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Wine Recommendation
Nickel & Nickel
2004 Merlot, Suscol Ranch(Napa Valley)
This is one of three Merlots from Nickel & Nickel, whose raison d’être – perhaps more than any other American producer – is single vineyard wines. The Suscol Ranch in the on-the-come but little-known Jamieson Canyon area is a nine-acre vineyard. Located in the southern part of the Napa Valley near the airport, the area is gaining respect for its cool Merlots and Pinot Noirs.
This Merlot has loads of blackberry jam aromas and soft, elegant fruit in the mouth with very nice balance. It’s not a long-term wine but one that will retain its vibrancy for another six or seven years.
The vines are planted on a windy, north-facing knoll of deep, loamy, Haire series soils, which are moderately well drained and found on old terraces and alluvial fans. Deposits of weathered sedimentary rock are typical. The wine was aged in 45 percent new French barrels, with the rest once-used. There were 821 cases produced.
Reviewed April 11, 2007 by Alan Goldfarb.
Other reviewed wines from Nickel & Nickel
 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon , Dragonfly Vineyard (St. Helena ~ Napa Valley)Alan Goldfarb 8/28/2006 |
The Wine
Winery: Nickel & Nickel |
The Reviewer
Alan Goldfarb
Alan Goldfarb has been writing about and reviewing wine for 17 years. His reviews have been published in the St. Helena Star, San Jose Mercury, San Francisco Examiner, Decanter, and Wine Enthusiast, among others. Not once has he used a point system, star system, or an iconic symbol to quantify a wine. What counts in Mr. Goldfarb’s criteria when judging a wine is: how it tastes in the glass; is it well-constructed; its food compatibility; and presence of redeeming regional attributes. |