Paloma, Merlot, Napa Valley

Opened well before serving, decanted and found the “goop” (which seemed almost like jelly in the strainer). The wine had a nose of plum and dried red fruit, deep purple color. The palate revealed more plum, presented with fine, light tannins and just the right acidity.

2012 vintage

PnP. Stills nice but starting to fade. Drink now.

2012 vintage

Very sour.

2012 vintage

Similar to prior notes after a 2 hour double decant except less opulent (past peak?); very good, drink

2012 vintage

Dark red with no apparent sediment. On nose, dark chocolate, blackberry, sweet cherry and menthol. Medium body, medium (-) acidity, low tannins and long finish. Cherry, strawberry, and some tobacco on palate - long finish. Better on own than with food. 91+

2012 vintage

Tasty, crowd-pleasing, uncomplicated merlot, with lingering oak notes under blue fruits. Crazy amount of sediment. Has plenty of life left.

2012 vintage

Smells of wild berries, maybe some cinammon. On tasting, again wild berries, very smooth. A really great wine - glad we opened it but the last one we had from that year. Visited Paloma the year before - drank wine with Barbara at her house - what a treat!

2012 vintage

This wine is in such a nice spot now. Still plenty of goop in the bottom, but easily strain-able. Nose shows mixed wild berries with dried herbs and hints of baking spices. Smooth on the palate, more mixed berries, medium long finish.

2012 vintage

As good as my previous notes. 93-94 pts.

2007 vintage

Cellar Tracker has been telling me for a while that it’s time to drink this wine and so glad I did. Only one in my collection unfortunately as it’s a stellar Merlot. Served with a roasted eggplant pasta and this wine just sang. Beautiful notes in the bouquet and very balanced pallet with a lovely burst at the end of dark cherry and chocolate. Reminded me why I love well made wines.

2007 vintage

Beautiful wine especially toward the end of dinner, the first glass showed some tertiary tones but towards the end of the bottle showed its fruit...still left on it, alwyas a fan of this merlot. I love when a wine has multilayers and evolve on the glass. 94-95 pts.

2007 vintage

As good as my previous notes.

2007 vintage

Opened a second bottle after the first was corked. No issues with this one. Same gelatin at the bottom, but easily remove with a double strainer. Perhaps slightly less fruit than prior bottles, but continues to drink really well.

2012 vintage

Consistent with my previous notes.

2007 vintage

This wine is holding its weight gracefully, I tried this wine a few years ago and its evolution is amaizing. Love it full of ripen straberries among with hints of mint and velvety tannins. 94-95 pts.

2007 vintage

Drinking well. Took a few minutes to open up a fair amount of sediment.

2012 vintage

Pop and pour with easily the best showing of this bottling that I can remember. Dark chocolate and loads of dark red fruits on the nose and palate. Throwing a lot of sediment.

2012 vintage

Bold with plenty of dark black fruit. Plenty of tanin to last 5 more years. I am waiting 2 years for the next one.

2012 vintage

PnP. In a good spot, but improved slightly over the hour or so it was consumed. Has some life left in it to be sure. Strongly recommend a decant or pass through a screen filter - significant amount of gelatin-like sediment present in every bottle I’ve opened.

2012 vintage

Really hitting its stride. Big and lush with black cherry, blackberry and a lovely hint of menthol. Should hold at this high level for several years. What a delight. Note that there is significant sediment, so a careful decant is highly recommended.

2012 vintage

Still tasting great

2012 vintage

My last one of this vintage. Almost 3 years since the last. CellarTracker says drink by 2024 but this one is JUST starting to get rolling IMO. Pours a light violet color to the glass. Nose is beautiful black cherry cola and herbs. The tiniest bit of age on the nose that carries over to the palate. On the front, a ROBUST amount of black cherry, oregano, complex, acidic front yet well integrated, brambly middle and finishes with a cola …

2012 vintage

The wine is amazing , just pure expression of the grape. The Paloma 12's i have both cab and merlot come with what you can describe Pulp. So I have to stand bottle upright for about 24h before decanting. This way you get 3/4 of a bottle without sediment. If you shake, turn or flip the bottle before decanting you will get unfilterable mixture. So this bottle does come with some work attached to it but it so worth it …

2012 vintage

A nice full bodied Merlot. Tannins are medium soft and fully integrated. Good acidity. Surprised that there was little browning. One of the best producers of Merlot in Napa and a good value given the high quality of the wine.

2012 vintage

Super delicious!

2012 vintage

Ok this one is a mystery. The good is the wine is outstanding, best of 2012 to 2017 that I have tried. I would rate it 95 but ... sediment ... its like a Georgian unfiltered wine with 1/3 bottle of floaty some solidified some jelly like sediment. I have used a filter before putting into decanter, and didn't let it stand upright before pouring. It got clogged right away then I used double filter trying to strain some of …

2012 vintage

Very nice

2012 vintage

Seems to be on the way down. Could be bottle variation, but seemed a bit flat and one dimensional (and the gelatin).

2012 vintage

This was our last bottle of the '07 vintage, but it was enjoyed by all at the family gathering on the day after Christmas. No formal notes but it was very nice.

2007 vintage

So much VA

1996 vintage

My last bottle….made me reminisce about some of the tastings I had with Barbara in her home. Really terrific wine that tasted just like my last bottle. A complex Cab lovers Merlot with a deep and dark color, Chocolate, a hint of vanilla, and a complex finish were the notes I got on the palate. This was wonderful…wish i bought more.

2007 vintage

Very fragrant on the nose - mostly savory black fruit with dried herbs and tomato leaf. This is really drinking well now, even with minimal air.

2012 vintage

Similar to my previous bottles, wow that’s a lot of sediment…

2012 vintage

Opened for the Raid the cellar night Love it

2007 vintage

Drank a non-inventory bottle.

2007 vintage

Less fulsome than a year ago; I’d drink up

2007 vintage

My last 2007 and glad to finish 2021 on a positive note, in a year significantly lacking in positives. I was thinking about our spending several visits with Barbara years ago. These memories make a wine ever more special and personal. Her enthusiasm for her product and her land always rang loud, as we enjoyed the hummingbirds while we enjoyed the wine. Bless you Barbara and best wishes to Sheldon for a prosperous 2022!!!

2007 vintage

Note from 2 years ago pretty much says it all. I was a bit concerned that it was fading, but it put on weight as we drank it. Drink or hold

1996 vintage

Disjointed wine. Big mistake not to drink this 5-10 years ago. I left this in the decanter hoping it would come together but it just fell apart even more. I finally dumped it out. I need to try a young vintage.

2007 vintage

Good fruit. Drinking nicely still. Possibly nearing end of drinking window. I appreciated the maturity.

2007 vintage

Great

2007 vintage

Blackberry and black cherry. Wife says hint of leather, I say menthol and oak. Zero vanilla, toast, or richness and no old notes. Still carries nice acidity and very slightly drying, which makes me say drink now to maximize the fruit.

2007 vintage

Full body and mouth coating tannins. Dark fruit notes, leather, and earth, long finish. Wish I had more.

2007 vintage

Bricking, yet still a deeply saturated purple. Mellowed from a few years ago. Drying tannins, good minerality, plums and black cherries. Nice length and finish. An enjoyable if outsized merlot.

1996 vintage

This bottle was even better than the last one. Rich and creamy with everything well integrated.

2007 vintage

drinking perfectly now.

2007 vintage

Drank with Jay, Nathan, and Clare. Lush, rounded and ripe blueberries and blackberries, flowers, and hint of herbs on the nose. Palate is similar with ripe blue- and blackberries, dark chocolate, with hints of black tea. Still with nice acids to balance all the ripe fruit. Full bodied with dense, lush palate that lingers on the palate. 14.8% abv but carried the alcohol well. Very well made for the style. Too much power for me though.

2007 vintage

Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Fresh blackberries and a hint of earthiness in this now 11 year old Merlot. Perfectly integrated at this point, possibly peaking now, but with no sign of age it could, it could live on for a long time.

2007 vintage

A surprisingly fresh-tasting wine despite over a decade in the bottle. Beautiful red fruit and cassis plushness on entry. A dollop of mineral/saline acidity in the midpalate that leads to a medium length finish with porcelain tannins and a few secondary flavors (cedar and baking spices). Probably the best Paloma I've ever tasted. A beautiful time to drink the '07 if you have 'em.

2007 vintage

Delicious but time to drink up!

2007 vintage

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Paloma, Merlot, Napa Valley

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