Winemaker Notes
The 2007 Merus is a deep, saturated garnet in color, with intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, currant, cedar, and graphite. In the mouth it is rich, seamless, and expansive, layered yet clean and clearly focused. An abundance of black fruit and exotic spice is carried by silken tannins to a long, almost endless finish. Despite its power and concentration, it is very accessible now in its youth, but it has the structure and balance to age beautifully for a decade or even two.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted too late to make it into the December issue, Merus's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits an inky/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of blueberry liqueur intermixed with graphite, charcoal, cassis, and spice. The wood seems pushed to the background given the extraordinary concentration of fruit. Full-bodied, powerful, and rich with chocolaty espresso notes intermixed with blackberries and blueberries, this pure, impressively textured, long Cabernet should evolve for two decades.
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Wine Spectator
Ultrarich and concentrated, with tiers of earthy currant, anise, huckleberry, leather, gravel and sage, full-blown and progressively dry and earthy, somewhat offsetting the dense, pure core of Cabernet flavors. Drink now through 2017.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.