99 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 percent Malbec and Petit Verdot. 1,378 cases were made.

The 2007 Merus is a deep, saturated garnet in color, with intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, currant, cedar, and graphite. In the mouth it is rich, seamless, and expansive, layered yet clean and clearly focused. An abundance of black fruit and exotic spice is carried by silken tannins to a long, almost endless finish. Despite its power and concentration, it is very accessible now in its youth, but it has the structure and balance to age beautifully for a decade or even two.

95 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

“…Full-bodied, powerful, and rich with chocolaty espresso notes intermixed with blackberries and blueberries, this pure, impressively textured, long Cabernet should evolve for two decades.”

95 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 percent Malbec, and 2 percent Petit Verdot. 1,200 cases were made.

A bit of a diamond in the rough, it is only beginning to show all that it has to offer—intense aromas of black cherries, layered with exotic spice, and tremendous intensity in the mouth, with dark dense fruit flavors and abundant velvety tannins. A few more years in the bottle will bring the 2006 Merus to its full, luscious potential.

92 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“…enormous power and richness. It is a massive, blockbuster-style effort possessing black fruits, plenty of spicy oak, hints of licorice and graphite, and mouth-staining tannins and extract in the finish.”

91 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Intense and rustic, with chewy mineral, anise, dried currant and earth notes. Full-bodied, this is concentrated and long on the finish, but needs time to soften. Best from 2011 through 2017.”

77 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 percent Merlot, 3 percent Malbec, 2 percent Petit Verdot. 1,013 cases were made.

Even on release the 2005 Merus was very approachable and luscious, with intense and lively aromas of pomegranate, crushed dried flowers, ripe black fruit, licorice, spices, and a pure, creamy minerality. A seamless wine with velvety tannins, it will age beautifully as well.

96 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“…certainly one of the finest wines they have yet made…dense purple-colored to the rim, with an exquisite nose of charcoal, graphite, and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied, with great power, richness, and sensational length, this wine will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and last three decades.”

96 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Super-rich, smooth and creamy. A seductive style…Ends with a powerful yet elegant finish that keeps pumping out the flavors. Fine-grained tannins bode well for the future.”

95 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Petit Verdot and Malbec. 875 cases were made.

The 2004 was a blockbuster, thanks to an exceptional growing season and a great deal of diligent work in the vineyard that allowed for protracted hang times. The wine fully captures the 2004 fruit’s impenetrably deep color and extremely dense, complex flavors.

94 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“…the full-bodied, dense 2004 offers notes of blackberries, blueberries, espresso roast, and smoky oak, a super-rich mouthfeel, good freshness and purity, and enough acidity and tannin to provide structure as well as definition. It will be delicious young but should become more civilized in 4-5 years, and keep for two decades.”

96 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Rich and concentrated, with a generous mix of currant, blackberry, wild berry, and mocha-laced oak. Intense, yet avoids being heavy, turning sleek and elegant. Deftly balanced and tightly focused, with a complex, lingering finish that ends with hints of herb and black olive.”

97 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 percent Malbec and Petit Verdot. 800 cases were made.

The final blend for this exceptional wine contains only 55 percent of all the lots that were produced from this challenging vintage. We waited out the mid-September heat wave and gambled that October would bring the right weather for protracted hang-time. The gamble paid off in grapes with huge color and extremely forward flavors and complexity, qualities that carried over to the finished wine.

95 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“…inky/purple color along with a rich bouquet of creosote, blueberries, blackberries, sweet earth, and smoky, spicy oak. With full body, abundant fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, a multilayered mouthfeel, and stunning upside potential…”

91 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Very complete and harmonious, with rich, extracted yet polished currant, wild berry, and blackberry flavors that are subtle and focused. Shows plenty of depth and concentration.”

98 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 percent Petit Verdot. 865 cases were made.

A heat wave in September and perfect ripening weather in October allowed the kind of long hang-time typical of the greatest Napa Valley vintages. The wine is plush and forward, “a brawny but impeccably pure expression of this varietal,” according to Robert Parker, that “may well be Merus’ finest effort to date.”

95 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“With superb density as well as purity, a lovely mouthfeel, and a long, rich, full-bodied tannic finish, it is an impressively built, nicely layered, potentially complex Cabernet that should be at its finest between 2008 and 2020.”

96 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Dark, rich, and immense, with layers of thick, plush currant, black cherry and blackberry fruit that’s tightly wound and sharply focused. Given its size and density, this is remarkably elegant and deftly balanced.”

93 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 percent Merlot, 3 percent Petit Verdot, 1 percent Malbec. 650 cases were made.

This blockbuster vintage is a pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, with dark purple color, full aromas of cassis, tobacco, and licorice, and ripe acidity. Powerful and rich, it boasts deep layers of complex flavor and a concentrated finish.

94-97 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“…tips the scales at a lofty 15.1 percent alcohol, but it is neither hot nor heavy….This low-acid, full-bodied 2001 possesses tremendous intensity, a massive palate impression, and no trace of heaviness or heat from its high-octane style. The tannin is sweet but clearly noticeable. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades.”

92 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Dark, rich, and intense, with dusty berry, chocolate, cedar, and currant flavors that spread out on the palate, offering complexity and concentration, supported by firm, ripe tannins&hellip:”

91 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 percent Merlot, 3 percent Petit Verdot. 525 cases were made.

Despite a challenging year, the 2000 Merus possesses a refined texture, a long finish, and an abundance of sweet, forward fruit. Delicious on release, it is evolving into an even greater wine over time.

90 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“Full-bodied and rich, with well-integrated oak, a creamy texture, and real opulence as well as purity with no hard edges…It should be drunk over the next 10-12 years.”

94 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Tremendous. Ripe, rich, deftly balanced, and deeply concentrated, yet with a wonderful sense of harmony and finesse. The flavors are sharply defined, built around cassis, currant, mocha, and anise, with a long, luxuriant aftertaste.”

93 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Merlot, 2 percent Petit Verdot. 325 cases were made.

Full-bodied and spicy, the 1999 offers aromas of oak and black currants and an extended, elegant finish. It’s an exuberant wine but nonetheless well balanced and harmonious.

93 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“The wine is full-bodied and rich, with elegance, sweet tannin, and a textured, impressive mouthfeel. It is one of the top wines of the vintage. This is a full-throttle effort, to drink over the next 15-16 years.”

94 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“A dark, rich, hearty style that has its decadent side, with potent earthy currant, black cherry, wild berry, mineral, leather, and cedary oak flavors. Firms up on the finish, with rich, dense tannins.”

90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 percent Merlot, and 1 percent Petit Verdot. 230 cases were made.

Only a very small amount of this wine was produced, but it quickly became legendary. Our first vintage offers qualities that have became Merus hallmarks: intense color, super-ripe flavors, layers of complexity, and beautiful texture.

93 POINTS - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

“An impressive wine from a much-maligned vintage… The acidity seems low in this full-bodied, expressive, rich, multi-layered wine with a terrific texture and exceptional purity. This is a superb 1998, and certainly one of the finest wines of the vintage. It is also one heck of a debut wine from this small operation.”

92 POINTS - Jim Laube, The Wine Spectator.

“Dark, rich and dense, with layers of cedary currant, chocolate, black berry, mint, herb, sage and coffee, finishing with a long, complex, well-integrated aftertaste.”