Donkey & Goat Merlot Blakeman Vineyard

less opaque than a typical merlot. muted maroon/red color pleasant red fruit on the nose very lean on the palate as others noted. the low alcohol is noticeable. a tad harsh initially. softens with complex red fruit flavors, but not the standard merlot blueberry to me. high acidity. pleasant finish. Certainly a unique Cali style, but enjoyable to me. A touch more fruit in the palate would have been a huge step up and makes me think this was a …

I'm not going to give this a rating. 12.5% alcohol. Very different style than most merlots, grown in the cool hills above Anderson Valley's floor. I felt that I was getting eucalyptus or menthol for a while, though that reduced the longer the bottle was open. My wife did not detect those notes. I would not buy it again, but I don't want to be too critical.

This is already drinking well, though its not your typical California Merlot, reminding us much more of Europe. Hard to tell on aging potential, since after it opened up initially, it didn't deepen to still more with time. Best guess though is that this will continue to improve with more time in bottle. Very much enjoyed and, at least for us, that was independent of food.

Took a good hour to open in the decanter, and even then this isn't your typical plush CA Merlot. But you knew that when you bought in to D&G. Very pretty, red fruited nose; the palate is quite a bit leaner and acid driven and expands with food. Needs food, and probably a little more time in the cellar.