88 2001 Pine Ridge Crimson Creek Napa Valley Merlot 2/17/06 ($20)
76% Merlot, 13% CS, 9% CF, 2% Malbec 14.3% alc
Color: Medium deep garnet (3.0) Bouquet: Spicy, smooth tannins and rich blackberry/cassis fruit. (3.0) Body: A lot of tannin with sweet fruit underneath. Healthy and lively. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor, but tannin is more prevalent. Not particularly aromatic or long, except for persistent black peppery tannin. (2.0)
Overall: A very good Napa Valley Merlot with excellent structure. A little too much tannin for the amount of fruit, so don’t wait too long. If it were more balanced, the quality of the wine suggests an excellent rating. Drink now and in the next year. (14.0)