A well-crafted wine, with substantial complexity, as many previous notes will attest. A very round, fleshy fruity body; with more glycerin than tannin on the slightly alcohol-hot finish.
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Oh yes! An old favourite in a very good place now. Everything you’d expect from top Napa Merlot. This has loads of structure and complexity but is also just lovely glass to enjoy with pretty much everything
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This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Soft and elegant. Smooth and fruit forward.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This 2014 vintage is drinking wonderfully now, and this wine is a good example of it. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.
I had this vintage 6 years ago, but it was not ready at all. Was unbalanced and a little austere. Right now, it is a wonderful wine that's at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.
Easy drinking, spicy and entertaining.
Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
A blend of 78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Malbec. Aged for 20 months in mostly new French oak barrels.
15.3% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$60.
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Dark ruby color; moderate legs; aromas of plum and blackberry; flavors of black cherry, flint, and raisin; a long finish. This MERLOT is one of the better affordable merlots from California. This wine has another 2-3 years of good life, but is drinking very nice NOW! We consumed this wine with prime rib and it was a very nice match.
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Opened for two hours (no decant). Great balance with rich intense fruit notes, very good depth and long finish. The depth and structure was comparable to most Napa cabernets that I've tried. Four hours after first tasting (six hours after opening), this wine was still going strong.
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Double decanted off its sediment just after I fired up the grill, served thirty minutes later with Morgan Ranch wagyu NY strips. Opaque dark color with aromas of black cherry, red plum, mint, licorice, leather, rose petal and vanilla. Medium-bodied with soft tannins. Flavors of cherry, chocolate, black fruit and vanilla. Lingering finish; balanced. A beautiful example which paired beautifully with the steaks. 93 for me, 94 for Domino. Sadly this was our last bottle. Well-stored examples should continue to easily drink well for, I would expect, 3-5 years.
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All velvet. Dark fruit, baking spices. This is the answer to what my guests like to drink when they visit or if I need a sure thing in a tasting line up. 91
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Warm, dark fruit with baking spices/vanilla on nose. Medium full body, garnet throughout. Little color variation through to rim. Mostly plum on palate and savory elements. Not much tertiary that I can get (leather or tobacco or such). Balanced but some evidence of alcohol. Very nice. Not hugely complex. Yummy.
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Hour+ decant. Agree with Galloni's 2nd review. Way more savory than sweet - with pencil lead, menthol, pepper, brine, some smoke & florals - but little fruit. Probably wouldn't peg this as a merlot blind; structured more like a cab. I preferred it a couple hours in, without food; then, even more several nights later. Not extremely interesting, given the pedigree. I prefer the broader style of WA merlots [at the fifty-dollar price point]. Given my experience, I would hold for a few more years.
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Still young. Needs decanting. Layers of complexity. The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, dust, black pepper and smokey bacon. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, vanilla, burnt, smokey bacon and high toast. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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Back story: Shafer Merlot (probably 1997) was one of the first wines I had in a restaurant that I thought was really great. This was 2 decades ago, before I had much experience with wine. Fast-forward to present day. I had high expectations for this bottle, which I had been saving for a special occasion dinner. Upon opening, the wine had a nice nose but was a bit hot. Decided to decant and let it sit for an hour and a half before dinner. That was enough to dissipate the alcoholic heat. The wine was pleasant enough (we finished the bottle), but it seemed fairly generic and uninteresting, with muted flavors. I've had other wines that were more impressive -- even when popped and poured -- at lower prices. Not a re-buy for me.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (T&L's): Double blind. Opens with an earthy note, followed by a buttered popcorn note as well as dill and olive...something on the briny side. Currant, plum and black fruit flavors with velvety tannins. Good, if a bit odd...I certainly did not think merlot for this one.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Our house): Blind. Aromas of dark fruit have a sour edge. Much better on the palate though, with plum, dark fruit and chocolate. A mere shadow of the bottle tasted at the winery a couple of weeks prior.
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Tasting: Shafer Vineyards (Shafer Vineyards): My cousin, who we joined on this trip, is a big fan of Shafer's merlot and luckily the winery had just a few left and very generously put a bottle into the lineup for us. Chocolate, red plum and macerated red berry fruit aromas. Plush texture. Red plum and cherry flavors, just a touch of underlying earth. Very pretty fruit. Drinking incredibly well at the moment. Many thanks to the generosity of the Shafer crew for opening this for our group, who rewarded the favor by purchasing what little stock remained at the winery. 93-94 pts.
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A perfect pairing for a flourless black chocolate truffle cake. Fruity, ripe and smooth. Fine balance, grace and proportion. Drink over the next 3-5 years. Outstanding. 90
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Even with a decant and food, this is a muscular Merlot, and IMHO, still a bit early for prime drinking. Still developing, medium plus aromas and flavors of black cherry, black plum, and black raspberry with cinnamon, charred cedar mulch, and lots of unresolved oak and chewy tannins in the mix. Structure should support additional cellaring for another 6-8 years. Big long finish provides a great end.
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Lush and fruity on the bouquet, thick purple in color. Plum and cherry come across on the palate early, leading to some acidity with dark chocolate notes at the finish. This comes across narrow to medium bodied; and the finish draws out 25 seconds or so, no real tannin noticeable. Not bad quality at the price, though nothing overtly exceptional. Pleasant and easy drinking, safe and reliable step up merlot.
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This wine was murdered tonight. This one has a TON of youthful black fruit, bramble, wildflower, chocolate. The makings of a really nice Merlot are all here, but are just very tight. After an hour of being in the glass, this one really did perform quite a bit better than it did initially after it was "Coravinned." Sweeter, youthful fruit on the front. Acidic finish, tannin very present. Stiff oaked tannic finish. Very enjoyable. Wish I had a case of this. At the price paid, I should have bought a case, but unfortunately snoozed.
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Comme Miles Raymond dans Sideways...ça faisait longtemps que je n'avait pas bu de F#%@ing Merlot! Assez guidoune et moderne mais tout de même fort gouteux, soyeux et long. J'ai aimé mais à ce prix, j'en achète pas c'est certain.
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Plum Market luxury wine tasting. Purple fruit - blueberry, dark currants, dark cherry, and a little plum. As usual, fairly rich and somewhat sweet. Smooth mid-palate coupled with solid depth for the price point. Nice flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep - I believe this vintage could use a little more time for the fruit to soften and open-up. Apparently the bottles were open for a couple hours before the tasting. In my opinion, more or less in line with Parker's 92 rating with a little more time. Apparently this is the last vintage of this wine with the TD-9 more or less replacing it. 78% merlot, 14% Malbec, and 8% cab.
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Fruit forward with wood and a little booze on the nose. Black fruit and ripe blueberry dominate. Texturally beautiful with light tannins, and a good hit of acidity to offset the fruit. Delicious lingering finish. Too bad this is being discontinued.
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N: SMOKE with notes of vanilla & (poss) undertones of pyrazines?
P: MF, poss Med, body; RIPE, ALMOST swtish frt met by finely tannic, yet ALMOST swtish pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG, tangy/spicy, slightly bitter/SWT finish. NEEDS 1, poss 2 yrs, then should provide first-rate drinking for at least the ff'ing 2 or 3 yrs. 94 & 93 pts (2x) winealign.com (11/’17), 93 ea Vinous (Galloni, 10/1/15) & WE + “Cellar Selection” (6/1/17) @ $55, and 92 ea WA & winereviewonline.com (Cook, 1/24/17)! [As of mid Jan '20, I saw 1 U.S. source on wine-searcher @ $55].
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Estate Tasting. Sourced from warmer Oak Knoll district in So Napa Valley. Tight lactic nose with notes of leather. The palate has a brushy entry with medium flesh, tart tannins, and notes of twigs. Some of the new oak comes through at the end. The blend has some Malbec.
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This wine needs 2+ hours of suitable oxygenation to show itself. Even with the extended decanter time, I was not overly impressed. To be fair, I have never been a big fan of Shafer Merlot as it tends toward monolithic, hollow, and a one trick pony.
Non descript nose of macerated cherry, menthol, and some generic black fruit from the varietal blend. Bland mid palate although there was some nice tannic grip on the finish. No sense of complexity or differentiation from the pack. Terrible QPR as I believe an $18 Markham might best this in a blind.
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WSET Diploma Unit 3 - EXAM (SF Wine School): I blinded this as a Coonawarra cab - it had menthol/gingerbread notes (possibly from eucalyptus), with pyrazines and dark fruit, elevated acid, alcohol, and tannins.
78% Merlot, 14% Malbec, 8% Cabernet 15.3% 20 months in 75% new allier and troncais French barriques. $55
Analysis: this is surprisingly pyrazinic and mentholated for CA merlot - it's a well-balanced wine, but maybe not what most would expect from CA merlot (not as ripe/plush as other examples, like Duckhorn).
I'm not 100% confident this was actually Shafer Merlot, so I'll hold off on rating until I can confirm - I'll have to taste this again.
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lots going on here, with a thick, fruit-driven profile. boysenberry and other black and blue fruits, vanilla, milk chocolate, toast. silky & smooth tannins. really nice finish.
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Only opened this because I have a case and CellarTracker said it was on the near top of ready to drink. Definite not ready - can see the potential after opening up for 2 hours - not sure if it is as good as the 2012 which is drinking exceptionally well right now. 15.3% alcohol for a merlot - nuts.
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Dark purple color. On the nose, a dark core of saucy plum, black cherry and black currant, along with mocha, crushed rocks, violets, cola, campfire smoke and coffee. Very full-bodied with a huge and viscous presence on the palate, medium/low acidity. Black cherries, roasted plums and black currant, the fruit is dense but laced with flavors of violets, loamy soil, charcoal, vanilla, cedar, bourbon and spiced coffee. Huge and hedonistic, this goes for the jugular, but it is excellent for this style. I’d love to bury a bottle for five to seven years. Includes 14% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is aged 20 months in 85% new French oak.
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4/6/2024 - Winiac wrote: 89 Points
Flavors not very focused bur the wine is balanced and pleasant.
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7/4/2023 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 92 Points
A well-crafted wine, with substantial complexity, as many previous notes will attest. A very round, fleshy fruity body; with more glycerin than tannin on the slightly alcohol-hot finish.
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5/9/2023 - Chris Keller wrote: 94 Points
Coffee bean, vanilla, boysenberry, blackberry, huckleberry, tobacco, and a long finish with licorice. Great stuff has 4 more years at least.
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5/7/2023 - Sonoffalstaff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oh yes! An old favourite in a very good place now. Everything you’d expect from top Napa Merlot. This has loads of structure and complexity but is also just lovely glass to enjoy with pretty much everything
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3/4/2023 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Dark youthful color. Plum, black fruit and chocolate. Balanced. As others have noted, this in in a beautiful place right now.
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1/26/2023 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Soft and elegant. Smooth and fruit forward.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This 2014 vintage is drinking wonderfully now, and this wine is a good example of it. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.
I had this vintage 6 years ago, but it was not ready at all. Was unbalanced and a little austere. Right now, it is a wonderful wine that's at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.
Easy drinking, spicy and entertaining.
Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
A blend of 78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Malbec. Aged for 20 months in mostly new French oak barrels.
15.3% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$60.
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1/16/2022 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 92 Points
An excellent merlot for the price.
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1/9/2022 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle 2500 since joining Cellar Tracker. We chose a 2014 to commemorate the year we joined.
Nice round fruit of course and elegant tannins. Shafer does not disappoint. Well balanced and expressive.
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12/23/2021 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby color; moderate legs; aromas of plum and blackberry; flavors of black cherry, flint, and raisin; a long finish. This MERLOT is one of the better affordable merlots from California. This wine has another 2-3 years of good life, but is drinking very nice NOW! We consumed this wine with prime rib and it was a very nice match.
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9/5/2021 - westcoastwannabe wrote: 92 Points
Opened for two hours (no decant). Great balance with rich intense fruit notes, very good depth and long finish. The depth and structure was comparable to most Napa cabernets that I've tried. Four hours after first tasting (six hours after opening), this wine was still going strong.
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7/5/2021 - Tiderunner22 wrote: 92 Points
Beautifully balanced wine with dark fruit flavors. Full bodied with a long finish with and well integrated tannins. This is a lovely complex wine.
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3/29/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted off its sediment just after I fired up the grill, served thirty minutes later with Morgan Ranch wagyu NY strips. Opaque dark color with aromas of black cherry, red plum, mint, licorice, leather, rose petal and vanilla. Medium-bodied with soft tannins. Flavors of cherry, chocolate, black fruit and vanilla. Lingering finish; balanced. A beautiful example which paired beautifully with the steaks. 93 for me, 94 for Domino. Sadly this was our last bottle. Well-stored examples should continue to easily drink well for, I would expect, 3-5 years.
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3/1/2021 - swade wrote: 91 Points
All velvet. Dark fruit, baking spices. This is the answer to what my guests like to drink when they visit or if I need a sure thing in a tasting line up. 91
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1/8/2021 - WingedOtter Likes this wine:
Warm, dark fruit with baking spices/vanilla on nose. Medium full body, garnet throughout. Little color variation through to rim. Mostly plum on palate and savory elements. Not much tertiary that I can get (leather or tobacco or such). Balanced but some evidence of alcohol. Very nice. Not hugely complex. Yummy.
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5/22/2020 - fitchbuck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hour+ decant. Agree with Galloni's 2nd review.
Way more savory than sweet - with pencil lead, menthol, pepper, brine, some smoke & florals - but little fruit. Probably wouldn't peg this as a merlot blind; structured more like a cab.
I preferred it a couple hours in, without food; then, even more several nights later. Not extremely interesting, given the pedigree. I prefer the broader style of WA merlots [at the fifty-dollar price point].
Given my experience, I would hold for a few more years.
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5/3/2020 - Cullens wrote: 88 Points
Overpowering, acidic, Popped, and Poured so likely just too young. better day 2, but still with an effervesce finish. Will hold for 3+ years
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4/22/2020 - Woody18 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice.
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4/18/2020 - PierreBrusso Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young. Needs decanting. Layers of complexity.
The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, dust, black pepper and smokey bacon. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, vanilla, burnt, smokey bacon and high toast. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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2/13/2020 - FelineAvenger wrote:
Back story: Shafer Merlot (probably 1997) was one of the first wines I had in a restaurant that I thought was really great. This was 2 decades ago, before I had much experience with wine. Fast-forward to present day. I had high expectations for this bottle, which I had been saving for a special occasion dinner. Upon opening, the wine had a nice nose but was a bit hot. Decided to decant and let it sit for an hour and a half before dinner. That was enough to dissipate the alcoholic heat. The wine was pleasant enough (we finished the bottle), but it seemed fairly generic and uninteresting, with muted flavors. I've had other wines that were more impressive -- even when popped and poured -- at lower prices. Not a re-buy for me.
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11/23/2019 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (T&L's): Double blind. Opens with an earthy note, followed by a buttered popcorn note as well as dill and olive...something on the briny side. Currant, plum and black fruit flavors with velvety tannins. Good, if a bit odd...I certainly did not think merlot for this one.
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10/23/2019 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 93 Points
375 ml consumed by wife.
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10/22/2019 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious wine! Had with chicken cacciatore. Paired beautifully.
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10/17/2019 - Cellar3 wrote: 88 Points
not as good as I had hoped. Maybe wait till 2024.
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5/25/2019 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Our house): Blind. Aromas of dark fruit have a sour edge. Much better on the palate though, with plum, dark fruit and chocolate. A mere shadow of the bottle tasted at the winery a couple of weeks prior.
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5/10/2019 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Tasting: Shafer Vineyards (Shafer Vineyards): My cousin, who we joined on this trip, is a big fan of Shafer's merlot and luckily the winery had just a few left and very generously put a bottle into the lineup for us. Chocolate, red plum and macerated red berry fruit aromas. Plush texture. Red plum and cherry flavors, just a touch of underlying earth. Very pretty fruit. Drinking incredibly well at the moment. Many thanks to the generosity of the Shafer crew for opening this for our group, who rewarded the favor by purchasing what little stock remained at the winery. 93-94 pts.
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3/30/2019 - TMethvin1 wrote:
Rated as a 2
Bitter finish 12/24/16
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2/23/2019 - swade wrote: 90 Points
A perfect pairing for a flourless black chocolate truffle cake. Fruity, ripe and smooth. Fine balance, grace and proportion. Drink over the next 3-5 years. Outstanding. 90
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2/17/2019 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Had next to the 2013 and this edged it out. Good balance and plenty of fruit. Plenty of time left.
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12/13/2018 - wmccone54 wrote: 92 Points
Even with a decant and food, this is a muscular Merlot, and IMHO, still a bit early for prime drinking. Still developing, medium plus aromas and flavors of black cherry, black plum, and black raspberry with cinnamon, charred cedar mulch, and lots of unresolved oak and chewy tannins in the mix. Structure should support additional cellaring for another 6-8 years. Big long finish provides a great end.
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11/29/2018 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious wine had with pasta with spicy sausage, basil, and mustard on my birthday. Mmmmm
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9/6/2018 - J.S wrote: 92 Points
Lush and fruity on the bouquet, thick purple in color. Plum and cherry come across on the palate early, leading to some acidity with dark chocolate notes at the finish. This comes across narrow to medium bodied; and the finish draws out 25 seconds or so, no real tannin noticeable. Not bad quality at the price, though nothing overtly exceptional. Pleasant and easy drinking, safe and reliable step up merlot.
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6/6/2018 - mflesh wrote:
This wine was murdered tonight. This one has a TON of youthful black fruit, bramble, wildflower, chocolate. The makings of a really nice Merlot are all here, but are just very tight. After an hour of being in the glass, this one really did perform quite a bit better than it did initially after it was "Coravinned." Sweeter, youthful fruit on the front. Acidic finish, tannin very present. Stiff oaked tannic finish. Very enjoyable. Wish I had a case of this. At the price paid, I should have bought a case, but unfortunately snoozed.
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5/22/2018 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Bu en succ.
Comme Miles Raymond dans Sideways...ça faisait longtemps que je n'avait pas bu de F#%@ing Merlot!
Assez guidoune et moderne mais tout de même fort gouteux, soyeux et long. J'ai aimé mais à ce prix, j'en achète pas c'est certain.
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4/14/2018 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice way to end a big, beefy dinner!!! Thanks, Don Antonello and Chef Andrea. Without question, the best Beef Bar on the planet!!!
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2/18/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid, quite nice, fruit forward low tannin
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2/14/2018 - pupaes Likes this wine: 90 Points
agree with wood and booze on nose. blackfruit. menthol on the finish. faded after 90 minutes. drink now.
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1/22/2018 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
Very beautiful dark fruits with integrated tannins. While I am not typically a merlot fan, I loved this wine.
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11/3/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 91 Points
Plum Market luxury wine tasting. Purple fruit - blueberry, dark currants, dark cherry, and a little plum. As usual, fairly rich and somewhat sweet. Smooth mid-palate coupled with solid depth for the price point. Nice flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep - I believe this vintage could use a little more time for the fruit to soften and open-up. Apparently the bottles were open for a couple hours before the tasting. In my opinion, more or less in line with Parker's 92 rating with a little more time. Apparently this is the last vintage of this wine with the TD-9 more or less replacing it. 78% merlot, 14% Malbec, and 8% cab.
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10/3/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Fruit forward with wood and a little booze on the nose.
Black fruit and ripe blueberry dominate.
Texturally beautiful with light tannins, and a good hit of acidity to offset the fruit.
Delicious lingering finish.
Too bad this is being discontinued.
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9/16/2017 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites & 8 Reds] from 9/15/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Supposedly 78% Merlot, 14% Malbec, & 8% C.S.
N: SMOKE with notes of vanilla & (poss) undertones of pyrazines?
P: MF, poss Med, body; RIPE, ALMOST swtish frt met by finely tannic, yet ALMOST swtish pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG, tangy/spicy, slightly bitter/SWT finish. NEEDS 1, poss 2 yrs, then should provide first-rate drinking for at least the ff'ing 2 or 3 yrs. 94 & 93 pts (2x) winealign.com (11/’17), 93 ea Vinous (Galloni, 10/1/15) & WE + “Cellar Selection” (6/1/17) @ $55, and 92 ea WA & winereviewonline.com (Cook, 1/24/17)! [As of mid Jan '20, I saw 1 U.S. source on wine-searcher @ $55].
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7/19/2017 - farinas wrote: 91 Points
Estate Tasting. Sourced from warmer Oak Knoll district in So Napa Valley. Tight lactic nose with notes of leather. The palate has a brushy entry with medium flesh, tart tannins, and notes of twigs. Some of the new oak comes through at the end. The blend has some Malbec.
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7/15/2017 - drdan8 Does not like this wine: 88 Points
This wine needs 2+ hours of suitable oxygenation to show itself. Even with the extended decanter time, I was not overly impressed. To be fair, I have never been a big fan of Shafer Merlot as it tends toward monolithic, hollow, and a one trick pony.
Non descript nose of macerated cherry, menthol, and some generic black fruit from the varietal blend. Bland mid palate although there was some nice tannic grip on the finish. No sense of complexity or differentiation from the pack. Terrible QPR as I believe an $18 Markham might best this in a blind.
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6/14/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
WSET Diploma Unit 3 - EXAM (SF Wine School): I blinded this as a Coonawarra cab - it had menthol/gingerbread notes (possibly from eucalyptus), with pyrazines and dark fruit, elevated acid, alcohol, and tannins.
78% Merlot, 14% Malbec, 8% Cabernet
15.3%
20 months in 75% new allier and troncais French barriques.
$55
Analysis: this is surprisingly pyrazinic and mentholated for CA merlot - it's a well-balanced wine, but maybe not what most would expect from CA merlot (not as ripe/plush as other examples, like Duckhorn).
I'm not 100% confident this was actually Shafer Merlot, so I'll hold off on rating until I can confirm - I'll have to taste this again.
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6/14/2017 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
lots going on here, with a thick, fruit-driven profile. boysenberry and other black and blue fruits, vanilla, milk chocolate, toast. silky & smooth tannins. really nice finish.
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6/4/2017 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Rich and smooth, subtle streak of vanilla against core of cherry and chocolate perhaps. Really enjoyed.
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5/21/2017 - Wine Buergler Likes this wine: 92 Points
Only opened this because I have a case and CellarTracker said it was on the near top of ready to drink. Definite not ready - can see the potential after opening up for 2 hours - not sure if it is as good as the 2012 which is drinking exceptionally well right now. 15.3% alcohol for a merlot - nuts.
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12/2/2016 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple color. On the nose, a dark core of saucy plum, black cherry and black currant, along with mocha, crushed rocks, violets, cola, campfire smoke and coffee. Very full-bodied with a huge and viscous presence on the palate, medium/low acidity. Black cherries, roasted plums and black currant, the fruit is dense but laced with flavors of violets, loamy soil, charcoal, vanilla, cedar, bourbon and spiced coffee. Huge and hedonistic, this goes for the jugular, but it is excellent for this style. I’d love to bury a bottle for five to seven years. Includes 14% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is aged 20 months in 85% new French oak.
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