2008 Pahlmeyer Merlot
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Tasting notes
Lot 34. The most ridiculously heavy, deep-punted bottle. Very deep crimson. Very pale rim. Very subtle and almost Pomerol-like on the nose. Sweet and minty on the palate. The nose is much more impressive than the palate, which just lacks a little freshness. Big and bold and a treat to taste at this stage in its evolution but just a little more acidity please! Long. Very rich. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
(includes 9% cabernet sauvignon): Good deep red-ruby. Blackberry and licorice aromas perked up by violet and spices. Juicy and moderately deep, with dark fruit flavors complicated by tobacco and cedar. Not a fat style for this bottling but boasts a solid acid/tannin spine and very good balance--not to mention fruit intensity. Today this makes the young 2009 merlot seem a bit dry
One of the few world-class Merlots in Napa Valley has always come from Pahlmeyer, and the 2008 looks to be no exception. Inky purple-colored, the wine offers up chocolatey espresso/mocha/cocoa notes as well as plenty of plum, black cherry and blacker fruits. Medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins, surprising elegance, and good richness, it is not the blockbuster it can be in some vintages, but it is very stylish and should drink well for 10-15 years. Tel. (707) 255-2321; Fax (707) 255-6786
Good deep red-ruby. Aromas of black cherry, licorice pastille, minerals, cocoa powder and violet. Saline, chewy and rather forward, offering supple blackberry and cocoa powder flavors complicated by licorice. The pHs in 2008 were higher than those of 2007, notes winemaker Erin Green, and that's why the newer vintage seems fleshier now. Finishes with broad, dusty, slightly dry tannins.