“The wines ... are the top of the top of the top we have found dating way back to the first vintages...We are thrilled to death to have the opportunity to sell this artisan, age-worthy, best in show group of wines at our go ahead, try and find us location in St. Helena...EMH BLACK CAT Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2006. This is the other wine that we first purchased 4 years ago from a one barrel production, but has since grown to 5 barrels or 125 cases. The vines are located near our new favorite “The Grade” Cabernet Sauvignon mentioned in our previous ACMeLOG and also near an old favorite “Araujo Eisele Vineyard.” There is nothing to be superstitious about. In fact, for optimal enjoyment, please sit under a ladder to drink this wine! Finding new, exceptional wines is what we do and keeping you in our best interest while only letting you know about the best wines is what makes this whole thing work.”
–Acme Fine Wines, St. Helena, March 31, 2009

2005 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
“The inaugural release of this wine was the 2001 vintage. 25 cases were produced. Four years later, this 100% cabernet from Calistoga (next door to Araujo) has jumped in volume to 160 cases. Watch out! Blink and you’ll miss out on a wine that, in blind tastings over and over, has finished in the top 3 places next to cabs from Napa we don’t feel comfortable mentioning, as we are friends with the producers and wouldn’t want to give negative publicity just to fill a page. The wine is seductive, perfectly balanced, and capable of sustaining complexities for many years. This was an Under the Radar wine club selection last year and the response for additional purchases from members was outstanding. We bet you haven’t tried a wine like this lately. 6 bottle maximum purchase.”
–Acme Fine Wines, St. Helena, February, 2008

2005 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
“You might want to invest in the future of the 2005 vintage, since it appears to be another winner for California wines... If you have ever wanted to own a ‘cult cabernet,’ this is your chance. Only 160 cases of this rich, forward-styled wine are produced from the minuscule two-thirds of an acre vineyard. Notes of cassis and concentrated blackberries are kept company by big, sweet tannins.”
–Scott Greenberg, D.C. Examiner, March 15, 2007

2004 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
“Medium-light bodied, soft tannins, rose petals, all with fantastic balance. This cabernet fits in the seductive and elegant category which means a decant of about an hour before drinking is recommended, and cellaring will most definitely improve the sex-appeal in the bottle. With neighbors like Araujo and Frediani, we’ll cross this path anytime.”
–Acme Fine Wines, St. Helena, March, 2007

2003 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
“Intensity A Current Grade A Complexity B+ Peak Grade A
Balance & Structure A Date Tasted: August 31, 2006
The 2003 EMH Black Cat was a beautiful offering. Good, clean, pure blue fruit aromas from a wine that is made in a firm and restrained style. Her vineyards located up in Calistoga (close to Araujo’s famed Eisele Vineyard) provide a different profile than fruit that is grown farther south. But this is still classic Napa with a good backbone, and at 100 cases total this is one of the first vintages with more than 25 cases produced! If you can find it, buy it. ”
–Bon Vivant Bordeaux Varietal Wine Guide, January, 2007

2003 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon,Napa Valley
“The wine has lots o’ black fruit aromas. It translates to the palate, manifesting in a full-bodied structure, great balance with cassis and blackberry flavors with fine-grained tannins for aging for up to 10 years. Winemaker Art Finkelstein (Judd’s Hill) has also folded in a hint of chocolate, some earth and tar notes and layers of complexity. ”
–Reviewed October 24, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb, Appellation America

“And the winner is 2003 EMH Vineyards’, Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon for its elegance, finesse and statuesque qualities. This 100 case production wine is something only a very small percentage of people will be able to buy. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and possesses a brilliant nose of blackberries, dark chocolate and white truffles.”
–Acme Fine Wines, St. Helena, California

2003 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
“Merrill Lindquist produced a bumper-crop100 cases of this seriously rich ‘n’ sexy 2003 Black Cat Cabernet from her ¾ acre grape garden. Obviously, with production potential this small, you aren’t about to build a winery building complete with a bottling line. What Merrill did (to her credit and genius) was get Art Finkelstein ... to custom-crush, help vinify, and store the incredible fruit that she brought to his small facility.” –Omaha Wine Company, Omaha, Nebraska

“Merrill Lindquist pulled enough spectacular fruit off of her miniscule vineyard-ette in Calistoga to produce 100 cases of excellent Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2003 vintage. The wine is a brilliant dark red in color, with a sexy, complex nose of raspberry, cherry and strawberry jams, milk chocolate and licorice with truffle and black tea/earth notes in the background. Superbly balanced, with great acidity and fine, ripe tannins, the finish lasts and lasts. Definitely one of the most layered and complicated wines we’ve tried in a while, this is a Napa Cab for people who value finesse over muscle and food friendly wines over blockbusters. Enjoyable, will only gain in complexity and weight over the next 3-5 years and last well beyond that. 94 points”
–Jason Carter, Wine Room, Irvine, California

“2002 EMH Vineyards’ Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ...is not seen, nor will it be around, for long. There's so little, you won't see a review of it probably...except here. One barrel made. That equals 25 cases. That's it! If you know me, you know I'm not one to promote a wine just because there's so little of it. If the wine is less-than-stellar, what's it matter if there's one case or a million, right? Well, this wine is excellent. From one of the best areas of Napa Valley for red wines - far north, near Calistoga it is packed full of classic Napa-Cab fruit. Black cherry, juicy dark raspberry and currants. Ample, expensive oak aging lends ‘Black Cat’ Cab toasty, vanilla bean flavors. And licorice, and tobacco, and truffle. And long...you got it? It's excellent. ”
–Dan Dawson, owner, Back Room Wines, Napa, California