It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here's a nice one from Israel.
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Nose of cherries, blueberries, wood, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, espresso, pencil lead, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.
Full bodied and soft with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, wood, licorice, light vanilla, light vegetables, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite and black pepper.
Medium plus in finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a nice surprise. I've had this wine for the last 4 vintages, and this is the best one yet. Easy drinking with mild complexity and a nice mouthfeel. Feels like a blend of new and old world wine.
Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up ( 30 minutes). After an hour of airtime, tannins show up.
Drinking very nicely already, even by itself.
A blend of 36% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 12% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc.
Grapes are grown in the Judean Hills at 2,000 feet elevation, and aged for 10 months in oak barrels. Kosher. Not Mevushal.
14% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$35. — 5 years ago
Certainly not a port expert, but this is very good. Almost “jammy” with some nice legs. Was a TW recommendation from years ago that finally got opened. — 6 years ago
Great! It's got a front end licorice to plum taste that I'm not a fan of. But still very dry and tannic. It wouldn't be my first choice again. — 2 years ago
It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Deep purple in color, almost inky, with a short purple rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, cooked plums, sweet cherries, cedar, light vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, coffee, light cocoa powder and peppercorn.
Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, earth, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and tobacco.
Tangy finish with round tannins and raspberries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Tangy and interesting.
Spicy, rich and extracted, yet elegant. Nicely balanced with a nice mouth feel.
I had the 2018 not too long ago, and it is very consistent.
Very young, but already drinking nicely, after a couple of hours of airtime. A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.
A good sipping wine that doesn't necessarily need food, but will be great with a big piece of steak as well.
A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged in mostly French oak barrels for 18 months.
14.2% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$85. — 3 years ago
Elegant deep garnet color. Mild bouquet. Medium light body and acidity. Pleasant tannins, silk start to a semi dry finish.
Surprised it has 14.2% alcohol, it feels surprisingly light and easy to drink considering the legs on it. Doesn't have the oak oomph that a lot of other California cabs have, so it's a pleasant bottle to have for something different. — 5 years ago
It's time for #MerlotThursday. Here's a great one from Columbia Valley.
Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, black currants, cherries, cooked plums, wood, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, dark coffee, mocha, earth, leather, coke and black pepper. What a great nose.
Full bodied with medium acidity and nice legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, spices, espresso, chocolates, peppercorn, earth sweet vinaigrette, dark coffee and light mocha.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.
This 4 year old Merlot from Washington State surprised me.
Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.
Soft, spicy and smooth. Peaking now, and better now than a year or two ago.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).
I paired it with a filet mignon and grilled asparagus.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$20. — 6 years ago
It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a yummy Cabernet Sauvignon.
Inky in color with a short purple rim.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate and spicy, with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.
Showing blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, raisins, licorice, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, mint, chocolates, coffee, cola and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cranberries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County in California. Fruit forward and rich. Smooth and elegant.
Shows nice complexity already, although still young. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Opulent and delectable. Delicious and engaging.
Good by itself as a sipping wine. Good right out of the bottle, and better with some air time.
A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in French oak barrels. A small production of only 300 cases.
14.3% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$75. — 2 years ago
Omg cherry notes, super dry and lady got legs. Won’t leave you hanging. Neva that.
— 5 years ago
It's time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a nice one from California.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Pretty nose with blueberries, black currants, plums, cherries, oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, dark chocolates, earth, light vegetables and vinaigrette.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, vanilla, earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, chocolates, tobacco, graphite and dark coffee.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cranberries.
This is a very enjoyable Merlot from Santa Clara Valley in California. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
I've had this vintage before, and it is showing somewhat differently now, with more blue and black fruits. I'd like to see how it evolves in the next few years.
Needs an hour to open up properly and show tannins and structure.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and olives. Goes really nicely with an aged Brie.
A blend of 85% Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$24. — 5 years ago
Filip Rokita
Yum!
It’s red. It’s got legs. It’s got a body. I’d say a slim fat body. So let’s say medium, it’s not a super full bodied wine. goes well with black Angus steak at Can Kiku. I’d recommend it, especially in the Spanish heat. Viva Espana! — 3 months ago