Winemaker Notes
Perfectly ripe blackberry and black plum are layeredwith chocolate, Five Spice, cardamon, black licorice,black loamy earth, and wet pipe tobacco. Theluxurious black fruit is carried through on the palatealongside cocoa nibs, bay, and baking spices. Theflavors envelop your whole mouth, driven by the freshfruit of youthfulness and distinctively firm tannins ofthe 2021 vintage. Bright acidity brings balance tothe chewy tannins and drives the minutes long finish.This is classic Pride Merlot, exemplifying the power,density, and elegance of mountaintop viticulture.
Blend: 88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of red plums, darker chocolate, and tobacco notes emerge from the 2021 Merlot, a beautifully textured, medium-bodied Pomerol look-alike that has fine tannins, notable purity, and a great finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Ripe black plum, rich chocolate and black raspberries combine in a creamy texture and enticing, supple tannins. This Cabernet Sauvignon fills the palate with flavor through a persistent and mouthwatering finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There are approximately 5,000 cases of the excellent 2021 Merlot. Black cherries lead the way, joined by slightly leafy hints and bright notes of raspberries and red cherries. It's medium to full-bodied, plump and round in the mouth but with just enough structure to maintain some shape, ending with a wash of softly dusty tannins.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.