Reviews & Ratings

2007 Whitehall Lane Merlot "Napa Valley"

Winery: Whitehall Lane

Vintage: 2007

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Napa Valley"

Wine Category: Merlot

Grape blend: 81% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, & 9% Syrah

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Napa Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $28

Cases produced: 12,300

KWG Score: 89.7 (based on 4 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (90)

Review date: January 24, 2012

Wine Review: In a year when I struggled to find many Very Good Merlots, here is one that I found at the Boston Wine Expo. It is slightly opaque and dark ruby colored with a fragrant black currant and black cherry bouquet with a hint of barnyard. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, and smooth. The flavor profile is a tasty black cherry with notes of gentle oak and light plum. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins are sticky and linger. This is one of the better Merlots that I covered in the last 12 months. Enjoy it with a ribeye steak. Enjoy - Ken

Winemaker Notes: This ripe and rich Merlot has lovely aromas and flavors of black cherry leaning to ripe plum and toasty oak. It gains pleasing mid-palate structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Syrah adds complexity and balance through to the lengthy finish.

Buy it: Use 1000 Corks to find stores that sell Whitehall Lane 2007 Merlot.