1986 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 89.9 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Vinnut's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/2/2022 - Vinnut wrote: 88 Points

  Ruby red in color with some bricking & clearing at the edges. Nose was initially of oxidative notes which blew off eventually and developed into a full & forward nose of ripe red fruit aromas of cherries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & rusty iron notes, some tobacco & cedar & leather. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, berries & somewhat plummy, herbs & minerals. Lingering finish. Drinks well at present but at over 36 years of age it appears to be past its peak of development, so drink up! Although it could be attributable to bottle variation, this one did not appear to have held up to aging as other vintages. Fill was in lower neck; cork crumbled upon opening.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View peeyush's profile
  • Report Issue

  6/7/2020 - peeyush wrote: flawed

  Bottle seems flawed

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Snoobel56's profile
  • Report Issue

  7/23/2019 - Snoobel56 Does not like this wine:

  Went bad

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View coolfella's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/4/2017 - coolfella wrote:

  The bottle is in excellent condition. Fill into neck, cork is like one from a current vintage(still moist and soaked only about 2mm). Perfect condition but it is way over its drinking window I guess. Old burgundian color. Oxidative nose. Far beyond its prime. It is not undrinkable but not enjoyable as it would once have been. Good amount of tanin is still present as well as the level of acidity but fruits are pretty much gone and disjointed. At this point I can only give 75 the most although it would have been much better 10 years ago. If you have imperial that has been kept in an optimal condition, it could be still injoyable. Hope for the best!!

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View klaberdog's profile
  • Report Issue

  10/22/2011 - klaberdog wrote: 85 Points

  - Garnet color and aromas of oak and has flavours of oak - Beyond it's prime, but still enjoyable.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 11 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.