Merlot
27 items in Merlot
1991 Swanson California (750ml) |
$55.00
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1993 Arrowood Unfiltered California (750ml) |
$60.00
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| Robert Parker 89 | |||||
| This opaque purple-colored, unfiltered Merlot ( there is 16% Cabernet Franc in the blend ), offers up a sweet, chocolatety, rich, berry-scented nose, soft, medium-bodied flavors with a creamy texture, and tannin in the finish. The wine exhibts fine purity and an authentic Merlot varietal character. | |||||
1994 Beringer, Howell Mtn California (750ml) |
$56.00
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| Robert Parker 92 | |||||
| This is one of the most dazzling Merlots they have yet produced. While closed initially,the wine opens quickly in the glass. The dark ruby/purple color is followed by smoky, chocolatey, and black cherry aromas with new oak in the background. In the mouth, this wine is full-bodied, with explosive levels of glycerin and richness on the back of the palate. Dense, concentated, tannic, and angular, it is capable of lasting 15+ years. | |||||
1994 Beringer, Howell Mtn California (750ml) |
$103.00
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| Robert Parker 92 | |||||
| This is one of the most dazzling Merlots they have yet produced. While closed initially,the wine opens quickly in the glass. The dark ruby/purple color is followed by smoky, chocolatey, and black cherry aromas with new oak in the background. In the mouth, this wine is full-bodied, with explosive levels of glycerin and richness on the back of the palate. Dense, concentated, tannic, and angular, it is capable of lasting 15+ years. | |||||
1994 Stag's Leap Napa California (750ml) |
$62.00
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| Wine Spectator 88 | |||||
| "Firm, well focused and richly flavored, with pretty black cherry, currant, anise, sage and spice notes, finishing with nice dashes of cedar and buttery oak." | |||||
1995 Leonetti Washington (750ml) |
$62.00
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| Wine Spectator 91 | |||||
| "A distinctive beauty, if not the blockbuster of previous vintages. Light in texture but ripe in flavor, with black cherry, spice and vanilla notes ringing on the long finish, which grows richer with each sip. Oak notes add depth." | |||||
| Robert Parker 90 | |||||
| "The dark ruby/purple-colored 1995 Merlot offers aromas reminiscent of a deep dish cherry pie dusted with Asian spices, grated vanilla bean, and then topped-off with a healthy scoop of coffee ice cream. This thick, silky-textured, and intensely sweet (from glycerin not sugar) wine is lively, tangy, and immensely pleasing. Layers of candied red fruits awash in toasted oak spices bathe the palate. This offering's long and oily finish does not reveal any of the dryness one would expect from oak tannins." | |||||
1996 Leonetti Washington (750ml) |
$62.00
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| Wine Spectator 91 | |||||
| Lithe and polished, a gorgeous example of fruit-centered Merlot, layering its berry, black cherry and vanilla flavors with hints of pepper and olive notes that swirl through the elegant finish. A blend: 50 percent Washington fruit, 50 percent Dry Creek Valley. | |||||
| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92 | |||||
| "Deep ruby-red. Aromatic nose combines cassis, black raspberry, chocolate, tar, toffee and scotch. Sweet and complete in the mouth, with spicy dark berry flavors complicated by notes of tobacco and leather. Fresh and impeccably balanced. Generous, pliant and very concentrated. Finishes with ripe, even tannins and terrific length. Impressive American merlot that combines the best traits of Washington and California fruit." | |||||
| Robert Parker 90 | |||||
| "Sporting the "America" appellation, the 1996 Merlot is medium to dark ruby-colored, and reveals a spicy oak and jammy blackberry nose. Medium to full-bodied, ample, oily textured, and sexy, this lovely Merlot is crammed with ripe red and black fruits as well as eucalyptus. This sensual offering's attack and mid-palate lead to a somewhat tannic finish that will require a year or two of cellaring." | |||||
1996 McCray Ridge California (750ml) |
$50.00
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| Wine Spectator | |||||
| Combines ripe, spicy cherry and wild berry flavors with supple, polished tannins and a sense of understated elegance and grace. Delicious enough to drink now or cellar through 2002. | |||||
1997 Leonetti Washington (750ml) |
$103.00
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| Wine Spectator 91 | |||||
| Dense in texture and distinctive in flavor, with floral, spicy, peppery notes swirling around the black cherry flavor at the core. | |||||
| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar | |||||
| Bright ruby-red. Black cherry, licorice, smoke, herbs and spices on the nose, plus a slight medicinal quality. Juicy and intensely flavored, with sound supporting acidity; initially seemed rather hard and lacking in density but became silkier with aeration. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent. 88(+?) | |||||
| Robert Parker | |||||
| The purple/ruby-colored 1997 Merlot exhibits sweet red cherry and Asian spice aromas. A myriad of wood flavors are intermingled with jammy red cherries in this extroverted wine. Gary Figgins' trademark supple personality leads to an atypically firm and structured finish. | |||||
1997 Marilyn Merlot California (750ml) |
$98.00
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| Wine- Maker Notes | |||||
| The 1997 Marilyn Merlot is an exceptional bottle of wine. This rich Napa Valley Merlot is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, creating an impression of fullness in the mouth with a nice balance of acids and tannins and a suggestion of oak. Aromas of ripe, plump blackberry complement the lovely, lingering fruit on the finish. | |||||
1997 Newton Unfiltered California (750ml) |
$55.00
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| Robert Parker 90 | |||||
| Lush, ripe, and fragrant, this forward Merlot should be accessible when released, and last for 12 or more years. | |||||
1998 Leonetti Washington (750ml) |
$73.00
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| Wine Spectator 93 | |||||
| "Firm, flavorful and distinctly spicy, with cinnamon and nutmeg overtones to the yummy, focused black currant and blackberry flavors. A racy red with great style and depth. Fine-grained tannins can use cellaring." | |||||
| Robert Parker 94 | |||||
| Medium to full-bodied and hugely ripe, it is crammed with Asian spices, chocolate, blackberry juice, and a cascade of cherries. This expansive, rich lively Melrot is unquestionably great stuff! There are no hard edges in its sultry character or exceptionally long, fruit-filled finish. Enjoy it over the next 7-9 years. | |||||
| Wine Enthusiast 95 | |||||
| The 1998 vintage shows its forward, fat, lip -smackinly luscious qualities in this meaty, oaky Cab that boasts firm, tongue-lashing tanins and plenty of red berries and cassis. It's delicius and strong, with coffee, bitter chocolate and licorice lining the extended finish. | |||||
| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 | |||||
| "Bright, deep ruby-red. Spicy aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, black plum and sexy oak. Juicy, intense and tightly wound, with flavors of red berries, mint and spice. Rather tannic today and in need of aging, but spicy, chocolatey and very long." | |||||
1998 Marilyn Merlot California (750ml) |
$98.00
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| Wine- Maker Notes | |||||
| This is the 14th vintage. It is a supple blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc grapes from the Napa Valley viticultural areas of Oakville, Rutherford and Yountville. Cinnamon and vanilla aromas from the oak compliment the milk chocolate and black cherry flavors of the fruit. | |||||
1998 McCray Ridge California (750ml) |
$49.00
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| FineWine International | |||||
| One of the best Merlots to emerge from California comes from this small vineyard high above Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. We have sung the praises of this wine since its debut with the 1996 vintage. This year, fans of McCray Ridge Merlot will not be disappointed. In style, the 1998 vintage is more like the 1996 than the 1997. The color is a beautiful blueish-purple with deep scarlet highlights. The nose is rich and full with exotic notes of plum, blueberry, allspice, along with hints of licorice, smoke and olive. The flavors echo the nose and the finish is long and full. A wine with real grip. The only bad news is the size of the crop, only 370 cases, less than half of the 1997. | |||||
1998 McCray Ridge California (750ml) |
$49.00
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| FineWine International | |||||
| One of the best Merlots to emerge from California comes from this small vineyard high above Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. We have sung the praises of this wine since its debut with the 1996 vintage. This year, fans of McCray Ridge Merlot will not be disappointed. In style, the 1998 vintage is more like the 1996 than the 1997. The color is a beautiful blueish-purple with deep scarlet highlights. The nose is rich and full with exotic notes of plum, blueberry, allspice, along with hints of licorice, smoke and olive. The flavors echo the nose and the finish is long and full. A wine with real grip. The only bad news is the size of the crop, only 370 cases, less than half of the 1997. | |||||
2000 Leonetti Washington (750ml) |
$147.00
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| Wine Spectator 92 | |||||
| Almost light in texture, remarkably supple and appealing for its chocolate-scented berry flavors, which pick up intensity on the ultrasmooth finish. More elegant and subtle that most previous vintages, although less powerful. | |||||
2000 Marilyn Merlot California (750ml) |
$98.00
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| Wine- Maker Notes | |||||
| The 2000 vintage Marilyn Merlot is a blend of 87% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. The addition of the two Cabernets gives the wine an increased floral fragrance and a more solid structure on the palate. Vanilla and milk chocolate aromas from French oak barrels nicely frame the ripe black cherry flavors of the fruit." | |||||
2001 Blankiet Estate California (1.5L) |
$215.00
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| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92 | |||||
| "Full, deep ruby-red. Very sexy, perfumed aromas of black raspberry, violet, mint, spices and tobacco. Broad, dry and suave; at once velvety and light on its feet. Bordeaux-like in its texture and inner-mouth verve. Coats the entire palate with flavor. Finishes very long and sweet, with a flavor of melted chocolate. A retaste of a bottle I sampled last year just after it was bottled." | |||||
| Robert Parker 91 | |||||
| "The dark plum/purple-colored 2001 Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard exhibits sweet aromas of cherry liqueur interwoven with mocha fudge. Firm, hard tannin in the finish closes the wine down on the palate. This is a structured, seriously-endowed Merlot meant for long term aging. The aromatics are a knock-out, but the flavors have yet to completely unfold, and while loaded as well as impressively endowed, the wine is tannic and backward. " | |||||
2001 Leonetti Washington (750ml) |
$61.00
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| Wine Spectator 92 | |||||
| Bright and generous. A lively mouthful of blackberry, currant and floral aromas and flavors, picking up a fresh-earth quality as the finish lingers. Shows less oak than earlier vintages and gorgeous fruit. | |||||
| Robert Parker 90 | |||||
| Cedar spices dominate the nose of the 2001 Merlot. A well-structured, medium-bodied wine, it offers loads of blackberry flavors in its broad, lengthy personality. | |||||
| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90+ | |||||
| Bright ruby. Primary aromas of black raspberry, licorice and espresso complemented by sexy oak. Penetrating and intensely flavored, with a tight, sweet kernel of dark fruit flavor. Quite bright and shapely, but really needs another year or so in the bottle to show greater complexity. 90(+?) | |||||
2002 Barlow California (750ml) |
$39.00
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| FineWine International | |||||
| Winemaker Notes: Barlow Merlot has a deep, concentrated violet-purple color and aromas of rich raspberry, black plum and toasty French oak. A dense core of blueberry fruit complmented by expansive layers of black cherry and dark chocolate highlight the lush palate. | |||||
| Wine Enthusiast 91 | |||||
| Takes the usual formula of cherries, blackberries, cocoa and oak and kicks it up a notch. It has all that, but the extra layers of dusty Asian spices and a wonderful integration of oak with ripe tannins add interest. The bottom line is elegance. | |||||
2002 Blankiet Estate California (1.5L) |
$245.00
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| Robert Parker 94 | |||||
| "The deep, rich 2002 Merlot is not up to the level of the 2003, although it does possess fabulously complex notes of scorched earth, chocolate, espresso roast, and meaty black cherries, currants, and plums. A broodingly backward, concentrated, full-bodied, dense, and super-rich Merlot, it should drink well for 15 or more years. As I have written before, the only way readers are going to get any of this wine is to be on the mailing list or check out one of the few restaurants that receives an allocation. This is an amazing operation on the hillsides overlooking the huge Dominus/Napanook estate. A complex set of caves and a remarkable, nearly surreal chateau grace the property. Winemaker Helen Turley, working with her viticulturalist husband, John Wetlaufer, is fashioning some spectacular wines from these hillsides of volcanic ash and basalt. These are big, structured, potentially long-lived wines that will need some cellar time for those lucky enough to latch onto a few bottles. Everything to date has been aged in 100% new Taransaud barrels for 18-19 months and then bottled unfiltered." | |||||
| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 95 | |||||
| "Saturated ruby-red. Wonderfully complex, deep aromas of plum, currant, licorice, smoke, dark chocolate and spices. Superconcentrated, round, sweet and creamy, with highly complex flavors of plum, dark chocolate, minerals and leather. This offers breadth and palate coverage rare for merlot that's not grown on the Po merol plateau. The rising finish boasts superb breadth and length. A great California merlot." | |||||
2002 Twomey California (750ml) |
$70.00
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| Robert Parker 94 | |||||
| Even better than the 2001 is the 2002 Merlot, a blend of 99.4% Merlot and .6% Cabernet Franc. The good news is that there are 10,845 cases of this sex pot of a Merlot. An exotic perfume of pepper, herbs, black cherries, plums, and raspberries is accompanied by an exciting texture, a plush, fleshy palate, and a concentrated, long heady, moderately tannic finish. This wine should improve over the next 2-3 years and last for 10-14. Very impressive! This is a top-flight single-vineyard wine aged completely in French oak, which is in total contrast to the wines made at Silver Oak. | |||||
| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91 | |||||
| Deep red-ruby. Ripe, complex nose melds plum, currant, chocolate, beefsteak tomato and smoked meat. Lush and sweet in the middle palate, with very fine-grained flavors of dark currant, smoke, licorice and sassafras. Finishes longer and sweeter than the 2003. Very sexy and complex California merlot. | |||||
2003 Blankiet Estate California (750ml) |
$163.00
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| Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93 | |||||
| Saturated ruby-red. Sour cherry, plum, menthol, mocha and smoked meat on the nose. Less fleshy than the young 2004 but still round, large-scaled and mouthfilling, with considerable complexity. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and excellent grip. | |||||
| Robert Parker 96 | |||||
| The 2003 Merlot is better out of bottle than it was from cask. An explosively rich wine that ranks among the finest Merlots I have tasted from California in the last decade, it boasts an incredibly perfumed nose of espresso roast, mocha-infused chocolate, blackberry, cassis, cherry liqueur, and smoke. With an enormous texture, fabulous concentration, a packed-and-stacked mid-palate, and an explosive intense, ripe, long finish, this stunning wine is extraordinarily complex and savory. Anticipated maturity: now-2020. | |||||
2003 Paloma California (750ml) |
$50.00
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| Robert Parker 89 | |||||
| An elegant, soft, velvety example of Paloma, with a deep ruby/purple-tinged color, attractive notes of caramel, mocha, sweet cherry and berry fruit, this 2003 Merlot is round and medium-bodied with no hard edges. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. | |||||
2004 Blankiet Estate California (750ml) |
$170.00
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| Robert Parker 94 | |||||
| "The 2004 Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard (1,100 cases) includes a dollop of Cabernet Franc in the blend. It exhibits gorgeous notes of chocolate, espresso, plums, blackberries, and cherries. Full-bodied with terrific intensity and opulence, it makes a dramatic statement about how great Napa Merlot can be. It should drink beautifully for 15 or more years." | |||||
| Wine Enthusiast 95 | |||||
| This is a stunning Merlot, impossibly rich. Saturated and opaque in color, it tastes fat and flashy, with masses of cherry and blackberry jam, anise, chocolate and Provencial herb flavors. Yet this opulently soft wine has a classic structure, backed up with firm tannins. This is profound Merlot. Steve Himoff | |||||
2004 Pride Mountain California (1.5L) |
$103.00
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| Robert Parker 87 | |||||
| Slightly lighter than previous vintages, the lean 2004 Merlot reveals austere tannin in the finish, but it offers nice herbal undertones in the attractive berry and mocha fruit. Drink this medium-bodied Merlot over the next 3-4 years. | |||||
2005 Pride Mountain California (1.5L) |
$120.00
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| Robert Parker 91 | |||||
| The superb 2005 Merlot, a blend of fruit from Napa (70%) and Sonoma (30%), exhibits sweet plum and black currant fruit intermixed with mocha, coffee, and earth notes. This medium to full-bodied, elegant, lush, heady wine begs for consumption over the next 7-8 years. | |||||