WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
A concentrated and layered wine offering dark fruit aromas with a hint of tobacco. The mouthfeel is opulent, with luscious wild blackberry and chocolate-covered black cherry woven around an appealing note of spicy clove. Beautifully complex, the flavors and weight of the wine combine to leave a rich, satisfying finish.
Blend: 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec
TASTING NOTES:
An utterly spectacular showing from this exciting vintage. 82% Merlot with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, this revels in its Turkish coffee aromas with sandalwood, dark currants, chocolate fudge and blueberry compote rounding out the bouquet. This presents a hedonistic bent with an intense mouthfeel and glorious length. Unabashedly big, the acidity and firm tannins hold this gorgeous core of blue and dark fruits in place. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2040.
- Decanter, 96 pts.
The 2018 Merlot Pedestal checks in as 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Malbec that was raised, I suspect, in plenty of new oak. It's another great vintage from this cuvée, which has the final blend put together by Michel Rolland. Offering a wonderfully pure, perfumed nose of black and blue fruits, chocolate, leafy herbs, and flowers, these all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied and has a seamless texture and a great finish. I’d be happy to drink a bottle any time over the coming 15 years.
- Jeb Dunnuck, 95 pts.
Each winemaker at Long Shadows makes a single wine, with famed consultant Michel Rolland the architect of this one. The aromas boast notes of coffee, spice and dried dark cherry. The flavors are luscious, rich and intense. There's plenty of tannic structure to support it all. Best after 2026.
- Wine Enthusiast, 93 pts.
