"Odedi"

9.1

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, herbs, tobacco, graphite, dark coffee and dark chocolates.

Medium minus in length on the finish, with grippy tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 7 year old Merlot blend from Bordeaux is showing nice complexity now, although still very young.

I gave it 2 hours of airtime, but it was clearly not enough.

Robert Parker 93 points.

Still very young and tight. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. I had the 2012 a few years ago, and it was much more approachable.

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels (35% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$90. — a year ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.2

Only 5 barrels produced. Medium body, chalky, good red fruit, falls a bit flat at the back palette. — 2 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

8.9

Upper class Gamay, marked by aging in oak barrels. Deep and concentrated. Evocation of Burgundy in classical style close to Château des Jacques. The fruit is set back, and the charm of gamay is not fully expressed, trying to play in the course of Pinot-noir without having the vertical character, imprint of the terroir. The 5 years of guards brought unity to the whole and a beautiful general outfit.

Gamay classe supérieure, marqué par un élevage en fût de chêne. Profond et concentré. Évocation de la Bourgogne dans style classique proche du Château des Jacques. Le fruit est en retrait, et le charme du gamay ne s’y exprime pas pleinement, essayant de jouer dans la cours du Pinot-noir sans en avoir le caractère vertical, marqueur du terroir. Les 5 années de gardes ont apporté de l’unité à l’ensemble et une belle tenue générale. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2018 Gran Malbec from Los Árboles, Uco Valley was aged for 12 months in 10% new French barrels. A dense purple in the glass, the nose offers notes of plum, violet, country herbs and sour cherry against a backdrop of sweet spices and other woody aromas. Indulgent initially, it’s juicy and fleshy in the mouth, gaining in freshness and fruity flavor as the channeled flow progresses. Long-lasting with a bold finish, fresh plum aromas linger at the back of the throat. A delicious wine. (Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous, November 2021)
— 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Dark purple /inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Very dry on the palate with medium plus acidity.

Showing black currants, dried figs, raisins, over ripen cherries, light oak, licorice, light vanilla, spices, mildew, chocolates, tobacco leaf, bitter herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and raspberries.

This 11 year old, Single Vineyard, Merlot blend from Argentina is still drinking nicely, although not in its peak anymore. I've been meaning to drink it for a few years, but so much wine, so little time... 😉

Showing nice complexity with an elegant mouthfeel. Feels like an older Right Bank Bordeaux. Interesting stuff.

A little off now, and lost much of the fruits, but still enjoyable especially with food.

Good right out of the bottle and did not change much with airtime. Alcohol is well integrated by now.

A small production of only 26 barrels produced.

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$45. — a year ago

Turd Ferguson

9.0

Nice wine. Has a kind of soft roundness to it maybe from the Acacia barrels in which it was partially aged? Wouldn’t necessarily guess gruner. Kind of Chablisienne. Minerality and ripping acid on the back end. Enjoying it more two days after opening..  — 2 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

F-ing delightful, Pegasus, take me away. Well first let the Pegasus catch its breath (aka let the vino breath), then hop on. Smells a little earthy as a winged horse is want to be, but take sip and the steed takes flight. Fly through hella raspberry…orchards? Descend enough to grab those and some cherries fresh off the tree then accelerate through a tunnel of (politefully chill) oak barrels and chill. Oh! But this flight didn’t have turbulence rather (abandoning metaphor) it is supes silky but while it punches with fruit and pepper it then smooths itself across your tongue like a lace tablecloth. Aka achieves smoothness with texture and the flavors and sensations seem to pop all over my tongue prior to my hopping on my metaphorical pegasus who is (describing the finish) descending into a cherry orchard (not just cause I’m doing a stage reading of Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard” soon) and lovingly (as lovingly as a creature with wings and hooves can) sending me to find my way back through the barrels to who knows? It’s like I’m Alice in Wrinkle in Time-land. Cool Pinot from NZ I’d like to take another flight on a different Pegasus Air line. Just to see. — 2 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.3

A most beautiful ethereal Zinfandel that hearkens back to the old Napa Zins back in the 60s and 70s. A mixed black field blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, Petit Sirah. Vines were first planted in 1895, 1995 was the first vineyard (as John O didn’t care for any grapes other than Pinot Noir…) Barrels passed from from the Pinot Noir program. Aged for 18 months. Medium concentration. Pale bright ruby. Red crunchy cherry, white pepper, bread dough, blueberry pie, cedar, pencil shaving, hints of stony characters. Elevated acidity and medium-grained tannins. Med++ finish. I love how light it is on its feet and I would have never called it a Zinfandel if given in a blind tasting. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

Deep, bright-rimmed violet. Potent, spice-accented red and blue fruit preserve, floral and baking spice scents and a hint of vanilla. Juicy, energetic and sharply focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry and cherry cola flavors and a spicy jolt of cracked pepper. The floral note comes back strong on a persistent finish that features a resonating blue fruit note and smooth, even tannins. 81% raised in French oak barrels of varying size, 28% of them new, and 19% in concrete tulips. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, July 2022)
— 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2020 Barbera d'Alba Aves is a gorgeous wine. Over the last few years, Fabio Alessandria has dialed back the overtness in the Aves, which yields a much more refined wine than in the past. In 2020, the Aves is especially restrained and also not that far stylistically than the straight Barbera. I would drink it over the next few years, while the fruit is vibrant. The Aves is a selection of fruit from vineyards in Verduno and Roddi. It sees about ten months in 500L barrels, including some acacia in the mix. This super-classic Barbera is a jewel of a wine. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2022)
— 2 years ago