Keenan, Mernet Reserve, Spring Mountain District

Beautiful nose that leans towards red fruit; highly aromatic, with cedar and graphite notes. Palate isn't as strong, initially showing plum and scorched earth, with grip on the finish; then with more air, cassis comes forward and the scorched earth fades away. Based on this bottle I would say it's at peak, but on the back end and should be consumed within the next five years.

2010 vintage

This wine exceeded expectations. Nose of tobacco, earth, wild berry. Palate showed explosive flavors of black current, plum, black cherry, and pomegranate mixed with earth and graphite or crushed rocked. So smooth and velvety on the finish that lingers for at least a minute. Amazing balance, freshness, texture. This wine has it all. Best wine for me so far in 2024. Ready now, should hold at this level for at least a few more years.

2010 vintage

Very dark center, dark red rim with modest signs of age. Intense blackcurrant and blackberry nose, salted black olives. Smooth and a touch sweet, blackberry and blackcurrant compote, toasty oak, Herbes de Provence, a little inky, good acidity and tannin still, long finish. Excellent Bordeaux-style blend (50% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc), drinking well now with air but will go for another 5+ years no problem.

2012 vintage

Great nose after an hour to decant. Wonderful balance as you can find both grapes. Not a lot of tannin but not a fruit bomb.

2012 vintage

13 years old and still vibrant! Thick dark cherry, with high density and intensity. Maybe even stewed or dried cherries. Still plenty of tannins, but rounding off a bit now. I'm glad I have another bottle to age a bit longer!

2010 vintage

2010 vintage Outstanding wine. Keenan never disappoints, but this wine with age is just unreal. Color: dark Ruby, signs of aging on the edges Nose: dried herbs, dark cherry and earth Taste: red & dark fruit, but the terroir is what really shines. Tastes like spring mountain! Herbs and some pepper on the finish. Big tannins still, and the acidity is still off the charts. This wine shows no signs of slowing down, and is still intense as hell. Easily …

2010 vintage

Needed an hour of air to show its fruit and charm.

2012 vintage

Nose of black berry, black cherry, allspice, and earth, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak-enjoy now, $81 auction bottle, mouth filling fruit, delicious, lovely blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, elegant, enjoyed over 2 nights, and a long. long finish, photo uploaded.

2012 vintage

Burgundy red color with a brick hue. On the nose, black peppercorns, bing cherries, black currant, dry figs, coffee and toast. Once the wine had time to breathe, ripe figs, black cherries, mocha, coffee and currant flavors flourished. Wonderful wine and worth the wait.

2012 vintage

- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black currant, black pepper and tobacco. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant, fig and black pepper with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Decanted 3 hours. The wine is elegant and can still age longer.

2012 vintage

A little stiff (charcoal and chalk) up top and never really rounded into full form, but improved continuously throughout to a satisfying wine. Fruit was a little too subdued for the alcohol and oak-related notes. Elegant palate and a little nose spice--would I be forgiven for thinking this was a Southern Rhone blind even though no grapes are shared in common? Not well received by the unappreciative crowd and that didn't help the opinion, either, but a solid wine that …

2012 vintage

Outstanding wine - aromas of currant and black fruits explode from the glass, smooth and refined on the palate, tannins soft and resolving.

2010 vintage

"Can't miss Keenan" is what I'll start calling this winery - and Michael Keenan, the proprieter. Blending Merlot, Cabs Sauv and Franc, to create "MERNET"! At the 10 year mark (and celebrating my turning to 56th year mark) it's still got some kick. Spicey cherry and tomato, with hints of cocoa. Still acid, still tannin. Drink or hold for 2-3 more years at least. Bravo!

2010 vintage

Had this a year ago, and it's done amazing things in that time. The fruit has grown more rustic! More like dried plums and cherries, with incredible cedar notes and copious dry spice. Still firm tannins, but this is ready to drink. I'd say you could hang on to it for 2-3 years. But certainly ready now. I love me some Keenans.

2010 vintage

Still a very big, tannic wine, not even close to its peak. Deep berry fruit, but not particularly smooth (though that might change over time). Well structured. All of tannin, fruit, acid are represented here, but tannin wins the day. Give it time. Pour moi, je n'en ai plus.

2010 vintage

Forgot to take notes but I really enjoyed this wine. 50% Merlot, 25% Cab Franc, 25% Cab Sauv. I love this wine. Very rustic with old world flavors.

2010 vintage

Drank back to back w the 09. The 10 has more franc and it shows. A little more tannic at this point also. Nice bottle but the 09 was definitely better right now.

2010 vintage

Opening nose "of mountain fruit" - rustic. After an hour, hitting it's stride. Cherries and crushed roses (the Franc coming through). Just what I'd expect from Keenan. A force on Spring Mountain. Serve this with something fatty and salty, such as the burgers I did tonight with some very caramalized onions. Or a cigar...you're welcome.

2010 vintage

Outstanding. Still years to go.

2004 vintage

This was a lovely wine. No formal notes. It was enjoyed by all.

2004 vintage

Great color, the merlot is fruit forward and the cab gives it the tannins and cab franc gives it a kick. Love the potential and it needs 5 more years.

2012 vintage

chocolate covered cherry, tobacco, leather

2012 vintage

Needs a long, in-bottle decant.

2012 vintage

Dark color, minimal tannin, tasty, chewy and perfect compliment to strip steak.

2012 vintage

Tight from the start, opened up slightly after an hour. Arerator helped. Not much fruit and light bodied. Try next bottle in 2020.

2012 vintage

Brilliant clarity. Inky, dark purple juice. Really good mountain fruit (cherry and blackberry) on the nose along with forest floor, eucalyptus and graphite. This was still a huge wine, required the ribeye fat to cut the tannins. I'd push the drinking window out even further or give it a couple hour decant now and serve with red meat

2010 vintage

some stweey tobacco in there, Rich, big earthy and a huge amoutn of tannins,

2012 vintage

Tasting at winery Bottle has been open for 3 hrs. Ruby Red on the glass with a thin watery rim. Nose of black cherries, red curranta leather, crush flowers, spices (some clove, maybe cinnamon) and cigar box. The pallet is cassis, black cherries, cedar, tobacco, chalky minerality. Nice mountain wine mouth feel with fine grained front tannins, nice acidity and a very long cherry/tobacco finish.

2012 vintage

Wow, have been holding this for a long time, waiting for additional notes to surface. Finally pulled the cork and let air in the bottle below shoulder for about 2 hours before drinking. Great fruit and just starting to show secondary flavors. Still dark purple color, so suspect this could go for some time ... if I had another bottle, I'd be looking to pull in 2018~19.

2004 vintage

Very dark red violet color; red currant, cedar nose; tasty, tight, red currant, cedar palate with balancing acidity; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish 91+ points

2012 vintage

Family Winemakers Tasting San Francisco, nose of black cherry, black currants, allspice, and cigar box, same on the palate, fairly fruit forward, some soft tannins, big body, lovely tasting, easy to drink but better in 2 years, long finish.

2012 vintage

50 merlot. 44 cab. 6 franc. Michaels favorite wine. And yeah. That kinda makes sense. With some spice boxncake bread oak on it? Just one third new. And 85 French.

2012 vintage

The 2016 Sun Wine Fest Elite Cru Wine Tasting. First time trying Keenan wines. The 6% Cab Franc adds complexity. Very nice American wine showing well now with years of life ahead to evolve. Better than the Keenan Side by Side. Hope to sample other vintages.

2012 vintage

Nice blend. Decent finish and very approachable right now. Medium to dark red fruit and plum.

2010 vintage

Excellent blend. Will be better in 2-3 yrs but I couldn't wait to try one. Just what you want wt a Merlot/Cab blend.

2010 vintage

Still a young colt...good bones that will hold up. Hold at least until 2018.

2004 vintage

This bottle seemed a bit like it was just trying to come alive but it wasn't quite ready yet. 3 hour decant and it was extremely pleasing just not there yet. Drink from 2016-2020

2004 vintage

Still fairly young and bright, but some secondary character is starting to emerge with this bottle. A bit "Right Bank" in styling. Nice interplay between the fruit and acidity. That along with some tannins that emerge, suggest this has probably got the backbone to last quite awhile. Will decant the rest of it, as I'm hoping some air will serve to meld all the component parts and fill this out. If that happens, RP's score would not be unrealistic. As …

2004 vintage

Ripe black cherry and blackberry with a smooth vein of smoky oak that runs right down your tongue; still youngish and tannic despite three hour decant. Still needs time in my view.

2004 vintage

Wow! What a difference two years can make. Intense flavors now without any of the sour-raw touch from two years ago. Bold, fruity and lovely sweetness, makes it impossible to stop drinking.

2004 vintage

Nils Venge strikes again! Really wonderful wine...tied with '92 Keenan Spring Mountain Special Selection Cab for WOTN. I am told the '92 was made by Randy Dunn. The '04 Mernet is a classic St. Emilion style blend... attractive nose with seductive blueberry and chocolate palate... ... still has plenty of oomph for another 10 years of aging ... very well balanced with acidity and tannins... the oak is very deftly done - it opened up nicely over the course of …

2004 vintage

Smooth tannins, lots of dark fruit from the merlot, especially. Drinking very well right now.

2004 vintage

Decanted for 2 hours. Lively nose. Dark purple color, Lats of cherry and berry flavor. Smooth tannins. No need to rush this one.

2004 vintage

Intense blackberry, vanilla, sweetness and extraction. A little vegetal, but no cedar. I would call it intense rather than opulent, as that needs to be reserved for the Keenan mailbox merlot. Somewhat drying tannins are not disguised by the fruit, and fresh acid means that this wine could and maybe should rest five years or so. This is a wonderful, fruity wine. My only gripe is that it doesn't have much of that cedar Cabernet flavor. I'm okay with intense-fruity, …

2004 vintage

I think this will evolve to be the best wine of the night, but needs time in bottle. A bit disjointed. Spicy nose of cinnamon and toasty oak with a slight green element alnog with eucalyptus. Dried fruits on palate of figs, plums, and currants. The tannins are firm and a bit green. Offers a nice earthiness underneath this fruit with balanced acidity. Given the already complexity, the firm tannins, and the balance of fruit versus acidity I think this …

2004 vintage

2008 Loyola Marymount Wine Classic : Solid, strong blend; Good fruit; Slightly sweet; Age it

2004 vintage

Pine, chocolate and strawberry with nice floral notes on the nose. Good cabernet/merlot blend with ripe fruit, especially cherry. Strong tannic finish, but to be expected prior to release. This will be a nice one with a little time. Drink 2010-2012. Tasted at vineyard.

2004 vintage

Are you sure?

Keenan, Mernet Reserve, Spring Mountain District

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews