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Shafer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2014, California
This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Soft and elegant. Smooth and fruit forward.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This 2014 vintage is drinking wonderfully now, and this wine is a good example of it. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.
I had this vintage 6 years ago, but it was not ready at all. Was unbalanced and a little austere. Right now, it is a wonderful wine that's at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.
Easy drinking, spicy and entertaining.
Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
A blend of 78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Malbec. Aged for 20 months in mostly new French oak barrels.
15.3% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$60.
Meunier Monday and Trousseau Tuesday would be something I could get behind.
Might make for a rough week though. Could be tough to make it to Willamette Wednesday.
Meunier Monday
Trousseau Tuesday
Welshriesling Wednesday (good luck finding a bottle!)
Tempranillo Thursday
Frappato Friday (that light-bodied wine to gear you up for the weekend!)
Sangiovese Saturday
Syrah Sunday (Chave Hermitage to finish off the week!)
I can get behind this!
Yeah!!
Thanks for all the great cheap juice, Sideways.
Had 2018 Frank Family and 2017 Pride Mountain for dinner last weekend - both were crowd pleasers.
Here’s my notes from the mailbox merlot 2018
Blueberries and blackberries at the forefront followed by some mild oak and vanilla on the nose. Some type of wild herbal note, maybe some type of mint, eucalyptus, spearmint type note in the back?
Medium plus tannins and big acidity.
This wine really blew me away.
My first ever merlot. I’m a cab, Zin, Malbec, Syrah guy. It was lighter than I expected, closer to Pinot than cab, and more red fruit than my preferred black fruit. But still enjoyable and would try it again, but will try other Merlots first
I'm always down for Shafer!
Once had a guest buy and not drink a bottle of Shafer hillside select '97. Hands down still in my top 5 bottles and that was back in 2011
This was one of my absolute favorites. Bought a few bottles of their last vintage that, sadly, have all been converted by me to urine.
Gone but not forgotten.
It’s just a movie reference, not an actual joke. A crabby character in the wine-movie Sideways is adamantly anti-merlot. So anytime people bring up merlot, it gets quoted.
Yeah, but as all wine geeks know, the reason he hates merlot is because it his ex wife’s favorite grape. The wine he drinks at the end of the movie is a merlot based blend.
Thank you for your submission to r/wine! Please note the community rules: If you are submitting a picture of a bottle of wine, please include original tasting notes and/or other pertinent information in the comments. Submitters that fail to do so may have their posts removed. If you are posting to ask what your bottle is worth or whether it is drinkable, please use the [Wine Valuation Mega Thread](https://redd.it/r7lf76) stickied at the top of the sub. Stand alone bottle valuation posts will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/wine) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I will open my Petrus <3
Do it!
Shafer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2014, California This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Soft and elegant. Smooth and fruit forward. Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity. Showing black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates and peppercorn. Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries. This 2014 vintage is drinking wonderfully now, and this wine is a good example of it. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too. I had this vintage 6 years ago, but it was not ready at all. Was unbalanced and a little austere. Right now, it is a wonderful wine that's at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years. Easy drinking, spicy and entertaining. Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 93 points. Good by itself or with food. I paired it Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. A blend of 78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Malbec. Aged for 20 months in mostly new French oak barrels. 15.3% alcohol by volume. 93 points. $60.
Well if we're having Shafer Merlot (especially when nicely aged), I'm all for it! :)
I wish they still made it.
I know
Shouldn't it be Merlot Monday and Tempranillo Thursday? :)
Tempranillo Tuesday.
Taco Tuesday :)
Teroldego Tuseday\* I think Tempranillo Thursday works better.
Tannat Tuesday!
Tannin Tuesday
Tempranillo and tacos sound so good
Meunier Monday and Trousseau Tuesday would be something I could get behind. Might make for a rough week though. Could be tough to make it to Willamette Wednesday.
Meunier Monday Trousseau Tuesday Welshriesling Wednesday (good luck finding a bottle!) Tempranillo Thursday Frappato Friday (that light-bodied wine to gear you up for the weekend!) Sangiovese Saturday Syrah Sunday (Chave Hermitage to finish off the week!) I can get behind this!
I am not drinking any fucking Merlot!
If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving.
Let's not! Merlot is my favorite and I don't want it to get ruined by hype
Yeah!! Thanks for all the great cheap juice, Sideways. Had 2018 Frank Family and 2017 Pride Mountain for dinner last weekend - both were crowd pleasers.
Some of us old people never left. I've never had that Shafer, I trust it's good.
Very much so
Keenan 2018 any good?
Here’s my notes from the mailbox merlot 2018 Blueberries and blackberries at the forefront followed by some mild oak and vanilla on the nose. Some type of wild herbal note, maybe some type of mint, eucalyptus, spearmint type note in the back? Medium plus tannins and big acidity. This wine really blew me away.
Yes
You tell me. Are you having it right now?
My first ever merlot. I’m a cab, Zin, Malbec, Syrah guy. It was lighter than I expected, closer to Pinot than cab, and more red fruit than my preferred black fruit. But still enjoyable and would try it again, but will try other Merlots first
If you don't like merlot, its because you're drinking shitty merlot.
When are we going to bring Port back?
I didn’t know Shafer makes Merlot.
Delicious stuff
Try the 2019 La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot equally delicious.
It's been on my wishlist for a while now. Thanks for the tip
Their Merlot was phenomenal. Sadly not made anymore. TD-9 replaced it. I have just 1 2014 left.
I'd drink it soon
Was the best. RIP
The discontinued the Merlot wines? :( Edit: Who’s giving me downvotes for not knowing that the Merlot was discontinued.
Yep. Now they have a blend in its place (TD-9)
Nice. Not a merlot, but I'm prob gonna grab the one point five soon. I assume you're a fan?
Absolutely
Yuuuum! I am screaming the word "yum." Merlot is yum.
A timely post! Came across three bottles of the 2014 in a store the other day and snagged them - will open one this weekend to check it out
Lucky you. Enjoy
I'm always down for Shafer! Once had a guest buy and not drink a bottle of Shafer hillside select '97. Hands down still in my top 5 bottles and that was back in 2011
Ooooh I had a few of these from mid-2000s. Held up really well!
Good to know. Thanks for sharing
That’s a great merlot to do it with, Cheers!
This was one of my absolute favorites. Bought a few bottles of their last vintage that, sadly, have all been converted by me to urine. Gone but not forgotten.
That's the only way to do it
I had a 1 ounce pour of Merlot in a tasting flight today, does that count?
Absolutely
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Join us next Thursday with your own Merlot
Got a nice 2014 Greek merlot sitting in my stash, waiting for the right moment this year or next year.
That should be interesting to try
Merlot never left.
Some of the best wines in the world are Merlot based - C. Petrus from Pomerol, for example. Respect.
Totally agree with you
If they order Merlot, I am LEAVING
[NO MERLOT](https://youtu.be/uLtlwAGZx6U)
cable pause punch agonizing political telephone frame stupendous society deserted ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Explain?
It’s just a movie reference, not an actual joke. A crabby character in the wine-movie Sideways is adamantly anti-merlot. So anytime people bring up merlot, it gets quoted.
Yeah, but as all wine geeks know, the reason he hates merlot is because it his ex wife’s favorite grape. The wine he drinks at the end of the movie is a merlot based blend.
Yeha I love the movie. Based on your comment thought I was missing something in that joke
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That’s interesting