2020 Pride Mountain Merlot Vintner's Select
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Tasting notes
The 2020 Merlot Vintner Select shows the heat of the season and a wilder edge in its super-ripe dark fruit, tobacco, worn-in leather, iron, blood, espresso, game, incense and licorice nuances. There's a pretty strong oak imprint and prominent torrefaction notes. The balance here is not optimal—this blend is missing a block of Merlot, the last to ripen, that was lost to the wildfires of 2020.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,356 g. Grown at 2,100 ft elevation. Deep ruby in colour. Black-cherry, plum and dark-chocolate nose. High mouth-watering acidity with plush round tannin that builds with every sip. The oak is more obvious here than in the classic Merlot bottling, giving a rounder tannin structure and more vanilla and cedar flavour. The fruit is dense and evolves on a lingering cocoa-nib and vanilla finish. (SCJ)