CALIFORNIA

Merlot

1996 Paloma Spring Mountain Merlot $$$

Color:  Dark Ruby Red

Nose:  Currants of plum and red raspberry, earth

Taste:  Pepper, spice, cigar

Finish:  Multilateral with pepper, spice, currants

Evaluation:  Wonderful wine that stood the test of time.  93 points

2000 Pride Mountain Vintner's Select Merlot $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Plum, smoke, earth

Taste:  Oak, plum and earth

Finish:  Medium with oak and earth dominating

Evaluation:  A nice wine that would go with a steak.  88 points

2000 Robert Mondavi Stag's Leap District $$$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Earth and red pepper

Taste:  Earth and red pepper

Finish:  Earth and pepper on a medium finish

Evaluation:  A tough vintage for California.  80 points

2001 Atalon Napa Valley Merlot $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, cherry

Taste:  Complex with bing cherries, walnuts, oak and vanilla

Finish:  Medium with many above notes

Evaluation:  A nice merlot at a good price.  89 points

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Spice, cigar box, cherry, plum

Taste:  Spice, cherries, tobacco, mineral, plums

Finish:  Medium and complex wine.  Refreshing element to it.

Evaluation:  Tasted in February 2008 and this has evolved well.  One of Napa's best Merlots in regards to price.  90 points

2001 Carini Fortuna Vineyard Merlot $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Tobacco, currants, earth

Taste:  Red Pepper, currant and tobacco

Finish:  Smooth with earth and currants intermixed

Evaluation:  A nice wine from a smaller winery in Northern California.  89 points

2001 Carini Fortuna Kenefick Vineyard Merlot $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Bing cherry

Taste:  Earth, pepper, cherry

Finish:  Short with earth and cherry

Evaluation: Solid overall.  87 points

2002 Baily Temecula Valley Estate Merlot $$$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Red Pepper

Taste:  Thin with pepper

Finish:  Watered down with pepper

Evaluation:  75 points

2003 Pine Ridge Crimson Creek Napa Valley Merlot $$$

Color: Dark purple

Nose:  Earth and forest floor

Taste:  Pine, earth and plum

Finish:  Medium tannins with earth and pine

Evaluation:  Not smooth but enjoyable.  Try with a steak.  88 points

2003 B.V. Napa Valley Merlot $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Oak, vanilla, cherry

Taste:  Buttery wine with cherry, spice, vanilla, oak

Finish:  Medium and very buttery along with some nice fruit

Evaluation:  Solid Merlot for the price 88 points

2003 Shafer Napa Valley Merlot $$$$

Color:  Deep red

Nose:  Earth, Leather

Taste:  Too Tannic with oak and earth

Finish:  Very tannic with some earth tones

Evaluation:  Too tannic for me.  85 points

2004 Esterlina Cole Ranch Merlot $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Chocolate, plum, pleasant

Taste:  Water down tobacco, red pepper, not good

Finish:  Weak

Evaluation:  Another reminder not to buy California Merlot 82 points

2004 Havens Napa Valley Merlot $$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Spice and cherry

Taste:  Spice and cherry

Finish:  Medium and tannic

Evaluation:  82 points

2004 Shafer Napa Valley Merlot $$$$

Color: Purple

Nose:  Tobacco, some fruit

Taste:  Plum, tobacco, oak, vanilla

Finish:  Medium with plum, tobacco and oak

Evaluation:  Not impressive for $40 plus.  86 points

2005 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Merlot $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Big fruits featuring plum, blackberries, and cherry along with some earthy components

Taste:  Smooth wine with great balance of fruit and earth.  A little oak but well integrated.

Finish:  Medium with fruit, oak, vanilla, and a touch of spice.

Evaluation:  This is the best California Merlot I have sampled to date.  93 points

 

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