Merlot & Cabernet

Results of a merlot and cabernet tasting July 31, 1999 at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Eighteen wines were poured for a tasting fee of $25.

The wines, in the order tasted:

'97 Ravenswood Merlot Sangiacomo - Sonoma Valley. $18.99. Very dark color; very nice nose of cassis, pepper, and sweet licorace. Tannic fleshy mouthfeel and good fruit.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'97 Savanna Merlot - Napa Valley. $18.99. Medium dark color. Nose is fleshy and candied, with black cherry, and anise notes. Sweet fruit, fleshy mouthfeel. Very tasty.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'97 Emmolo Merlot - Napa Valley. $19.99. Garnet in color. Very lush and cab-like nose, with complex aromas of casis, black cherry, toast, shoe polish, and sweet sawdust. Slightly tart or semi-sweet fruit, with somewhat "square" corners. Tongue-coating mid and after-palate.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'97 Neyers Merlot - Napa Valley. $24.99. Fleshy nose of shoe polish, black cherry, toast, vanilla, and anise. Nose is somewhat shy at this point. Big core of sweet fruit, with a good chewy fleshy and stemmy taste.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

'96 Astrale e Terra Merlot - Napa Valley. $29.99. Medium-dark color. Fascinating vanilla and floral nose. Aromas of toast and cassis, with hints of leaf and sweet sawdust. Extremely rich, sweet and inviting nose. Fleshy soft fruit that is mouthfilling, if not quite chewy. Sweet soft taste, with a very long finish that just goes on and on.
Aroma score: A Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

'96 Arrowood Merlot - Sonoma Valley. $31.99.Burnished garnet color. Nose of cassis, cab franc, sweet tar, with a bit of stem, floral aromas, vanilla and sweet burnished wood. Fleshy semi-sweet fruit that gets sweeter through mid and after palate. Obvious core of fruit, though slightly soft and smooth mouthfeel. Very long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

'96 Judd's Hill Merlot Orchard Creek Vnyd - Napa Valley. $29.99. Ruby purple color. Leafy and stemmy nose of cassis, bing cherry, black cherry, sweet sawdust, and floral aromas. A bit more prolonged on the stemmy aromas than others in the flight. initially sweet entry is overcome by some tartness. Fleshy and a bit sweet/sour with still tannic edges, this one could evolve well if the tongue clinging acids don't overstay their welcome.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'97 Quintanna Cabernet Sauvignon - North Coast. $11.99. Sweet, peppery casiss fruit. Decent cassis fruit, but a bit hot and coarse in mouthfeel.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B

'97 Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma County. $12.99. Nose of sweet cassis, vanila, cookie dough, tar, and anise. Medium fruit and slightly coarse and hot in mouthfeel.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B Overall score: B+

'97 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $13.99. Medium dark ruby garnet color. Warm nose of plummy cassis and shoe polish, with a candied touch. Bordering somewhat on tart, with some rough edges apparent. Lacks depth, but the acids and a slightly tannic bite help it finish up okay.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'96 Swanson Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $19.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Less than effusive nose of rubbing alcohol, cardboard, and toast. Nose does improve a bit with time and swirling, but stil comes off a bit too medicinal. Sweet fleshy and slightly tannic mouthfeel. Chewy texture, with mouth coating fruit, and very long finish. Some of the cardboard qualiy seems to come through on the palate.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'96 S. Anderson Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District, Napa Valley. $19.99. Nose is smoky sweet and a bit sharp, with aromas of cassis, maple syrup, toast, and blue cheese. Sweet/sour fruit, with a somewhat watery mouthfeel, especially at mid-palate. Very long acid-induced finish that manages to conceal the shortage of fruit.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B

'96 Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $28.99. Nose of smoky sweet cassis, vanilla, and anise. Nice and chewy mouthfeel, and toasty mid-palate. Exhibits a bit of coarseness initially, but this smooths out through long complex finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

'96 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - Napa Valley. $29.99. Nose of cassis, olive, and cocoa. Big and chewy mouthfeel with semi-sweet fruit, toast and vanilla flavors. Toasty long finish, with a bit of sourness noted in fruit.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

'96 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - Oakville District, Napa Valley. $31.99. Deep and complex nose of herbal cassis, mint, and eucalyptus. Semi-sweet chalky fruit, with a dusty quality to the mouthfeel. Mouth-clinging tannins and oak. The fruit shines initially, but seems to disappear after mid-palate, with antringency carrying the wine through a long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'96 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $32.99. Wow! Here's a Smorgy of strange aromas. Nose of BBQ, turkey gravy, potatoes, fresh bread, and fountain pen ink! Not protypical, but very interesting. Semi-sweet or sweet/sour fruit, and lots of it. Slightly chewy, and very tasty. Long smooth finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'96 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $33.99. Dark ruby-garnet color. Toasty and smoky nose of cassis and bacon. Big chewy and fleshy mouthfeel, off-sweet fruit. Mouth-clinging flavors, smooth finish, if slightly sour.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

'96 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley - Sonoma County. $49.99. Nose of cassis, tar, anise, aspirin, and ...concrete! Good mouthfull of fruit, with moderate tannins contributing to a hint of coarseness.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+

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Overall impressions: this cross-section of merlots and cabs produced very few stars. Though the Emmolo merlot was probably the best bargain in the merlot category. The Astrale e Terra was a very nice wine, and was the best of the merlots, followed closely by the Arrowood and the Neyers.

On the cabernet front, the Lewelling was my favorite, with the Merryvale being the best cab bargain. The Signorello and Silver Oak were both surprises, due to inconsistancy on Signorello's part, and to some dull flavor profiles often wearing the AV Silver Oak label. Both were quite nice this time. On the down side, the Spring Mtn and Swanson were both disappointing offerings this time around - the Spring Mtn can often be a real beauty, and the Swanson can be a real sleeper.

Finally, the S. Anderson is a "junior" offering, augmenting the line's big brother, "Stag's Leap Richard Chambers Vnyd". It's an interesting effort, but is really just a $12 wine in $20 clothing.
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Here is my relative ranking, by tier and in order of preference, of the wines tasted.

'96 Astrale e Terra Merlot - Napa Valley. $29.99.
'96 Arrowood Merlot - Sonoma Valley. $31.99.
'96 Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $28.99.
'97 Neyers Merlot - Napa Valley. $24.99.
'96 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - Napa Valley. $29.99.
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'96 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley - Sonoma County. $49.99.
'97 Emmolo Merlot - Napa Valley. $19.99.
'96 Judd's Hill Merlot Orchard Creek Vnyd - Napa Valley. $29.99.
'96 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $33.99.
'96 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $32.99.
'96 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - Oakville District, Napa Valley. $31.99.
'97 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $13.99.
'97 Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma County. $12.99.
'97 Savanna Merlot - Napa Valley. $18.99.
'97 Ravenswood Merlot Sangiacomo - Sonoma Valley. $18.99.
'96 Swanson Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $19.99.
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'96 S. Anderson Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District, Napa Valley. $19.99.
'97 Quintanna Cabernet Sauvignon - North Coast. $11.99.


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