It is time for a delicious Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Deep purple/ Inky in color with a short purple rim.
Big strong nose with blueberries, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, cedar, light vanilla, spices, raisins, chocolates, dried figs, light alcohol and peppercorn.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with cooked cherries, cedar, espresso, vanilla, spices, cola, herbs, beef jerky, tar, peppercorn pencil lead, dark chocolates and tobacco leaf.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous Merlot based blend from Napa Valley.
Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime.
Tasty and concentrated. Rich and powerful, and not for the faint of hearts.
This young Bordeaux blend is already fabulous, will be so much better in 10 years, and will age nicely in the next 15 years. Would be nice to revisit it again in 5 years.
A blend of 67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet sauvignon. A small production of only 300 cases.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$125. — 5 months ago
Clos du Val Wine Company Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, California
Time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious Cabernet from Napa Valley.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Strong nose of black currants, cherries, raisins, dried figs, cedar, licorice, vanilla, spices, tobacco, black pepper and dark chocolates.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, sweet cherries, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates and black pepper.
Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and cherries.
This is a delicious and a classic Napa Cabernet. Exactly what you expect from one. Rich, yet not over the top and very chocolatey.
Still very young, but already very tasty. A beautiful Bordeaux blend with lots of potential. Very engaging and approachable at this young age.
Good right out of the bottle, but needs time to open up and show the tannins (90 minutes).
Showing great potential to become a 95+ point wine, and will age nicely in the next 10 years. Already showing nice complexity with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Aged for 19 months in mostly French oak barrels (58% new).
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$52. — 2 years ago
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Dark ruby/ Inky in color with a short reddish rim.
Beautiful Fruity nose with blackberries, black currants, black plums, cherries, cedar, dark chocolates, vanilla, cola, spices, coffee and peppercorn.
Full bodied and bold, with medium plus acidity and long long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked black cherries, spices, chocolates, cedar, coffee, light vanilla, tobacco and peppercorn.
Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This 5 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend is drinking so beautifully now, yet so young. Very approachable at this young age.
Fruit forward and nicely balanced with a nice soft mouthfeel. Elegant and rich. Bold and extracted with nice complexity.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.
Good right out of the bottle, but definitely better after 3 hours of airtime.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.
Robert Parker 96 points.
Soft and smooth. Elegant and robust at the same time. Just gorgeous.
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. A small production of less than 4,000 bottles.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$240. — 2 months ago
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one.
Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.
Strong nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, violets, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco and herbs.
Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberry pie, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, herbs, vanilla, spices, chocolates and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This 6 year old Napa Cabernet is still young, but already very enjoyable, even by itself. Rich and extracted. Fruit forward, but calm.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.
Very flowery once it opens up. I liked the nose better than the palate. A very enjoyable wine.
This Single Vineyard will continue to age nicely in the next 7 to 10 years.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in French oak barrels (40% new) for 26 months. A tiny production of only 5 barrels.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$95. — 4 months ago
Here's a nice Merlot for #MerlotThursday.
Deep ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Nose of black plums, cooked cherries, oak, spices, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, light vegetables, pencil lead, earth, herbs and espresso.
Full bodied with medium acidity and nice legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth and black tea.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very tasty Merlot blend from Bordeaux. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.
Needs an hour to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too. Tannins show up after an hour of airtime.
This 7 year old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
Wine Enthusiasts 91 points.
I had this vintage a couple of years ago and it is drinking much better now.
Spicy and entertaining, and good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses, crackers and a beautiful view of the lake.
A blend of 65% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Kosher and Mevushal.
14% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$50. — a year ago
Inky in color with a short purplish rim.
On the nose plums, black currants, blackberries, cedar, licorice, light alcohol, vanilla, light earth, chocolates, espresso, wildflowers, violets, tobacco and peppercorn.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cherries, cedar, licorice, spices, peppercorn, coke, black olives, coffee, chocolates, tobacco and beef jerky.
Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a beautiful red blend from Washington State. Nicely balanced and good by itself, as a sipping wine. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
This 4 year old is still young and will age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years, but already delicious.
Showing a really interesting nose. Tasty, rich and elegant.
Better after a couple of hours of airtime, but good right out of the bottle, too.
A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 12% Petit Verdot. Aged for 30 months in (80% new) French oak barrels.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$60. — 2 years ago
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Dark ruby in color with a short red rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, metals, chocolates and black pepper.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, figs, raisins, vanilla, cola, cedar, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Spicy and rich. Opulent and tasty.
Easy drinking right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
This Single Vineyard Cabernet from the great 2016 vintage, is still young, and would be better in the next 5 to 10 years.
Robert Parker 94 points.
Good right out of the bottle and good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.
A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Aged in French oak barrels (75% new) for 20 months.
15.1% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$70. — 4 months ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Here's another beautiful wine from the Michel Rolland consulting collection.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.
Showing blackberries, black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, alcohol, peppercorn, tobacco leaf, herbs and licorice.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Israel. Nicely aged with a beautiful nose, that I kept smelling on. Looks and feels much younger.
The alcohol is still noticeable, which surprised me a little.
I had this vintage before, and it seems like this 14 year old has reached its peak a year or two ago.
Feels like a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley with a splash of Bordeaux.
Delicious right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 36 months.
15% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$55. — 8 months ago
It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa.
Inky in color with a very short reddish rim.
Gorgeous nose of wildflowers, black plums, cedar, cooked cherries, chocolates, dark coffee, earth, licorice, blackberries, vanilla, light graphite and black pepper.
Full-bodied and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, light coke, earth, coffee and peppercorn.
Medium finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.
This is a great Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak in Napa Valley. Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Already drinking very nicely with a great mouthfeel.
Needs time to open up and after two and a half hours in a decanter, it just blossomed and surprised me. Changed completely, so be patient with it.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too.
A Good quality wine, and still young with lots of potential to become a 95+ point wine. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years. Will age nicely in the next 15 years.
I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A very small production of only seven barrels.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$75. — 2 years ago
"Odedi"
Dark Inky in color with a short reddish rim.
Strong nose of blackberries, blueberries, light cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, eucalyptus, Mediterranean spices, chocolates, mocha, cola and black pepper.
Full-bodied, bold, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, cola, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light earth, coffee, peppercorn and light mint.
Long long finish with fine grained tannins and chocolates.
This is a fabulous Bordeaux blend from Napa valley. Rich and extracted yet graceful.
Nicely balanced with lots of black fruits and chocolate notes.
Drinking beautifully now as a 4-year-old, but still so very young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years and beyond.
Showing a soft and opulent mouthfeel. Spicy and buttery.
Good right out of the bottle, but much better once it opens up. Started opening up after 2 hours in the decanter, but kept on changing from there.
Another gorgeous wine from Russell Bevan. A great wine to have all by itself. No food needed.
A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. A small production of only 8 barrels made.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
96 points.
$300. — a month ago