Mark Flesher

9.3

Sourcing their fruit from Hossfeld Vineyards which suffered substantial losses in the fire of 2017, this high altitude 2/3 tempranillo 1/3 Cabernet from Parador is very unique and went perfectly with smoked paprika pulled pork sandwiches! This wine poured a dark crimson with purple edges. Nose of smoky blackberry and sweet fruit opulence. Palate is brambly and reminiscent of a young Vega Sicilia which is leathery, smoky, Blackberry and drunken black cherry-rich. Middle has a fair amount of earthy, soil driven tar and ashy loam. Finishes with good acidity which danced well with the pork and stood alone quite well. A baby, but very curious about this wine. Well made and hope to acquire future vintages! — 11 days ago

Chris England

9.3

I’m a huge Shafer fan so was keen to try the newly rebranded TD-9 🚜 & it’s as good as it ever was 😍 Did you know TD-9 is a tractor 😁 & now Shafer Merlot has a proper name 👏 I think 🤔 Gone from £40 to £60 theses days but still a good reliable drop especially with red meats 😉

📍 Shafer TD-9 2015 🇺🇸

🏵 93 points w/ a touch more potential

🍇 56% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec

🍷 Deep opaque ruby w/ a purple hue

👃 Blackcurrant, sweet blueberry & dark plum bathed in cocoa w/ herbs, spice, soggy earth & liquorice tones

👄 Med+ body of rich warming punchy big blackcurrant, blackberry & blueberry w/ a red liquorice & cocoa backbone

🎯 Med touch sweet smooth creamy dark fruit annihilation w/ a raspberry liquorice mocha slapping — 19 days ago

Shay A

9.2

Day 2 of Napa in the books!

This is mostly merlot. It’s really nice, but it seems like their goal is to soften merlot more than its natural soft expression. Stopped short of becoming thin, but I’d enjoy these young for sure. Cherry, blackberry, cedar, cherry-vanilla pipe tobacco. — 16 days ago

Shay A

9.3

Finally getting around to posting Day 5 in Napa, our final day. 5 years in a row visiting...hope to make it 6 next year!

I’ve had the ‘12 of this and thought it was incredible. While still nice, I didn’t enjoy this vintage as much, but I think it’s simply a style change. Starting with this vintage, they added 10% Counoise. This comes across more Grenache like than previous vintages because of this addition. The red fruit has turned more spicy (rhubarb) and there is an added peppercorn note. Brambly and slightly herbal. — 12 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a gorgeous one from Napa Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of plums, cherries, licorice, oak, vanilla, earth, leather, tobacco leaf, alcohol, peppercorn, spices, pencil lead, black pepper, chocolates and beef jerky.

Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black currants, black cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, light vegetables and pencil lead.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice surprise. A very enjoyable Merlot based Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Already drinking beautifully now, and will be better in the next 5 to 7 years.

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

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses and light appetizers.

I just love these Napa Bordeaux blends. This is just delicious. Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

A blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot.

15.1% alcohol by volume.

92 points

$80. — 4 days ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

So....@India Okoh wants to get all the labels and model them in SA. I’m down.

Deep purplish red. Fruit forward nose with some violets, baking spices and blackberries. Full bodied with medium tannins (6/10). Great earthiness on the palate with black and blue fruits, spices and a little herbal. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2026. — 2 days ago

with India

Ted Corvey

9.2

Really enjoyed this. Nice depth and weight without being flabby. Great balance and structure. Will go back to this. — 2 months ago

Shay A

9.6

Day 3 in Napa in the books! Running a day behind on notes...Napa time runs slow AND fast!

First wine of the day. 100pts. Big and structured but Russell’s plush style at 7yrs old has mellowed and become very integrated. Strawberry and mixed berry pie with more herbal notes. Dark chocolate and cedar. — 14 days ago

Jody Scharf

9.2

Freaking winelicious. Another blend that will fulfill your wine sitch. — 2 days ago

Eric LaMasters

9.3

Just a delicious red blend. Luscious, forward, and very drinkable. — 3 days ago