2008 Napa Valley Merlot
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Tasting notes
(includes 8% cabernet sauvignon): Ruby-red. High-toned aromas of plum, redcurrant and cedar lifted by a floral topnote. Spicy and firmly built but also with a rather voluptuous mid-palate texture and lovely sweetness to its plum and licorice flavors. Finishes with firm tannins and very good length. I like the note of spicy cabernet on the back end.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2008 Merlot (72% Sonoma fruit and 28% Napa) reveals abundant aromas of black cherry and mocha-infused fruit intermixed with hints of white chocolate, roasted herbs and coffee. It is a sexy, full-throttle, heady Merlot to drink over the next 7-8 years. This brilliant estate, whose vineyards straddle the Napa/Sonoma county line at the top of Spring Mountain, continues to turn out a bevy of exciting wines that first made headlines when Bob Foley was the winemaker. The transition from Foley to the current winemaker, Sally Johnson, has gone flawlessly. Tel. (707) 963-4949; Fax (707) 963-6039