I had never heard of Merryvale winery so I decided to give the Starmont Cabernet a whirl. Apparently Merryvale winery is located in Napa Valley and recently new in the wine business. The family began their venture in early 2006 and is now ready to make their mark in the business. Not only is it a new winery, the winery is also "green". I don't really know what a "green" winery is but the wine itself was very good at first taste.
I "popped and poured" the wine. At first taste it exhibited notes of ripe fruit. On the nose there was intense berries and vanilla. The finish was short to medium, nothing extraordinary. As the evening wore on, the wine gained my interest. The Merryvale was a very drinkable wine without food, without allowing for any bottle breathing. The tannins were smooth from aging in French oak. The color way typical Napa Cabernet;deep garnet. I agree with the tasting note below. This wine is porbably not a wine that would improve from bottle time. It's just a nice little wine ready to dring from the get go.
Curiously enough, Wine Enthusiast rated the Merryvale 2005 a 92. Notes from Wine Enthusiast as follows:
Merryvale’s ’05 is very rich and balanced, and shows fine Napa Cabernet character in the intense focus of cassis, enriched with new French oak. It’s not an ager, but showcases very high Napa quality for immediate drinking.
- Steve Heimoff
So there you have it folks. A good, solid "pop and pour" wine. At 18/bottle I'm trying to get my hands on some more. Will I buy some more? Definitely at this price point. I'm also excited to see how Merryvale will develop as a winery as well as tasting some more of their "green" wines.
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