- Home/
Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Merlot 2016
96 Points Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley is one of the finest Merlots produced in California. Highly collectible. Very limited. 96 Points Robert Parker: "There are few truly profound Merlots being made in California, but Pahlmeyer has consistently made some of the best. Very deep purple-black in color, the 2016 Merlot has a blockbuster nose of crushed blackberries, warm black plums, violets, cracked pepper and vanilla pod with hints of dark chocolate, licorice and bay leaves. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and with firm, velvety tannins, the palate is a hedonist’s playground with a spicy finish that just goes on and on. The very talented winemaker from Pahlmeyer’s sister winery in Sonoma—Bibiana Gonzalez Rave of Wayfarer—has recently been appointed as Chief Winemaker at Pahlmeyer. 2016 was her first vintage here." 94 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Mostly estate fruit, the 2016 Merlot spent 22 months in primarily new French oak. Black cherries, smoked earth, graphite, dark chocolate, and licorice notes all emerge from this rich, full-bodied, concentrated Merlot that has subtle background oak but displays a supple, seamless balance style that’s a joy to drink."
Ratings on Delectable
"Odedi" 
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back! Deep ruby, almost Inky in color, with a very short purplish rim. Beautiful nose of blackberries, black plums, red cherries, tobacco, light vanilla, spices, cedar, herbs, light earth, chocolates, black pepper and eucalyptus. What a gorgeous nose. Full-bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs. Dry on the palate with black plums, black cherries, earth, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, herbs, leather and black pepper. Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries. This is a gorgeous Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich, extracted and elegant. Well balanced and fruit forward. This 7-year-old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. Nicely balanced with a gorgeous mouthfeel. Not in your face kind of wine, which I really appreciate. Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime, but I did not decant it. As it opens up, more red fruits show up. Really nice, tangy and interesting. I've had it a few times before, and it is always special. One of the best Merlos for my palate. Thank you Scott for sharing this with me. Good by itself or with food, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak. I tried it with the French Brie, but it did not work out too well. Much better with the dried meats. A blend of 96% Merlot with tiny amounts of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in (85% new) French Oak barrels for 20 months. 14.9% alcohol by volume. 96 points. $120.
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back! Deep ruby, almost Inky in color, with a very short purplish rim. Beautiful nose of blackberries, black plums, red cherries, tobacco, light vanilla, spices, cedar, herbs, light earth, chocolates, black pepper and eucalyptus. What a gorgeous nose. Full-bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs. Dry on the palate with black plums, black cherries, earth, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, herbs, leather and black pepper. Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries. This is a gorgeous Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich, extracted and elegant. Well balanced and fruit forward. This 7-year-old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. Nicely balanced with a gorgeous mouthfeel. Not in your face kind of wine, which I really appreciate. Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime, but I did not decant it. As it opens up, more red fruits show up. Really nice, tangy and interesting. I've had it a few times before, and it is always special. One of the best Merlos for my palate. Thank you Scott for sharing this with me. Good by itself or with food, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak. I tried it with the French Brie, but it did not work out too well. Much better with the dried meats. A blend of 96% Merlot with tiny amounts of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in (85% new) French Oak barrels for 20 months. 14.9% alcohol by volume. 96 points. $120.
9.6"Odedi"
It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday, and this is one of the the best Merlots from California, that I have ever had. Deep purple in color with a short purple rim. Gorgeous nose of black currants, cooked plums, cooked cherries, dried figs, cedar, licorice, vanilla, basil, tobacco, chocolates, light cola, eucalyptus, Mediterranean spices and peppercorn. Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs. Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke and peppercorn. Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries. This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity with a great mouthfeel, and drinks way above its price point. Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time. After 90 minutes in the decanter, tannins show up and bring more structure. Well worth the wait. Tasty and luscious. Flavorful and inviting with a fabulous nose. Robert Parker 93 points. Will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. A great wine to have all by itself and talk about. Thank you Scott for sharing this beauty with me. Delicious and engaging. Rich and extracted. Teeth staining color, so not so good for a first date. You're welcome. A blend of 96% Merlot with a touch of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.9% alcohol by volume. 95 points. $90.
It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday, and this is one of the the best Merlots from California, that I have ever had. Deep purple in color with a short purple rim. Gorgeous nose of black currants, cooked plums, cooked cherries, dried figs, cedar, licorice, vanilla, basil, tobacco, chocolates, light cola, eucalyptus, Mediterranean spices and peppercorn. Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs. Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke and peppercorn. Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries. This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity with a great mouthfeel, and drinks way above its price point. Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time. After 90 minutes in the decanter, tannins show up and bring more structure. Well worth the wait. Tasty and luscious. Flavorful and inviting with a fabulous nose. Robert Parker 93 points. Will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. A great wine to have all by itself and talk about. Thank you Scott for sharing this beauty with me. Delicious and engaging. Rich and extracted. Teeth staining color, so not so good for a first date. You're welcome. A blend of 96% Merlot with a touch of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.9% alcohol by volume. 95 points. $90.
9.5Christopher Friend
Rabbits. Gift from Tornell’s.
Rabbits. Gift from Tornell’s.
9.2
AEL
Most high end merlot has plush, full flavors and good viscosity, but great ones manage to have structure too. This one kills it. Intense, lingering nose with cocoa, coffee, chocolate and dark fruit, a little graphite. But it has a spine, which is clear on the nose and continues on the palate. A classy merlot. At mom's.
Most high end merlot has plush, full flavors and good viscosity, but great ones manage to have structure too. This one kills it. Intense, lingering nose with cocoa, coffee, chocolate and dark fruit, a little graphite. But it has a spine, which is clear on the nose and continues on the palate. A classy merlot. At mom's.
9.2Ethan Karas
Crowd pleaser.
Crowd pleaser.
9.1
Jeanette Bangs
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
10
See all reviews and ratings on Delectable WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.