2016 Pahlmeyer Merlot
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Tasting notes
This super-concentrated Merlot is brimming with blueberry, bilberry and bitter-chocolate aromas. Plush tannins provide a deep and firm foundation for the rich body. Impressive now, but with the structure for long aging. Drink or hold.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Mostly estate fruit, the 2016 Merlot spent 22 months in primarily new French oak. Black cherries, smoked earth, graphite, dark chocolate, and licorice notes all emerge from this rich, full-bodied, concentrated Merlot that has subtle background oak but displays a supple, seamless balance style that’s a joy to drink.
The 2016 Merlot is fabulous. Rich, deep and explosive, with tremendous structure, the 2016 has a lot to offer. Black cherry, graphite, chocolate, lavender, mint, spice and savory herbs imbue the Merlot with stunning nuance. Far from an easygoing wine, Pahlmeyer's Merlot is deep and tannic, with plenty of mountain intensity. I would give it a few years in the cellar to allow some of the tannins to soften.
A blend of 97% Merlot, 2% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 Merlot is very deep garnet-purple colored and offers exuberant notions of crushed red and black plums, warm blackberries and Indian spices with hints of cardamom, sautéed herbs, garrigue and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling plum-laced flavors with a velvety frame and loads of freshness on the long, spicy finish.