2018 Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot
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Tasting notes
Dark-fruited and with a dense and inky core, the 2018 Pedestal Merlot offers aromas of resinous purple flowers with hints of oak and blackberry jus. Full-bodied and firm on the palate, the deep and complex expression will take another year to fill out its shoes. The wine ahs firm gripping tannins across the mid-palate along with a tight mineral tension, then lingers with persistent notions of spiced plum compote and graphite. Give it another year in the bottle, and then drink it over the next 10 to 12 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum stone and dark chocolate. It is full-bodied with ripe, rounded tannins. Plush and creamy with a chocolatey character. Nicely structured and balanced with a flavorful finish. Drink now or hold.
The 2018 Merlot Pedestal checks in as 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Malbec that was raised, I suspect, in plenty of new oak. It's another great vintage from this cuvée, which has the final blend put together by Michel Rolland. Offering a wonderfully pure, perfumed nose of black and blue fruits, chocolate, leafy herbs, and flowers, these all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied and has a seamless texture and a great finish. I’d be happy to drink a bottle any time over the coming 15 years.