2003 Behrens Family Merlot Napa Valley
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
(15.2%) Good ruby. Blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, graphite, minerals and licorice on the nose. Juicier and fresher than the Alder Springs merlo t, if a bit less complex. Black fruit and dark chocolate flavors offer good definition and intensity. Rather elegantly styled in the context of this winery.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
An elegant, restrained, understated (atypical for B & H) effort is the 2003 Merlot Napa (600 cases; 15.2% alcohol; 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Sauvignon). Copious amounts of mocha, black currants, loamy soil, earth, and spice box emerge from this Bordeaux-like blend. With tremendous ripeness, finesse, and subtleness, it should be consumed over the next decade. I can’t say enough good things about Behrens and Hitchcock. This is the type of winery operation that gives hope to aspiring home winemakers who want to make it in the big time. They have followed their dreams, unearthed top vineyards that were available to everybody, and are making non-interventionalistic wines of extraordinary personality and character. (Release date 6/05) Tel. 707-963-1774; Fax 707-963-8206