"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for #MerlotThursday. Here's a delightful one.

Deep purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, cherries, spices, cedar, licorice, vanilla, light vegetables, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, spices, earth and black pepper.

Full bodied and bold with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, coke, graphite and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot from Napa Valley. Fruit forward, rich and big, with a great mouthfeel and nice complexity.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows the tannins {90 minutes).

Drinking very nicely now and will be better in the next 5 years.

I had it all by itself. So delicious.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40. — a day ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Medium purple with garnet undertones and clean, thin edges. Nicely complex nose consisting of freshly cut grass, herbs, big blue fruit, and spice. A Napa Merlot that’s actually a Merlot and not so much a Cab in disguise. Medium bodied and round with some acidity that evens out after a bit of air. Almost perfectly integrated oak that doesn’t come close to overdoing it. Big fruit notes on the palate of black cherry, blueberry, and licorice. Mild vanilla, new leather, and plenty of spice to compliment. Long, distinguished finish. This is how you do Merlot. — 14 days ago

Greg Gregory

9.2

Still a baby and I’d give it another saved at least. There’s the chance that the acid may fade so its a little bit of a crapshoot it’s going to stay balanced. — 6 days ago

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Post-show bev. Goes down easy. It’s that hint o’ green that keeps it flowing. Not too tannic, not too much of anything—which is to say there is enough. Totally pleasant. It’s like watching Sesame Street as an adult. Won’t challenge your brain but will be pleasant and give you, if not the warm fuzzies then at least a bit of alcohol-induced warmth. If I needed four glasses at a Seder I could. Oh wait you wanted real notes? If you didn’t stop reading now.
WSET-ish style:
Eye: medium ruby, thick tears Nose: cherries, huckleberries, a hint of asphalt and a lick of arugula. Palate: dry, medium acid, medium minus tannins, high abv, medium body and flavor intensity, cherry cordial, blueberry pancakes (no maple but vanilla tinged, green pepper, green...apple? Is that a Granny Smith in my merlot? May be. Medium finish. — 6 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Time for my #MerlotThursday. Here's a great one from Napa Valley.

A nice color of dark ruby with a wide brick rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, blackcurrants, plums, vanilla, cedar, licorice, spices, pencil lead, peppercorn, chocolates, dark coffee, earth and light vegetables.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black plums, cherries, wood, cloves, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, vegetables, leather, chocolates, tobacco, beef jerky and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot from Napa Valley. Well balanced and spicy. Fruit forward and big. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better as it opens up and shows some tannins (1 hour).

This 6 year old is drinking very nicely now. From a great vintage, and is peaking now. Will be good in the next 5 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Merlot grapes were aged in 50% New French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$26. — 15 days ago

Matt Sterr

9.2

Concentrated with a polished mouthfeel. Loads of dark fruit leading to a long finish. BlackBerry, plum, blueberry. Lovely Merlot. — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

A very enjoyable Merlot from Lodi. Showing black fruits with chocolate notes, light vegetables, vanilla, licorice, spices and tobacco.

Full bodied and bold with firm tannins and tangy finish.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (90 minutes) and shows some tannins.

Still young and a bit unbalanced, but already drinking very nicely.

Would age nicely in the next 5 years.

Aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels.

15.9% alcohol by volume.

91 points. — 3 days ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

First Disney wine. Starts off black and blue but then gets more red fruited as it opens. This is a baby. We are lobbying to have a bottle opened tonight to enjoy tomorrow. This wine has a great toasted oak tannin finish. Middle has medium+ density weight. Really nice bottle. Will be a 94 in 5 years but solid 92-93 now. Can't imagine what the WS Keyes Merlot tastes like! — 8 days ago

Andrew Schirmer

8.9

A bit sweet for our taste, but with some bottle age, this 2012 is actually rather nice. Nose of dusty tannins, cherry, palate is midweight, correct notes for the varietal, sweet plum, soy sauce, prunes on the finish. Bien. — 9 days ago

with Alsu

Jonathan Wall

9.1

Slightly underipe and vegetal at first... but not offensive and it blows off. I suspect this will integrate nicely with age. Good now nonetheless. — 11 days ago