2013 Pahlmeyer Merlot [JS97][WA96][WE94][V93]

Producer: Pahlmeyer 
Region: Napa Valley, California 
Varietal: Merlot 
Year: 2013 

James Suckling, 97 Points 

"Ripe plums and blueberries with slate, sweet tobacco and bark, Full-bodied, yet very fresh, with firm, layered tannins and a rich finish. Spices at the end. Juicy." 

Wine Advocate, 96 Points 

"An absolute epic wine is the 2013 Merlot, a blend of 95% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot. It is no wimpy wine either, with the natural alcohol slightly north of 15%. A gorgeous nose including roasted espresso, melted black chocolate, blackberry, plum and cassis offers an exceptional set of aromatics. The wine has beautiful ripeness, headiness and a long finish of close to 45+ seconds. This is a beauty of terrific purity, texture and personality. Few California Merlots will ever be capable of equaling this." 

Wine Enthusiast, 94 Points 

"The wine launched cinematically by Robert Redford in “Indecent Proposal,” this delivers a succulently memorable and seductive mix of crisp cassis and meaty rare beef, a sanguine underpinning that gives it intrigue. Full bodied and ripely crafted, it is completely satisfying in its classical components of sage and cedar, with a lingering lust of chocolate-covered cherry." 

Vinous, 93 Points 

"The 2013 Merlot is dark, powerful and also quite tannic, all signatures of the vintage. Black cherry, mocha, graphite, plum, smoke, licorice and menthol are bold and intense in the glass, but the 2013 is only showing a hint of its potential. Far from an easygoing Merlot, Pahlmeyer's 2013 is going to need time to be fully expressive. This is a rare vintage that is 100% Merlot. Most of the fruit in the 2013 is estate grown, with a dollop of grapes (15%) from Rancho Chimiles in Coombsville." 

Alcohol: 15.2% 

*Discounts do not apply to items like this one in the Fine & Rare category. Price and availability in store may vary.