Martin Ray
Stags Leap District Merlot
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California, USA
Complex and fruity. Pure Stags Leap. Definitely buying more.
Complex and fruity. Pure Stags Leap. Definitely buying more.
Nov 1st, 2019
Part of the single AVA series of Martin Ray, this is the Stag's Leap Merlot. On a side note, Martin Ray is owned by Courtney Benham and the wines are made by Bill Bachelor, and recently their newest vintages of wines have been receiving some impressive scores by critics like James Suckling and Wine Advocate, such as their 2012 Diamond Mountain Cab. Sauv., weighing in at 95 pts from Suckling.
Now, back to the Merlot! Needed a big decant, which I could have done more of, but oh well. Pretty dark garnet and purple hue in color, with a fragrant nose of roasted coffee bean, oak, and a bit of ethanol tingling the nose. The pallet is not as soft and silky as I envisioned a Stag's Leap to be, but that may be due to the 50% new French oak and it's young age, because it was certainly a powerhouse Merlot with Margaux structure and ample acidity. Plentiful red currant, cherries and ripe plum at its core, with oak and baking spices, and a dark chocolate finish and a lingering finish at that. Overall, I think if I decanted this longer than 45 minutes, it would have been a bit smoother, but I could probably decant this one all day and it would be awesome later. This one is drink or hold for sure, but in a few years this one should be great.
Part of the single AVA series of Martin Ray, this is the Stag's Leap Merlot. On a side note, Martin Ray is owned by Courtney Benham and the wines are made by Bill Bachelor, and recently their newest vintages of wines have been receiving some impressive scores by critics like James Suckling and Wine Advocate, such as their 2012 Diamond Mountain Cab. Sauv., weighing in at 95 pts from Suckling.
Now, back to the Merlot! Needed a big decant, which I could have done more of, but oh well. Pretty dark garnet and purple hue in color, with a fragrant nose of roasted coffee bean, oak, and a bit of ethanol tingling the nose. The pallet is not as soft and silky as I envisioned a Stag's Leap to be, but that may be due to the 50% new French oak and it's young age, because it was certainly a powerhouse Merlot with Margaux structure and ample acidity. Plentiful red currant, cherries and ripe plum at its core, with oak and baking spices, and a dark chocolate finish and a lingering finish at that. Overall, I think if I decanted this longer than 45 minutes, it would have been a bit smoother, but I could probably decant this one all day and it would be awesome later. This one is drink or hold for sure, but in a few years this one should be great.
