Sunday, June 21, 2015

Shafer Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 2010

Date of Tasting: 21 March 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec
Alcohol: 15.3%
Origin: California, USA
Appellation: Napa Valley
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR50
Web: http://www.shafervineyards.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, WE - 91/100, WS - 90/100, CT - 91/100


Appearance: Dense purplish red
Aroma: Sweet black fruits and cherry. Mild floral and spices floor. 
Palate: On the texture, it is almost full, kind of big and jammy but beautifully soft. Exhibit licorice, chocolate, blackberry, and integrated vanilla, earthiness and spice touches. 

It is a merlot base blend that is showing tremendously now. I had it along with rib eye steak and it did compliment each other well. Sensational mouth feel and aroma, it has. Though, there are some cabernet sauvignon and malbec in the blend but they do not seem to overwhelm the characters of merlot. But they more like enhancing structure of this wine. Throughout the course of this bottle, it kept developing along. Perhaps gentle decanting would do for those who need immediate consumption. Personally, I may wait until the end of 2016 before accessing another bottle to see how it develops.


Score Explanation
95+ = classic and extraordinary
90+ = outstanding in its class
85+ = recommended wine with some degree of enjoyment
80+ = drinkable occasionally

WA = Wine Advocate
AG = Antonio Galloni
WS = Wine Spectator
WE = Wine Enthusiast
JR = Jancis Robinson
DC = Decanter
JS = James Suckling
BH = Burghound
FS = Falstaff Magazine
ST = Stephen Tanzer
CT = Cellar Tracker Average Score

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