Recommendation: Not Recommended.
Winery/Producer: Vinted and Bottled by Stags’ Leap Winery; Napa, California.
Grape Variety: Merlot.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Stags Leap District; Napa Valley, California.
Vintage: 2012
Price: $19.99 (With a 30% mixed 6-pack discount)
Purchased From: Ralphs Grocery Store; Agoura Hills, California.
Paired With: Slow cooked chicken breasts covered with chicken pâté and duxelles, brown rice, broccoli and cauliflower.
Tasting:
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He said: Opened 30-minutes before drinking. Inky dark purple color with a purple/red rim. Plum, blackberry and cherry aromas. The taste starts with smooth with dark fruit flavors and its finish is medium-length, dry, with hints of chocolate and a slight bitterness at the very end. Good grocery store Merlot, but it’s a little rough and costs $20+. It was an excellent pairing with the chicken pate, but just OK drinking alone after dinner. Would I buy it again, probably not…there are lots of other better (European) Merlot and red wines at a lower price point.
She said: Very dark ruby red, opaque, with lots of thin speedy legs. Delightful strong dark berry aroma that diminishes in the mouth. The body is medium but on the light side and the tannins are very pleasant. The finish is long but begins with a bit of harshness and does not have the wonderful tastes that the aroma suggests. This is not a bad wine but at $20 it’s not a bargain. I enjoyed it with dinner especially with the pate, but it was not up to the quality of other lower priced Merlots that we have had from The Caviste Wine Store..
Alcohol: 14.1%
UPC Code: 0 89819 04441 2
Imported by: NA
Photo from Touring & Tasting.