to the feel with black cherries, black currant jam, blueberries, and some liqueur on the back end.
Overall: This is drinking perfectly right now. While not really my style, this was delicious in a slutty way.
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2/10/2014 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perhaps it was the amazing Chinese New Year meal at The Source or our great company, but this Merus Cab was even better than a year ago. Opulent, racy and rich, this fruit forward Cab has dark plum like notes finishing with almost sweet, soft tannins. Terrific complexity with hints of mocha, milk chocolate, and cassis. This Cab has it all and a treat to drink.
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12/12/2013 - BinVA wrote: 90 Points
Boys night out in DC. Too young still, even after double decant and open for a few hours. Still way tannic. The older wines crushed this. Ooops, live and learn.
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11/11/2013 - willthethrill wrote: 91 Points
First off, the bottle is super heavy - heaviest 750ml bottle I have ever seen. The black bottle is matched by a dark and lush cab. Alcohol all over the place - on the nose and in the mouth. Blackberries - not sure why someone described this wine as sweet - its more tart than sweet for me. Bottom line - too much sense of the alcohol and too tart for me - not sure why this scored so well on CT.
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7/30/2013 - JJB1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bold and flavorful. Unique flavors
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7/28/2013 - Double D wrote: 96 Points
Bold, dark, rich and well balanced...sort of Caymus style: rich and sweet. Needs decanting as it apparently not fined or filtered and has lots of debris which does not detract a bit from the pleasure it imparts.
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7/28/2013 - DHutch wrote: 96 Points
A great Cab - full of depth and complexity. Delicious now!
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7/20/2013 - TheDarkPrince Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, this is a candy store in a bottle. Maple syrup is in abundance, and not a lot else!
On the palette, this wine is rich and thick. It's heavy like diesel, but the wine carries it off. It's super-sweet, so it's not for everyone. Oodles of syrup overpower the cherries. Tannins are pronounced, but well positioned.
This wine does not need food. You can almost chew it on its own.
:0)
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4/20/2013 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intensely concentrated with blackberry fruit that is dense, layered and complex. This isn't just a fruit bomb, but its a pure unabashed cult Napa Cab. Despite the intense fruit, there are nice tannins that provide structure and complexity with a finish that lingers for 30 seconds, but has a full mouth feel. Love this 05 Merus.
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4/12/2013 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great Napa Cabernet!
Decanted for about 30 minutes and it was great!
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3/11/2013 - ptelgenh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Held up along side a 05 Schrader and an 09 Fantesca. Nice layers of ripe, rich dark fruit. Very solid
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2/24/2013 - cadamson wrote:
Not going to score this, as not convinced there was not something off. Not corked, not cooked, nothing obvious, just a disastrous mid palate and dominated by olive and mint. We were convinced either it really was not Merus (was done blind) or that the bottle was off.
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1/7/2013 - Double D wrote: 97 Points
Ditto my previous comments, so rich and a aftertaste that lingers...leggy. Just wonderful cab...can't remember a Napa cab I liked better.
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12/26/2012 - Cloverstudio wrote: 91 Points
Good but not showing at its best. It seems caught between a primary and secondary stage. Wait 5 yrs.
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9/7/2012 - bambam wrote: 96 Points
Still drinking very youthful and primary. The tannins have started to resolve. This should be great in another few years.
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5/12/2012 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Notes resemble last bottle. An excellent, well made wine.
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12/17/2011 - Double D wrote: 96 Points
I was nervous about this wine which we selected for a fancy Christmas buffet at our country club. Some of the CT ranking and comments seemed pretty negative. I loved the wine, let it air about an hour, wonderful aroma and rich full bodied fruit taste...not the least bit over extraced but nicely balanced. I will stretch the remaining bottles for another special occasion over the next two years but this one seems ready to drink right now to my taste.
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9/30/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
DItto my previous notes - in a nice place but still a youngster.
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8/30/2011 - drycab wrote:
Decanted for 3 hours and probably shouldn't have done it! Surprise, Surprise! It seems that this wine is falling apart as it ages. It was wholly disjointed last night and got worse as it aired. Drink up everyone or you will have some foul tasting purple juice in a year, I fear!
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6/1/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 93 Points
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COLOR: Opaque purple w/med purple rim
NOTE: Still underwhelmed by my multi-vintage Merus experience and will not be buying any more. Wasted perhaps $1K? Amazing color, like a black night Syrah. Maybe the blackest Cab I've ever seen. Nose is lovely blackberry liqueur, scorched tobacco leaves, grilled plum, leather, Saigon cinnamon. 3 hour decant really made a huge difference, but this just doesn't have the glycerin/opulence to score higher. Mouth is med+ blackberry liqueur, cassis, brown sugar, brown butter sage. Finish is cassis, lots of tannins, dries out a bit, but is nice & long.
DECANT: 3 hrs
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.3+
COST: 170
VALUE: 2.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: n/a
PAIRING:
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4/20/2011 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
I didn't have high expectations here. My first Merus, and honestly I expected an overhyped overoaked overripe bitter lead bomb. 16% alcohol on the label reinforced this expectation. Inky black like a syrah. First whiff of the nose was volatile wood resin - unpleasant. Wow, I'm really going to hate this. But the resin blew off pretty quickly, and underneath was such huge concentration of very tasty fruit that I liked the wine, quite a bit, in spite of myself. Unapologetic fruit bomb, with no sense of place (although I thought maybe I could taste the motor oil from the floor of the garage), no acidity to provide backbone. But what fruit. Not just big fruit, but nice tasting fruit. Too much oak but not so much as to take much away from the fruit. Not a wine that I'd stock up on at its price, but I'll give it its props.
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4/16/2011 - Etonian wrote: 97 Points
Blackberry and oak dominated for the first 6 hours although not over the top. Fairly light bodied and good balance. Really began to open up after 8 hours. By 24 hours was singing. Cassis up front yielded to leather and milk chocolate. Finish is long and silky.
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3/2/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
OK now we're talking. Time is right. Lots of fruit, soft tannin, nicely integrated. Yum.
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12/31/2010 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Opened and decanted for 3 hours before serving with Flannery Rib Cap. Paired beautifully. This wine is big, bold and beautiful. Quickly consumed by 3 of us.
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11/2/2010 - JOsgood wrote: 96 Points
Pulled the cork 5 hours before the first glass. Explosive nose. Black in color. A wine of considerable concentration and impeccable balance. It coats ever millimeter of your palate. The finish was at least 45 seconds. Terrific stuff.
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8/14/2010 - bambam wrote: 97 Points
Opaque, almost black. Wonderful sweet cassis, black fruit nose sores from the glass. It has a beautiful balance with some air time. This will easily be a 20+ year wine. It is still amazingly primary. Enjoyable now in it's pretty baby phase. I'm glad I have more to follow this as it grows up. The best Merus to date IMO.
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7/29/2010 - Marc McSorley wrote: 94 Points
very good, will get better
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7/25/2010 - drycab wrote:
WOTN! Just has everything in abundance and was exactly what the doctor ordered with a marinated skirt steak. Just killer!
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7/22/2010 - goofy Yno wrote: 95 Points
nose of black fruits, anise. wonderful mouth with great balance, nice complexity and a long powerful finish.
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7/22/2010 - kstoddard wrote: 96 Points
Almost black in color. Aromas of fresh blackberries. Flavors of black cherry, currant, mocha, and anise. Very well balanced. Incredible depth and complexity on the mid palate. Medium bodied. Long elegant finish that last for over a minute. 15.6% alcohol.
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6/22/2010 - B Paul wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour before tasting. This is a big-ass, full-throttle cab, but it is well made and quite enjoyable with a steak. Charcoal, currant, cherry and dark fruit liqueur. Long finish with good tannins.
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5/21/2010 - patwjr wrote: 94 Points
Young, promising, give it more cellar time or a very long decant, but better to wait.
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2/28/2010 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
Still stellar. See previous notes.
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2/18/2010 - scravis wrote:
Nice, still very young but drinking well with a long decant. Wish Herold hand't left as the 2007 would likely be epic.
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12/20/2009 - twelch wrote: 93 Points
WAY to early for this one. Double decanting for about 4 hours but this was still a dark brooding monster not giving up to much at this point. With that being said If it just opens up and releases some of that potential it will be a monster. I don't think I'll open another of these for at least 4-5 years.
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12/13/2009 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Very dark. Brooding, but mostly closed nose. Deep, very full bodied and rich. Tons of dark fruit, lots of oak (but reasonably well balanced), very nice tannins. Just coats the mouth. Way too young, but the fruit is there to outlast the oak...in a number of years this should be a great, and big, cab especially if it picks up some good secondary and tertiary nuances.
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12/12/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Phil popped and poured after purchasing from Knightsbridge.
Consistent score from last year.
Glass staining deep rich purple color - jammy viscocity.
Super lush and abundant amounts of obnoxiously ripe berries, black pepper, soy sauce, balsamic glaze, creme de cassis and dark heady purple flowers.
Tremendous effort of a fruit bomb that illustrates the power of Merus Cab.
Palate continues the dark berry theme along with more dark flowers, mocha, and slightly liquered cherry cola.
Rustic leather with a masculine style. Great weight on the mouth. An expressive and highly extracted effort sporting a 60+ second finish.
Consistently one of my favorite Napa Cult Cabs.
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12/12/2009 - psmith wrote:
Really ripe, sweet, and porty wine. Could pass for zinfindel. Spicy dark fruit. Heat. OK.
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8/29/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Ha - I didn't take my own advice and drank another too soon - decanted for an hour but it could have used more. But still delicious full body Cali Cab
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7/23/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 92 Points
dark smoky nose , big full body with nice depth, round tannins and a slightly clipped finish
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3/25/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
This took a couple of hours to really get going but then it was smooth sailing. Layers of flavor although a bit disjointed at the finish. Couple of years of sleep should do the trick.
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3/14/2009 - jehirsch wrote: 95 Points
A wonderful cab that is, surprisingly, ready to drink now. On pop and pour, the first thing you notice is the dense, purple / black color, and inky texture of the wine. Strong but not overpowering nose of blackberry, toast, and charcoal, giving way to an excellent taste of blackberry, black cherry, espresso, and a tiny bit of chocolate balanced by earth and mineral, with a small bit of oak that serves to bind all of the other flavors together. Thankfully, the wine does not get into the "sweet" territory. Perhaps most importantly, the tannins are highly refined: they complement the flavors and provide necessary structure and velvet mouth-feel, rather than distracting from the whole experience. Good to open now, but will space out my other 2 bottles over the next 4 or so years.
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2/22/2009 - 1981er wrote: 95 Points
Probably the best 05 Cab I've had yet, and it is insanely young but I couldn't resist. The color on this wine is inky black with a purple rim, and there aren't really even legs per se- it just coats the glass. Aromas on the nose are initially a little brooding, but with a long decant there is huge blackberry, black currant, espresso, iron rich minerals and crushed rocks as well as toasty spice and just a bit of earth peeking through. Really hedonistic, dark and powerful nose that follows through on the palate with insanely coating black and blue fruit, and a gorgeous mouthfeel, black licorice and graphite on the long finish. Very ripe but pure and not overdone, there is medium-low acidity and a large amount of tannin. I've been following this wine for about 20 hours now and it's really showing the best at this moment. This is sublime Napa Cabernet, in my opinion... Huge fruit, but not overly sweet and confected, no alcohol sticking out and the ability to age. There is a lot of sediment so I'd advise standing up at least a day ahead and decanting. I won't touch another one for 4 years or so. 95+.
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12/22/2008 - King Cab wrote: 93 Points
This was very different in style than anything on the table yet. Big brooding and well structured with very masculine lines. Nice dark black hole fruits of currant and boysenberry with some pomegranate. There was some soy and tarry leather. Consistent notes from previous visits with this wine. What a great wine with certain QPR for its price rage and certainly here tonight. 93/100
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12/17/2008 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 94 Points
I really like this wine. Red fruit, excellent balance, tanins are not obnoxious, nose is wine not alcohol, finish is long, color is very dark.
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11/1/2008 - greekwineaux wrote: 92 Points
Halloween night-distributing candy with three buddies, sitting outside in front of a fire, sipping 3 different cabs-we spoiled the little ones and gave them plenty. but grilled the trick-or-treaters who were as tall or taller than us, we gave them a little grief before handing over the loot! Some of those kids can really sing! First up was the Merus 2005, from a magnum. We made short work of the Merus, but even with several hours decanting time, it seemed a little tannic. Very nice fruit, but not up to par with previous Merus bottles.
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10/20/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
connoisseur wines new world and new additions fall portfolio (Vivere, Chicago IL): nose: big jammy nose filled with black cherries, toasty oak, black currants, and various spice tones that are layered between the fruit
taste: full on flavors of black cherries, anise, toasty oak, black currants, spice tones, and black liqueur tones just blast you and take hold
overall: This is a massive wine. Almost overpowering, but it keeps it in check just a slight bit. This is a hedonistic experience and it wants to take you for a ride, but I think this needs a bit of time to get itself fully into check to integrate and get the balance that it needs to have it be in that rareified air that you can sense in it
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9/7/2008 - JordanC wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 4 hours before drinking. Deep purple and viscous with wonderful aromas of blackberry and vanilla with hints of slate and steel. It reminded me a lot of a Shafer Hillside without the slight sweetness that makes SHS so distinct. The fininsh lasts as long as it takes to get the glass back to your mouth. It is young and will probably flesh out a little with a few years of cellaring, but it is atypical of Merus in that it really is satisfying young as long as you decant it for long enough. It is hard to find fault in this wine if you enjoy bold Cabernet. It is big but balanced and nuanced. I can't wait to drink the next one.
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8/23/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Taste from Dan Cushin at WF OB.
Black color in the glass.
Roasted espresso beans, blackberry, casis, lirorice, and lots of crushed gravel exploding out of this juice!
The palate is enormous and bountiful. Rich and layered it exhibits blackberry, mocha, tobacco and more LICORICE.
Would have gotten a 95 but I felt the finish was just a bit less complex and full as the '02 and '04.
Steller stuff. Absolutely ADORE Merus....then again, WHO WOULDN"T!?!?!?
Some of the best California Cab produced today in my opinion -- hands down.
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8/1/2008 - B Paul wrote: 95 Points
A beauty that slightly outshined the 2005 Buccella. Both outstanding wines though.
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7/20/2008 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
The color is a dark purple that fades very slightly at the rim. After a few hours in the decanter the nose gives off cassis, blueberry jam, mint and damp earth. The flavor profile of this wine is outstanding and very structured. Ultra ripe and extracted currant, black cherry, sage and cedar all work well together. The finish is very long and the tannins are fine grained. This wine is certainly going to become one of the best of the vintage for Napa Cabs. It needs 3-5 years in the cellar to be fully enjoyed so be patient.
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