2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
People are talking about Merryvale wines! Here are a few of our most recent awards and accolades for this 2005 Merlot, Napa Valley.
"50 Great Wines of 2009"
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
"To arrive at the “50 Great Wines of 2009,” I went back through all the posts for last year, read all the reviews, made notes, looked again, made more notes, thought hard, and came up with a list of candidates...
"Merryvale Merlot 2005, Napa Valley. Excellent."
- Fredric Koeppel
"Merryvale's Wines"
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
Black currant and charcoal, sharply defined, with the slightest hint of menthol, green bean and asparagus; smoke, tobacco and cassis in the finish. Beef Wellington, followed by cigars and Port.
- Richard Paul Hinkle
"Cheese Toast IV: The Merlot Intervention"
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
"But to be honest, the best merlot I have tasted from California in a considerable time is the Merryvale Vineyards Merlot 2005, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District. Warm, rich and spicy, this 100 percent merlot wine teems with aspects of flint and shale, lead pencil, hints of black olive and dried rosemary, and roasted black currants, black cherries and plums; I mean, you could kiss this bouquet. There’s lovely purity and intensity here, as the fruit turns more blue in the mouth, as well as more smoky and macerated, and the mineral elements, the chewy tannin, the essential acidity and the polished oak — 18 months in French oak, 37 percent new barrels — weave an impeccable structure that’s dense, burnished and firm. Serious, sensual and entrancing. 2,250 cases. Drink through 2012 to ‘15. Excellent. About $35."
- Fredric Koeppel
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
This competition is the largest competition of domestic wines in the U.S. with 4,763 entries. The complete competition results can be found by clicking here.
- Tasting Panel
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
If you like your espresso with a dash of sugar, you'll find similar flavors here in the soft tannins of this merlot. The dark fruit gets juicier with air. A round and pleasing red for roast beef.
- Tasting Panel
"Wine of the Week"
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
It's a rare California merlot that makes a solid case that its vineyard wouldn't have been better planted with cabernet sauvignon. This is one of them. It's a meaty yet velvet-textured red wine with concentrated black-cherry fruit and hints of herbs and chocolate. There's better-than-average complexity here and a drawn-out finish. Although accessible young, it has the structure to age well for five-10 years.
- Michael Dresser
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
Merryvale has a very good track record with Merlot, and the ’05 is one of their better efforts in recent years. It’s a tannic wine, with quite a bit of astringency, but that lends structure to the black currant flavors, to which new oak adds a touch of smoky cigar box. This fine wine should age well for six years.
- Steve Heimoff
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
The core Merryvale wines are expertly-crafted Napa Valley varietals, made with obvious care and attention in both the vineyard and the winery.
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley: Deep, and dark with rich plum, blackberry and spice; pure, racy acid structure and a long, lingering finish. A home run.
- Anthony Dias Blue
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
- Tasting Panel
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
- Tasting Panel
"Tasting Notes"
2005 Merlot, Napa Valley
The aroma is bright with blue fruit, traces of tobacco and mint, and a lilting, seductive mid-palate with great acidity to pair with food. Fruit from Carneros and Oak Knoll. A startlingly superb red!
- Dan Berger