2018 Pride Mountain Merlot Napa/Sonoma
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Merlot excelled in 2018, and Pride's 2018 Merlot offers a beautiful, medium to full-bodied, plump, rounded style that's a joy to drink. Giving up lots of redcurrants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, earth, and chocolate, it has nicely integrated tannins and no hard edges. It's a gem to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years, if not upwards of a decade or more.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2018 Merlot is another very pretty wine in this part of the Pride range. Plump and juicy, with mid-weight structure, the 2018 is gorgeous right out of the gate. Succulent black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and spice all flesh out effortlessly, with bright acids that keep the flavors lively. The restrained style is so appealing.
The 2018 Merlot is a blend of 83% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, all of the fruit coming from Napa Valley. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls sensuously out of the glass with scents of warm red and black plums, Morello cherries and boysenberries with suggestions of wild thyme, baking spices and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate has bags of freshness and vivacity with a soft texture and an herbal lift on the finish. 4538 cases were made.