2006 Napa Valley Merlot
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Tasting notes
(includes 11% cabernet sauvignon) Full ruby-red. Black raspberry, licorice, truffle, shoe polish and a note of black olive on the nose. Sweet, lush and plump, with expressive flavors of black plum syrup, dark chocolate, mocha and truffle. This boasts a solid middle ("the addition of some cabernet adds weight and fills out the palate," notes winemaker Green) to support its substantial ripe tannins. Finishes with dark fruits and earth. This has turned out very well.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Pahlmeyer’s Merlot was the uncontested top California Merlot for many years, but significant competition has emerged from the upstart Kapcsandy Estate in Yountville. However, Pahlmeyer’s offering remains one of the classic examples of just how great Merlot can be in Napa. The 2006 Merlot (89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits sweet chocolate, mocha, cola, black cherry, and plum aromas and flavors as well as full body, a sumptuous, dense texture, and no hard edges. The beautifully integrated acidity, tannin, and wood result in a hedonistic, mouthfilling, luscious Merlot to consume over the next 10-15 years. Things just seem to get better and better at Pahlmeyer, a long-standing, brilliant, remarkably consistent source for one of Napa’s finest Merlots, Chardonnays, and Pinot Noirs. Tel. (707) 255-2321; Fax (707) 255-6786
(includes 7.5% cabernet sauvignon) Good ruby-red color. Slightly grapey aromas of blackberry and violet. Supple and chunky in the mouth, with a slightly medicinal quality to the very primary flavors of black cherry, cocoa powder and menthol; a note of violet gives this a juicy character but today this rather tannic merlot is not yet particularly expressive.