LONGBOARD MERLOT DAKINE- 2005

Grown in prime Pinot Noir country, this California Merlot is 14.5% alcohol. DaKine Vineyard, is nestled at the bottom of an east-facing hill on Westside Road in Healdsburg. This is the first vintage Longboard made from these grapes.“DaKine” (pronounced Dah-kine) comes from the Pidgin Hawaiian language and is often used to describe a great event.

TASTING NOTES:

Medium red ruby color with burnt barbecue and berries on the nose. Lots of toast, black currant, creme-de-cassis upfront with cranberry/pomegranate on the hot finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

83 PTS

This effort really didn't come together. There's a lot of tannin and heat. The wine felt overpowered by the tannin and alcohol. Some interesting flavors lurk underneath but not enough to warrant purchasing. Retails for $16 a bottle.