"Washington State merlot possesses a vivid berryness that is immediately irresistible. That said, the top merlots here are not usually plush or "fat", but instead have a sleekness and tannin structure that makes them easily confused with top cabernet sauvignon. Among the top appellations are Columbia Valley, Walla Walla, Red Mountain, and Yakima Valley."
2012 Long Shadows Merlot Pedestal - #1 Washington Merlot - VIVINO, December 2016
"Made by Michel Rolland; the berries were very lightly crushed--winemaker/estate manager Gilles Nicault described them as "cracked"): Deep red-ruby. Redcurrant and darker berries complicated by graphite and licorice on the nose. Lush and seamless but with lovely inner-mouth lift and energy to its dark fruit and mineral flavors. A bit less expressive today than the Saggi but this palate-staining Merlot will be a long ager. Finishes with big, tongue-coating tannins. - Stephen Tanzer."
- Vinous (November 2015), 93 pts
"The 2012 Long Shadows 'Pedestal' is a magnicifiant Merlot made by famed Bordeaux wine consultant Michel Rolland, who has teamed up with Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup to make one of the best Merlot’s you will come across. Composed of 81% Merlot with the rest Cab, Cab Franc and Petite Verdot. Nose has black cherry, dill and black olive. Rich and viscous wine with Flavors of mocha, black cherry, black olive and wonderful mouthfeel throughout. Delicious wine for a special occasion. Drinking incredibly now but also has a long future. (Best 2015-2030) - OB."
- International Wine Report (July 2015), 94 pts
"The combined winemaking of global great Michel Rolland and Walla Walla’s Gilles Nicault has this merlot locked and loaded with great flavor and balance. The Long Shadows experiment of bringing the world to Washington is paying off."
- The Seattle Times (November 2016) - #1 of the Top 50 Regional Wines of 2016
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2016), 92+ pts
"One of my favorites in the 2013 lineup is the 2013 Pedestal Merlot. Its deep purple color is followed by fabulous notes of plums, coffee beans, spice box and sweet oak in a full-bodied, decadent, ripe and expansive package. In general, Cabernet was more successful than Merlot in 2013, but you wouldn’t know it by tasting this beauty."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #225, June 2016), 94 pts
"I loved the 2014 Pedestal Merlot and it’s 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. It offers a downright voluptuous and incredibly sexy style in its ripe black currants, toasted spice, chocolate and licorice aromas and flavors. Broad, expansive, layered and pleasure bent, with ripe tannin, it's a knockout Merlot that's going to have 10-15 years of drinkability. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #231, June 2017), 95 pts
