Red Wines    Merlot    Columbia Valley    Washington   
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My Rating (circle) :
Date Printed: 6/19/2013
Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
 (search item no. 114976)
has fluid
has fluid 360

Wine Enthusiast rating: 91 points
The Wine Advocate rating: 91 points
PRICE ON 6/19/2013: $39.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2009 Wine Enthusiast rating: 92 points
2009 International Wine Cellar rating: 90 points
2007 Wine Enthusiast rating: 93 points
2007 The Wine Advocate rating: 92 points
2007 Wine Spectator rating: 91 points
2007 International Wine Cellar rating: 90 points
2006 Wine Spectator rating: 91 points
2006 The Wine Advocate rating: 91 points
2005 Wine Enthusiast rating: 91 points
2004 Wine Enthusiast rating: 92 points
2003 Wine Spectator rating: 91 points
2002 Wine Spectator rating: 88 points
2002 Wine Enthusiast rating: 88 points
2001 The Wine Advocate rating: 91 points
2001 Wine & Spirits rating: 91 points
2001 Wine Enthusiast rating: 90 points
2000 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points
1999 Wine Enthusiast rating: 94 points
1999 Wine Spectator rating: 91 points
1999 The Wine Advocate rating: 91 points
1999 International Wine Cellar rating: 90 points
1998 Wine Enthusiast rating: 93 points
1998 The Wine Advocate rating: 92 points
1998 International Wine Cellar rating: 90 points
1998 Wine Spectator rating: 88 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 A bright, balanced wine with notes of black cherry, spice, and coconut leading to a long, smoky finish. Based on this winemaker's extensive research, this wine pairs well with just about anything but especially grilled steak and lamb.

Blend: 78% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot
My Notes:

About Northstar:

 Northstar, located in Walla Walla, Washington, aims to make Merlots that can be considered among the world's best, using fruit sourced from one of the world's best regions for the variety: Washington state. Winemaker, David "Merf" Merfeld, blends New World fruit with an old world winemaking style, influenced by Bordeaux's "right bank," to create his highly-acclaimed wines. Northstar produces two Merlot-based wines from the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla AVAs, as well as the Stella Maris red blend and extremely limited production bottlings of the blending component varieties that Merf uses as his "spice box" in creating Northstar's Merlots.