Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has sweet plums, black cherries and sandal wood. Firm tannins. On the palate, black cherry pie. Delicious if ripe. Some heat. This is more of a cocktail wine to be drunk on its own. It will prove to be a difficult food match. Perhaps is settles down with some cellaring. Drink in the next five to be safe but who knows, it might last twenty.
Purple/ruby in color. The nose has cherries, spice and some chocolate. On the palate, this is sweet ripe cherries. One dimensional. Easy drinking. Tasty. Nice finish. It retails for around $50. Drink over the next five years.
Of course, this bottle should have been consumed long ago, but it happens. This acquitted itself very well, all things considered. Deep ruby in color, some browning but not much at the rim. The nose is dusty, earthy with some dried and macerated cherries. On the palate, this has some layering going on, fresh cherries, dried cherries and forest floor notes. Tannins are all resolved. A bit tart. Good finish. This improved a bit with food. I worked well with a vegetarian bean cassoulet. These should be drunk up.
This is an exceptional California Merlot. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cherries, slight plums, chocolate, cedar and spice. Full bodied. On the palate, cherries, milk chocolate, smoke and spice. Medium tannins. Still very primary, this should continue to mature for the next five to ten years and be good for another ten after that. Drinks great on its own, it would work well with a burger or roast.
Another in a fine line of Napa Merlot's from Flora Springs. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet allowing the vineyard manager to let fruit hang if needed to get ripe. No issues here despite a less than stellar growing season. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has black cherries, milk chocolate and spice. A nice silky texture. Lots of black cherry fruit. Light tannins. This is still young but drinks quite easy. It will mature a bit, but is drinking great now. It should drink well over the next seven to ten years. Great on its own or a nice match for burgers or ribs.
This is from grapes that are grown 63% IN Napa and 37% in Sonoma. It also contains 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a difficult vintage, yet this is a nice wine. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries and coffee. Also a hint of clove. Medium bodied. On the palate, black cherries and cherries with some underlying spice. A slight green note on the finish. Nice acidity. The fruit is not under ripe but just barely. This drinks well but will work better with food. Fried chicken might be nice. Drink over the next few years.
