Welcome to Ken's Wine Guide

....in search of the perfect bottle of Wine!

Today's Wine Review

2019 Robert Foley Merlot "Napa Valley"

Robert Foley 2019 Napa Valley Merlot

Winery: Robert Foley

Vintage: 2019

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Napa Valley"

Wine Category: Merlot

Grape blend: 100% Merlot

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Napa Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $60

Cases produced: 490

KWG Score: 94 (based on 2 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Excellent (95)

Review date: September 1, 2026

Wine Review: This opaque and deep purple colored Merlot from Robert Foley is excellent! It opens with a black raspberry and moist pipe tobacco bouquet with hints of red cherry. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with integrated medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is very nicely balanced, super smooth, and seamless. The flavor profile is a blueberry and black cherry blend with notes of graphite and cocoa. We also detected hints of black licorice, black tea, and tobacco leaf. The finish is dry, and its flavors, acidity, and bold tannins build-up and are sustained for a very long time. We would pair this big boy Merlot with firepit and friends. With food, it would pair perfectly with a grilled hanger steak. Enjoy - KWGTP

Winemaker Notes: Effusive bright aromas of cassis and black currant with a hint of jasmine characterize the bouquet. The even palate brings a flood of black fruit flavors with very fine gentle tannins. Beautifully balanced natural acidity provides a long finish with lingering flavors. This is a Merlot for Cabernet lovers.

Buy it: Use Google to find stores that sell this wine

More recent wine reviews

Stony Run "Reserve" 2020 Petit Verdot

Tablas Creek "Patelin de Tablas Blanc" 2024 White Blends or Varietals

Whitehall Lane "Napa Valley" 2023 Merlot

Clarice "Santa Lucia Highlands" 2023 Pinot Noir

Colleleva "Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi" 2025 Italian White

See the 100 Latest Reviews

Rileys Rows Fall Wine Special Ad
Merriam Vineyards
Colonial Spirits of Acton. Buy Wine online

From our blog

Experience A Visit To Sonoma County Wineries This Summer

This is our first blog post on discovering the wineries that we cover and the experiences they offer their guests when they visit. Each quarter, we hope to refresh and provide a new list of recommendations and share these experiences with our readers. One of the most frequent questions I get is, which wineries should I visit? Beside the impressive wines these wineries make, we hope to showcase why you should visit and experience their winery and vineyards. Read This Blog Post

Winemaker Interview Series - Joel Peterson of Once & Future - May 2026

On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, we had the opportunity to interview Joel Peterson again. Joel is the winemaker and owner of Once & Future Wines. In the interview, we covered one regional 2024 “Old Vine” Zinfandel, five 2024 Single-Vineyard Zinfandels, and, finally, a retrospective 2016-vintage Petite Sirah. We last interviewed Joel in June of 2025. In that interview, we covered the previous vintage of many of these wines. In the current interview, Joel shared some updates since our last chat. Below you can also read the summary of our reviews of all these new-release Zins! Read This Blog Post

Winemaker Interview Series - Jason Moulton and Katie Leonardini of Whitehall Lane - May 2026

On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, we had the opportunity to interview Jason Moulton and Katie Leonardini. Jason is the winemaker at Whitehall Lane and Katie is the Managing Family Member. During the interview, we covered two white wines: a 2023 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2023 Chardonnay. On the red side, we covered a 2023 Pinot Noir and a 2024 Pinot Noir. For the second half of the tasting, we covered four Cabernet Sauvignon wines: the winery’s 2021 Napa Valley offering, two 2022 single-vineyard offerings, and, wrapping up the tasting, a very limited Cab from the 2023 vintage. We also covered or will be covering a few other wines from Whitehall Lane in future tastings, so you will be able to read all about those wines as well. In this post, you will learn more about Jason and Katie and the history of the Whitehall Lane winery and read our reviews of all of these terrific wines. Read This Blog Post

KWG Newsletter Ad