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Wine Recommendation
Basel Cellars Estate Winery
2003 Merriment(Walla Walla Valley)
Merriment is winemaker Trey Busch’s meritage, comprised of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc. From the Pheasant Run vineyard, which sits just across the highway from the winery south of Walla Walla, this wine is a barrel selection made in limited quantities.
Though the winemakers acknowledges that he has been cutting back on the use of new oak, this wine still shows plenty of it, and will benefit from further bottle age. The initial toasted aromas of whiskey and vanilla give way to more aromatic, spicy and intense fruit, polished and ripe, but not hot.
note: there will be no Merriment in 2004; the vineyard was a victim of that winter’s freeze.
Reviewed July 25, 2006 by Paul Gregutt.
Other reviewed wines from Basel Cellars Estate Winery
The Wine
Winery: Basel Cellars Estate Winery |
The Reviewer
Paul Gregutt
Paul Gregutt values these things in wine above all: typicity, specificity, clarity, elegance, polish, depth and balance. He recognizes that there are genuine flaws in some wines, and it is important to know and identify them. Wines that are too ripe, too oaky or alcoholic to the point where nuance and detail are obliterated are not going to win his praise. Price is a factor in his evaluation of any wine; a good $8 wine is much harder to make than a good $80 wine. |