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My Rating (circle) :
Date Printed: 5/25/2013
Paloma Spring Mountain Merlot 2002
Paloma Spring Mountain Merlot 2002
 (search item no. 100674)
collectible wine

Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
PRICE ON 5/25/2013: $99.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2009 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2008 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2008 Connoisseurs' Guide rating: 91 points
2006 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2006 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
2001 Wine Spectator rating: 95 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 A consistent thread of complex aromas of black berry fruits, black stone fruits, chocolate, tobacco, spice and floral notes with a mineral overtone. On the palate the wine has a big silky mouth feel, well balanced, with flavors of berries, fruit, cocoa, cassis, and spice, and a long spicy finish. Fruit tannins in our wines tend to be big, but not harsh and are well integrated with the strong fruit component.
My Notes:

About Paloma:

 The property is located five miles northwest of St. Helena at the top of Spring Mountain. In the last half of the 19th century it was a vineyard, but was allowed to return to forest around the turn of the century. We still find old redwood grape stakes and even a few old zinfandel vines that survive under the large Douglas fir trees that surround our home. One vine near the house produces one or two clusters of grapes a year that are put into our Merlot blend for good luck. The purchase of this raw land was the beginning of an odyssey that is ongoing, ever changing, but with one goal—to grow the best grapes possible and make a wine that reflects the terroir of our vineyard.