2014 Pride Mountain Vineyards Vintner Select Merlot Sonoma County

(94 Points) Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 Merlot Vintner's Select delivers notions of warm black plums, blueberry pie and spice cake with hints of anise, potpourri and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, soft, plush and oh-so-spicy in the mouth, it fills the palate with black fruit preserves and just enough freshness, finishing long with a minty kick. 561 cases were made. The Wine Advocate: Issue 233, October 31st, 2017

Winery Notes: Our Vintner Select Merlot is intensely aromatic, ripe and luscious, with knock-out flavors of plum, chocolate, cedar, blueberry, fig and toasted almond. The mouthfeel is classic merlot, with a thick, round texture and layers of ripe, opulent fruit. The minutes-long finish is characteristic of our hillside estate.

This merlot was selected, as it most often is, from our Lower Mountain Top vineyard block, which is one of the absolute best sites on our estate. The same wine contributes to our Reserve Claret, but as a stand-alone wine it is able to showcase the profundity and complexity of merlot at its very best.