Merus Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
- Vinous
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Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Merus is a dark and powerful wine. Aromas of cassis and blackberry fill the nose, with undertones of vanilla bean, cedar and graphite. A full body and plush velvety tannins fill the mouth with deep flavors of saturated black fruits. Hints of vanilla and a fine grain oak texture from the 100% new French oak aging linger on the finish.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dense, full-throttle wine. A blast of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather, lavender, graphite, and dried herbs makes a strong opening statement. There's not a ton of subtlety, but the 2019 is undeniably beautiful and vivid. It’s unapologetically flamboyant though, and will be appreciated most by readers who enjoy this style.
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Wine Spectator
Dark and alluring, with a deep well of açaí berry, blueberry and fig reduction notes that drive along, inlaid with graphite and alder and ending with echoes of smoldering tobacco, menthol and licorice root. Best from 2022 through 2036.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, blueberries, red plums, cedar, vanilla and baking spices. It’s full-bodied with firm tannins. Structured and powerful with a rich core of fruit on the center-palate and a flavorful, polished finish. Drink from 2023.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of red, blue, and black fruits as well as tobacco and cedarwood notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated Cabernet. Coming from the Coombsville appellation, it has some firmer yet ripe tannins and concentration. It should drink well over the following decade. Rating: 92+
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Merus was started in 1998 with the mission of producing handcrafted wine of uncompromising quality and distinction. Their objective is to produce small amounts of age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena, Stags Leap, and Coombsville vineyards. Merus views winemaking in a conservationist light, whereby optimizing vineyard quality is the single most important factor in achieving superlative wine quality. Therefore, they have established long-term relationships with only those winegrowers willing to work within the parameters of their rigorous vineyard demands. Merus is a labor of love that truly expresses the definition of great wine in the bottle.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Situated in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley in the Vaca range, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy a long growing season mitigated by cool, San Pablo Bay fog.