Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2020
- v93
- jd90
Category | Red Wine |
Varietals | |
Brand | Pride Mountain Vineyards |
Origin | California, Napa Valley |
Alcohol/vol | 14.4% |
Winery Notes:
Not only is this a great merlot, it is as beautiful a merlot as we have ever made. What makes it so special? As mandated by merlot, the 2020 is foremost about the fruit, with ripe mulberry and kirsch taking center stage to provide pure smile-inducing pleasure. But this is no simple fruit bomb. It permeates your senses with tangy elderberry, verbena, lemon grass and savory black pepper notes. It is fresh, nuanced and cerebral in addition to providing the comforting fruit pleasure and luxuriant mouthfeel we require from merlot. The finish rises with verve and excitement resulting in complex choreography if you look for it, but indulgent relaxed pleasure if you are just stretched out on the couch. This year’s 2020 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot defines the essence of what makes merlot such a great varietal.
Vinous
- v93
The 2019 Merlot is very pretty in this vintage. Floral and spice notes give the Merlot a striking aromatic upper register that is both distinctive and alluring. Sweet red cherry, cinnamon and rose petal all build nicely in the glass. Best of all, the Pride Merlot will drink well right out of the gate.
Jeb Dunnuck
- jd90
The classic 2019 Merlot comes 70% from Napa County and 30% from Sonoma County. It offers more black cherry and darker fruits as well as Bordeaux-like notes of cedarwood, damp earth, and spice. Medium-bodied on the palate, nicely balanced, and textured, it has a firmer edge that's going to soften with a year or two of bottle age. It should drink nicely through 2029.