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Northstar Wines

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Northstar 2006 Merlot (Walla Walla Valley (WA))

Editors' Choice

Price $50

Certainly one of the finest Merlots ever made by Northstar, this is notable for the floral and citrus high notes, over cherry and cassis. There’s coconut, chocolate and coffee, tar and tobacco also—a full throttle, seductive wine. — P.G. (12/31/2009)

Northstar 1999 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Editors' Choice

Price $50

Northstar has ramped up production to 2,900 cases, on its way to 15,000 once the new winery (being built in Walla Walla) is operational. Here is flat-out killer fruit, stacked with all the flavors of the rainbow, that finds the silky sweet spot on the palate and goes for a long, long ride. This winery is on a roll. Editors’ Choice. — P.G. (9/1/2002)

Northstar 2007 Merlot (Walla Walla Valley (WA))

Editors' Choice

Price $50

Fruit sources for this limited-production Walla Walla bottling of Northstar Merlot include Leonetti’s Loess vineyard, and Windrow and Anna Marie in the Seven Hills. Thick, lush and richly evocative, it shows Napa-like density. Chocolatey black fruits and baking spices add to the rich midpalate, which qualifies for the often-abused word ‘hedonistic.’ — P.G. (12/31/2010)

Northstar 2007 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $40

From a superb year, this wine saw all French oak, but an ongoing reduction in exposure to new barrels brought the percentage down to 60%. Young and muscular, the blend of black fruits, sweet oak and toasty spice is focused and compelling. Pure fruit flavors include black cherry and plum, smooth and concentrated, with a smoky kick in the lingering finish. — P.G. (12/31/2010)

Northstar 1998 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Editors' Choice

Price $50

Northstar makes a bold, ultra-premium Merlot. It’s soft, satiny and sexy, with voluptuous black cherry/blackberry fruit, layers of chocolate, and spices suggestive of cinnamon, mint and more exotic flavors. Powerful and complex, yet open and accessible, it showcases the “serious” side of Merlot. Editors’ Choice. — W.E. (10/1/2001)

Northstar 2008 Merlot (Walla Walla Valley)

Editors' Choice
Online Exclusive

Price $50

Vineyard sources in 2008 are Spring Valley and Anna Marie (in the Seven Hills region). Tannic and aromatic, this spicy effort leads with black fruits, fresh herbs and a whiff of chocolate. An underlying minerality gives texture and length. Still young, it’s balanced and already well-integrated. It should improve even more with a few years of bottle age. — P.G. (12/15/2011)

Northstar 2006 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $40

Northstar’s Columbia Valley Merlot nicely captures the silky finesse of the vintage. Velvety, deep and rich, it’s loaded with toast, licorice and chocolate, along with plenty of ripe red and black fruits. It’s three quarters Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a splash of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. — P.G. (12/31/2009)

Northstar 2004 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $41

In the blend of this intensely fragrant young wine is 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. I like the complexity, the way the primary fruits mix in unusual notes of pineapple along with the black cherry. It’s resonant and tangy, with good, long flavors and lots of new oak. This was a year of winemaker transition, and may be the last of the real chocolaty… — P.G. (12/1/2007)

Prominent Designations

Stella Maris Red

Most Reviewed Varietals [All]

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Red Blend Shiraz/Syrah

Most Reviewed Regions

Columbia Valley (WA) Walla Walla Valley Walla Walla Valley (WA)