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Reviews and Press - Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Merlot
2006 vintage
2005 vintage
2004 vintage
2003 vintage
2002 vintage
 Merlot Masterpieces
Each vintage of Amuse Bouche is, quite literally, a work of art
"...the 2006 vintage is not lacking in (flavor): Silky, elegant, and smoky, this California take on Pomerol is...cooler than, say, the bright, berry-filled 2005 vintage, showing more dark plum and earthy spice. Yet the wine's structure and style are pure Barrett, which is to say they are pure artistry."
- Brett Anderson, Robb Report, October 2007
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 Napa v Bordeaux
"Better than Bordeaux? Spurrier's Standouts"
* * * * * 5 Star Rating
"Made by cult winemaker Heidi Barret from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, silky smooth, a really classy wine. 2008-16"
- Steve Spurrier, Decanter, September 2007
(see full article)
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 93 point rating
"Blended from Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine is styled along the lines of a Right Bank Bordeaux, and the finished product offers a very plausible likeness. Rich and concentrated but not heavy, it is also deeply flavored without being overt or inelegant. Oak notes are prominent but pleasing, lending a smokiness and spiciness that works very well with the fruit notes, which recall black cherries and dark berries along with a subtle red fruit backnote. Remarkably complex and integrated for such a young wine, this is a very impressive bottling."
- Michael Franz, Wine Review Online, May 8, 2007
93 point rating
"This is one of those superripe, superopulent reds that makes tasters stop and pause. With 94 percent Merlot and the remainder Cab Franc, it's so ripe in cassis, cherry and chocolate truffle flavors, so smooth in tannins, so voluptuous and balanced, it can only have been made in Napa Valley, and by a winemaker of the stature of Heidi Peterson Barrett. Drink now-through 2010, at least."
- Wine Enthusiast (3/07)
91 point rating
"Saturated ruby-red.High-toned, slightly medicinal aromas of blackberry, black raspberry and bitter chocolate. Rich and densely packed, with distinctly backward flavors of black fruits, minerals, graphite, licorice and dark chocolate, all lifted by intriguing peppery and floral nuances. I like this wine's restrained sweetness and focus, not to mention its suave texture. Finishes with sweet tannins and excellent length. This Saint-Emilion blend has been consistently fresh and interesting in recent years."
- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar (01/07)
90 point rating
"This blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc from the eastern hills of St. Helena exhibits a dark plum/purple color as well as a big, rich perfume of toffee, mocha, chocolate, espresso roast, and berry fruit. Medium-bodied, pure, and elegant, with an attractive, savory finish."
- Robert Parker Jr., Wine Advocate (12/06)
Top 100 Wines of the Year
“…it’s so supple and finely textured that it will find plenty of fans at its price. Succulent plum and black cherry fruit, subtle oak and background notes of tar and coffee close with refreshing acidity.”
- Wines of the Year issue, San Francisco Chronicle (12/3/06)
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 "Screaming Eagle winemaker Heidi Barrett partnered with a friend to produce this stunning Merlot and Cabernet Franc based blend. Silky yet powerful, the wine offers intense black cherry and playful blackberry flavors coated in a blanket of dark chocolate and rich coffee.
- "The Finest Wines, Spirits, Jewlery & Watches -
More than
100 of the most tasteful ways to celebrate the holiday season", Robb Report - Holiday Host Guide issue (11/06)
95 point rating
"Heidi Barrett's made wine for Napa Valley's best, which is what this awe-inspiring, elegant Merlot-based beauty is destined to be."
- Patterson's Beverage Journal (9/06)
"How to amuse your mouth.
An amuse-bouche is a little something the chef sends out as the meal gets under way, just to amuse your mouth while you’re waiting for the first course. This French term is also the name of the Merlot-based wine created by Heidi Peterson, one of Napa Valley’s most lauded winemakers. A different artist is commissioned each year to created the label art. The 2004 vintage of Amuse-Bouche has just been released, and it’s a stunner - pure and dense with gorgeous plum, cassis and blackberry fruit. This powerful blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc exudes elegance, depth and spice. It’s rich, but not a fruit bomb—everything is in balance. Amuse-Bouche is available only in a 6-bottle case, which ships along with a signed lithograph by the artist (for 2004, it’s Ira Yaeger).....expensive, but worth it. "
- Andy Blue, Food & Wine Writer, CBS Radio (08/06)
92 point rating - Rated as one of the Best California Merlots
"...this blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc is a limited production (400 cases) wine.... It exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with a big, sweet nose of roasted espresso, mocha, chocolate, black cherries, and currants. Well-textured, with superb fruit purity and intensity, full body, and a long finish."
- Robert Parker Jr., Wine Advocate (12/05)
93 Point rating - NAPA'S MERLOT MAGIC
"...perennial favorite Amuse Bouche; its Napa Valley bottling is a Pomerol-inspired Merlot blend from a partnership that includes Heidi Peterson Barrett. It's wonderfully aromatic, rich and polished."
- James Laube, Wine Spectator (10/15/05)
90 point rating
"Bright ruby-red. Crystallized currant, licorice and menthol on the nose. Round and ripe but not thick or heavy. Supple but tangy flavors of bitter cherry, red licorice, herbs and spices. Expands nicely on the back half. At once creamy and juicy, with good breadth and fine tannins... graceful and fresh."
- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar (01/06)
93 point rating
"Rare Napa reds that are priced in the stratosphere aren't novel any longer, but this one offers some unusual features. Most importantly, it is geared more toward complexity and finesse than the unbridled intensity and power sought by the makers of most Napa "cult" wines. Crafted from Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it displays a host of interesting complexities even in its extreme youth, with a core of dark berry and black cherry fruit accented with nuances of cocoa, dried herbs, woodsmoke and spices. Oak notes are impressively integrated with the fruit..."
- Michael Franz, Washington Post (08/05)
Inspired Winemakers - One of the Top Winemakers in the US
"There will be some high-profile celebrity consultants whose clients' wines score high points in the rating game, but are made in such miniscule quantities that they are impossible to find even if you can afford the three-figure price tag--think Heidi Barrett, the brilliant consultant winemaker currently now working at Napa's Screaming Eagle Winery. "
- Forbes Magazine (11/05)
"... it's vibrantly flavored, yet refined and balanced. Aromas of violet, black cherry and red berry lead to a rich palate of blackberry, black plum, spice and not a trace of herb. The tannins are velvety, though there's firm structure and crisp acidity that suggest long-term aging. Impressive..."
- Linda Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle (07/21/05)
96 point rating
"Dark and vibrant color; bright, smooth and luscious with fresh, pure plum and blueberry fruit plus soft new oak; rich and very long with unflagging flavors; notes of cassis, cinnamon, licorice, vanilla and spice; concentrated and powerful, yet extremely elegant. A richer and more complex wine than the blockbuster 2002 vintage. This is what merlot CAN be."
- Andy Blue, Bon Appetit (06/05)
93 point rating
"Dark in color, with wonderful perfumed cassis, currant and black cherry fruit that's openly aromatic. The flavors are rich and polished
on the palate, with a plush, dense texture and long, intircate finish that picks up nuances of cedary oak and fresh earth. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2012."
- Wine Spectator (07/05)
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 Auction Napa Valley
".... Auction Napa Valley raises in excess of $10.5 million for local Napa charities. Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Merlot was one of the centerpieces of the 'Heidi Barrett' lot featuring large format bottles of wines produced by Heidi Barrrett. The lot also included a case of the next vintage of each featured wine and a dinner with Heidi prepared by the Ogdens. The lot was auctioned for $175,000.
- Auction Napa Valley (June 05)
"...great recent discover is a wine named - Amuse Bouche, a Napa Valley wine made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc, obviously with Pomerol's greatest names in mind. Having followed California Merlot for thirty years, I was absolutely mesmerized by this one. Unquestionably, it is the finest Merlot made here in terms of finesse, charm, complexity, texture and whatever else one looks for in a fine Pomerol. With this particular wine, Heidi P. Barrett leaves no doubt that she reigns supreme as California's finest winemaker. She is behind Screaming Eagle Cabernets which remain 'the' cult wine..."
- Norm Roby, Decanter Magazine (03/05)
92 point rating - Top Rated Merlot
"A blend of merlot and cabernet franc. Bright ruby-red. Aromas of bitter cherry, plum, licorice, dark chocolate, tobacco and smoke. Juicy, sappy and fruity, with dark berry, mineral, licorice, tobacco and fresh herb flavors enlivened by harmonious acidity. Vibrant and light on its feet. Elegant, flavorful wine, finishing with fine tannins and lovely verve."
- "Best New Releases from California", Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar (01/05)
"The cream of last year's crop.
I've been reviewing the nearly 6000 wines I tasted last year, and I've come up with a short list of the best of the best. In the American red category, I gave high scores to the 2002 Amuse Bouche , a cult Merlot from Heidi Peterson Barrett."
- WCBS
Lifestyle Minute with Andy Blue (1/05), listing Amuse Bouche wine as one of best wines of the year
92 point rating
"Ultraripe and showy, with juicy wild berry, blackberry and currant flavors that are complex and concentrated, with a tight focus and a long, lingering aftertaste. Not shy about the use of toasty oak, which folds in nicely. A touch of heat on the finish underscores the ripeness, and it has ample tannins. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2005 through 2012."
-Wine Spectator, (5/04)
"When tasted this spring, the 2002 Amuse Bouche was gorgeous. It's modeled after the rich, plush Merlot-based Pomerols of Bordeaux, with luscious raspberry, cranberry and cassis aromas and flavors and hints of mint, black tea, tobacco and black currant. Firm in structure, it still had soft, velvety tannins."
- Linda Murphy, Wine Editor, San Francisco Chronicle (7/03)
(see full article)
"I just tasted the wine and it is the essence of merlot. It is the birth of a cult wine."
- Anthony Dias Blue, Food & Wine Commentator, San Jose Mercury News (8/03)
"Classics Are for Keeping. Heidi Peterson takes on Petrus: fleshy, explosive, and lush, with huge plum and blackberry fruit balanced on a pure stream of searing acidity - the quintessential Merlot."
- Robb Report (11/03), listing Amuse Bouche wine as one of best wines in the world
"Merlot for Your Amusement"
- James Laube, Senior Editor, Wine Spectator (9/03)
(see full article)
"Heidi Peterson Barrett -The Wine Diva of Napa"
- Time Magazine, October 28, 2002
(see full article)
"Winemaker Heidi Barrett - the talent behind such California cult wines as Screaming Eagle, Lamborn Family and La Sirena has taken Napa Valley garagisme to new heights with her latest creation. Amuse Bouche wine is a Merlot driven blend based on the same grapes as Chateau Petrus - This could be the beginning of another cult wine."
- Orient Express Magazine (12/03)
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