2009 Merryvale Profile
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Tasting notes
The 2009 Profile is made up of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet colored, it features notions of baked blackberries, black cherry compote and crème de cassis with hints of cedar chest, pencil lead, spice box and fragrant soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has loads of relatively youthful, bright fruit with a refreshing line and grainy tannins to support, finishing with compelling purity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(a Bordeaux blend based on 87% cabernet sauvignon): Bright, saturated ruby-red. Cassis, blackberry, licorice, coffee and mocha on the nose, plus a whiff of tarry oak. Silky on entry, then vinous and firm, with noteworthy verve to the flavors of dark berries, chocolate, tobacco leaf, minerals and herbs. Good primary, brooding cabernet-based wine with serious tongue-dusting tannins and very good length. Should gain in texture and complexity over the next five to eight years.
The 2009 Profile bursts on the palate with an exciting array of black fruit, smoke, tar, licorice and grilled herbs. It is a big, muscular wine endowed with considerable depth and richness, but despite its obvious size, all of the elements are in harmony. This big boy will need some cellaring, but it is beautiful. Profile is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc.