Red currant, vanilla, spicy finish.
Red currant, vanilla, spicy finish.
Jun 16th, 2019
Very unique Merlot/Cab blend. Slightly thinner than a Merlot from the valley floor, but I think it's more interesting. Somehow I lost my rating that I entered for this wine earlier. When I open another bottle I'll do a more detailed review — written 2017. .... Well, it’s 2020 now and I opened another bottle of the 2010 valedictorian. I think it’s reached its peak and it’s drinking as well as it ever will. Unripe cherries and thyme on the nose. Velvety tannins on the front of the palate, and, strangely enough, the fruit appears on the mid palate — Blackberries and currents. It finishes with a tartness that zings you at the end with overtones of black pepper and roasted chili — which to my mind balances the fruit in the middle. Originally I gave this a 9.1, but I think my standards have gotten more rigorous. I give this an 8.8 now. Very drinkable, though.
Very unique Merlot/Cab blend. Slightly thinner than a Merlot from the valley floor, but I think it's more interesting. Somehow I lost my rating that I entered for this wine earlier. When I open another bottle I'll do a more detailed review — written 2017. .... Well, it’s 2020 now and I opened another bottle of the 2010 valedictorian. I think it’s reached its peak and it’s drinking as well as it ever will. Unripe cherries and thyme on the nose. Velvety tannins on the front of the palate, and, strangely enough, the fruit appears on the mid palate — Blackberries and currents. It finishes with a tartness that zings you at the end with overtones of black pepper and roasted chili — which to my mind balances the fruit in the middle. Originally I gave this a 9.1, but I think my standards have gotten more rigorous. I give this an 8.8 now. Very drinkable, though.
Oct 9th, 2017
Santa Cruz Mountains, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
