Alright this is is for odedi1.
Opened this bottle tonight after purchasing 1 yr ago from a local liquor store in SF. Stored in my cheap-o wine fridge that's done a pretty good job over the past 6-7 years. Purchased for under $10 and fully expected it to be well over the hill. I wasn't planning on a Merlot Thursday, but after I opened it, this bottle was so fun I figured I'd share.
Deep ruby core fading to a garnet rim.
Dried red roses and aged Balsamic mingle with macerated apricot, candied black cherry and toasted orange peels. Dried oregano and rosemary sprinkled on dehydrated porcini mushrooms. Salty and savory Charcuterie with green peppercorns. Leather, iodine and iron. Integrated oak shows nutmeg, clove and medium roast coffee (with no overbearing Vanilla/Milk Chocolate tones).
Dry
M+ Acid
M- Tannin (plush, smooth)
High Alcohol, feels like 14% (*checks bottle: is listed as 13%)
M+ Body
This wine has M+ length, complexity and finish, and feels like it's at its peak. McGrath put some love into making this; a good lesson that not all state designates are low quality! And even though non-regulated terms like, "coastal" appear on the label (and the wine doesn't taste very coastal other than maybe the elevated acidity), the wine is performing well nearly 25 years later.
Here's some details on the winery from napavalleywineproject.com
"Villa Mt Eden Winery was founded in 1881 definitely making it one of the older operating wineries in Napa Valley. It used to be located where the current PlumpJack winery is now, was purchased in 1986 and the entire wine team was moved to the current location. Villa Mt. Eden is currently owned by St. Michelle Wine Estates out of Washington and this is but one of its wineries in their fairly large overall holdings. The actual winery uses the same winery facility as Conn Creek Winery on the West side of Silverado Trail – just below the fancy Auberge du Soleil hillside resort & spa. Highway 128 runs east at this wineries’ doorstep. Conn Creek purchases all its grapes from Napa Growers whereas Villa Mt. Eden purchases grapes from various sources throughout California which as of press time includes Sonoma, Napa, Santa Barbara & Amador counties."
For 15 years, Athan Zafirov has traveled the vineyards around the world and worked with some of the greatest chefs including Francois Duc and Alan Brown.
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