Barnett Vineyards Merlot Spring Mountain District

Opened for 30 min. Still drinking nice.

2014 vintage

Excellent. Fruit strong. Could cellar for longer but at its prime.

2014 vintage

Too sweet and somewhat over the hill.

2014 vintage

After 2 hour decant. Silky and smooth. Lots of fruit and mocha notes but mainly on one level. Good length on the finish. It should continue to develop for a few more years. Side note, MP really enjoyed this will dinner (steak and asparagus).

2014 vintage

I've had lots of Spring Mtn wines and have visited 4 Spring Mtn wineries, but had never had a Barnett. It was delicious! We ended up drinking 2 bottles. This is young for a Spring Mtn Cab Sauv, but after a 35 min decant, it's drinking beautifully. The parts have really stitched together well: soft tannins, no noticeable heat, mellow oak, delicious black and blue fruit (not overripe), forest floor. It continued to open in the glass as well, so …

2014 vintage

I liked this but it wasn't perfect. I am a Barnett fan, and have been buying them for many years. In fact I just bought two 2018 bottles today. I prefer fruit forward Cabs, and Barnetts are generally that. I was honestly surprised at how well the fruity mid-palate has kept up after 8 years. Still vibrant, juicy, fruit forward, between bright red and dark red fruit. Although I like fruit, I do not want any hint of sugar in …

2014 vintage

Magnum, drank like a 750 ml would have in 2018, which to me was the peak window for this wonderful wine.

2014 vintage

Wow….perfectly aged after 4 1/2 years in the cellar…. So good we almost went back for another of the three remaining bottles…

2014 vintage

Loved it!

2014 vintage

Really flavorful and smooth. Everyone loved it.

2014 vintage

Continued excellence. This '14 is aging extremely well

2014 vintage

Dark purple in color with a reddish rim. Full bodied and bold with medium acidity. Dry to off dry on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, light medicine, coffee and peppercorn Medium length on the finish soft tannins and tangy raspberries. This is a very enjoyable Merlot from a great vintage. I actually expected more from this, but I believe it is still young. Too fruity for me, and that …

2014 vintage

We let this one breathe for 2 hrs. prior to pouring. It paired well with Fliets from the charcoal grill and baked potatoes. This is a very smooth Merlot.

2014 vintage

Discounted from a magnum, and allowed to rest for 2.5 hours. Tastes immediately out of the bottle were good but seems like the wine was in a muted, dumb phase. Showed a bit of seepage around the core which may have contributed. 2.5 hours after opening there’s crushed gravel and aged fruit on the nose, along with earth. Wine is more fruit driven at this point with the structure are softer and fading. May have been better with less time …

2014 vintage

Had this next to the 2016. It seems that this wine is an a dormant stage as the fruits were neither forward and present and acidity was medium to light. Mild nose of some berry and vanilla. On the palette it is just OK with a very well balanced display of reserved tannin, not as biting a grip as I remember and decent but reserved fruit. Some oak, vanilla, and blackberry, some cranberry. Finish is the strong point here as …

2014 vintage

Was a little disappointed given previous experience with this wine/winery. Wasn’t as complex as I recalled. Fruit-forward, newer style Napa cab. Big but not much finish or distinguishing characteristics. I’ll try again another day and see if it changes.

2014 vintage

A wine opened at the right time and went perfectly with some aged ribs. Not an everyday wine but one you need to be in the mood for then it’s perfect. Initially thought there was a touch of stewed black currant on the finish like a hot Bordeaux or hot Napa but it eased off. Masses of fruit and super plush, smooth and mouth filling / staining. Has a really nice acidity and kick with a good finish. Singular maybe …

2014 vintage

Dark cherry. cassis, licorice, plum. Great approachable wine

2014 vintage

Surprisingly much better than anticipated. This is a classic Napa Cab, fruit forward, big and bold, BUT very well balanced, with firm tannins and tingling finish. Great QPR!

2014 vintage

Unfortunately doesn't live up to the hype. Not sure why given some good previous vintages. QPR just isn't there.

2014 vintage

Good but not great, especially given the price and professional ratings. I had opened a bottle 1.5 to 2 years ago and remembered it being a nice bottle. I had hoped it would evolve a little and that the fruit, oak, vanilla, and already mild tannins would subside and reveal something more interesting. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Typical modern, upper-mid range California cab. Drink up and enjoy it for what it is.

2014 vintage

We let this one breathe for about an hour before pouring. Outstanding!

2014 vintage

Not my style of California cabernet, too fruit forward and sweet for my taste.

2014 vintage

I let this one breathe for a couple of hours before pouring at cellar temp. We had this with Tuscan Pork Medalions over prociutto and cheese tortellini for Valentaines Day dinner. ......Outstanding!

2014 vintage

Once again opened one and I must admit that with all due respect this is good wine with a lovely mouthfeel but an overall boring wine. Aromatic start with a chocolate nose to it. Velvety mid palette with some decent fruit, plum, blueberry, with a lingering finish of chocolate. Overall better than most but flat.

2014 vintage

My strong preference for the 2013 vintage, compared to the 2014 remains, after recent comparison. I prefer my wines fruit forward, and the 2013 was gorgeous in that respect. 2014 had much more restrained blue fruit on the mid-palate, and pretty strong, almost unrefined tannins on the finish. Completely different unrewarding experience for me at north of $70 a bottle. Happy to pay the same for the 2013 vintage.

2014 vintage

Blue fruit singing from the glass. Surprisingly approachable for its young age. Plenty of structure. Will definitely be seeking out more of this.

2014 vintage

Decanted for an hour prior to drinking, wine was relatively mute, both on the nose and on the palate. Drank half the bottle over the course of a couple hours, still not a lot going on. 2nd half of bottle on day 2. Nose: Wine was much more aromatic on day 2, vibrant, cassis, blackberry brandy, lovely smell. Palate; the core fruit really came out very nicely, pure blackberry and blue fruit, cocoa powder, currants, hints of cedar. Medium+ lingering …

2014 vintage

Best vintage of this wine ever. Cassis, plum, anise. Fantastic

2014 vintage

So I says to my wine monger, bruh, grilling some ribeyes, need vino stat! He says, I got you fam, and produces this bottle. I says, homey you mad, I ain't even trying to drink no murrlow. Homeboy says, spring Mountain, beyotch! This shit got mad structure. I'm like, whatever guy, we'll see about this. Damn, that crazy old coot ain't lying, this wine is lit and my dindin got turnt! Dark candied fruits, Cassis, vanilla and dusty tannins got …

2014 vintage

Dark cherry, ripe raspberry, currants, clove, tobacco leaf and cedar. Really good balance and mouthfeel. Very good!

2014 vintage

Solid red with more aging needed

2014 vintage

Very approachable, as most 2014's are. This is a special wine. Dark cherries, cassis, licorice and forest floor. Smooth tannin structure. Not to long on the finish.

2014 vintage

I hesitate to admit what I paid for this bottle. Suffice to say off a Canadian hotel room service wine list so there's a lot of mark-ups in that sentence. Let's just say not a QPR play. Drank over the course of 3 days. A glass or maybe a glass and a half every night. Not a lot of changes. Bottle was corked inbetween, but fridge for mini-bar so wine was left out. Not a ton of evolution though . …

2014 vintage

What Merlot should be. East drinking, no pretension, no complexity, just great, fruit forward Merlot. Sweet dark cherries, black/red licorice, over ripe plums. If you haven't gotten past your bias to turn your nose up at Merlot, just open up a bottle of this Barnett, remove the stick from your butt, and enjoy.

2014 vintage

buy again

2014 vintage

Garnet with a hint of violet color. First 30 minutes this wine had some pretty interesting flavor combinations, coconut, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, kirsch, cedar, ripe red fruit. Lots of transitioning flavors and velvety mouth feel. Medium plus finish. Very enjoyable and a Cabernet drinkers Merlot. Hours later, it transitioned to and was a bit easier going, primarily ripe red fruit, cedar, chocolate. Saved half for day two with similar results. This was a fun wine to drink on PnP and …

2014 vintage

Velvety smooth and rich with a great finish. Very round fruit profiles front. If you think merlot is boring and flat get some of this. Spicy finish of black pepper and dried cranberry fruit. This wine is all about the finish.

2014 vintage

A good wine with a great finish. Notes go on and on for 30 seconds plus. Aromatic start with a chocolate nose to it. Velvety mid palette with some decent fruit, plum, blueberry, with a lingering finish of chocolate.

2014 vintage

90 min decant. Rich, dessert-like blackberry tart nose. Smooth palate with soft tannins on medium finish. This was good, but too thin and syrupy for this price point. Would have been good QPR for $20.

2014 vintage

This is so well balanced and ready to drink at a young age. Would pair well with pork or Italian dishes, but is amazing just by itself.

2014 vintage

Smooth on the entry. A little bite mid-palate, and then a bunch of black and red fruit hit you like a ton of bricks. Not terribly complex, and the finish almost becomes too much fruit (bomb). The entry is a 95, mid a 92 and the finish 88. I went with a 92 overall.

2014 vintage

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Barnett Vineyards Merlot Spring Mountain District

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