It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Strong spicy nose of raspberries, sweet cherries, light oak, spices, licorice, earth, eucalyptus, herbs and peppercorn.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, raspberries, spices, light oak, herbs, licorice, dark chocolates, peppercorn and earth.
Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.
This is a very tasty Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Washington State. An Interesting wine that feels more like a Right Bank Bordeaux. Tangy and spicy.
Right out of the bottle it definitely feels like a new world wine, but once it opens up it changes.
This 3 year old is so very young, and would be better in 3 to 5 years. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
I really enjoyed the nose, once it opened up. The palate needs some more bottle time, but it has good potential.
Needs time to open up properly, so be patient. I used the Zencore to expedite the process. Took about 8 minutes.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (55% new).
14.3% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$50. — 4 years ago
Popped and poured, consumed over three days with very little evolution over that period but if I had to make a call, I would say best on Day 3. It presents a turbid, deep ruby in the glass. On the nose, purple flowers, dried leaf tobacco, tomato leaf, and freshly tilled earth. On the palate, currants, tart blackberries, kalamata olive brine, dried blood...it’s saline, sanguine and ferrous in a real way. The 2012 Champoux Vineyard is a structured, high acid/high tannin Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Franc with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for good measure. Long, long finish. A very earthy and mineral driven wine. Blind, there is no way I would call this New World. This bottle is yet another reminder why I truly believe Andrew Will makes some of the very greatest wines in Washington State. This has at least another decade of life left in it. — 5 years ago
A Blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, a portion aged in new French oak. Grapes sourced from several vineyards. Deep Ruby, black fruit aromas with cedar and earthy herb notes. On the palate flavors of black plum and blackberry with cacao, vanilla and cedar on fine tannins. Medium+ finish ending with tobacco and smoky spice notes. — 5 months ago
Bought Dec 2022, ~$11 @ Costco, New Britain, CT
Tasted side by side with 2015 vintage.
Crisper than it’s 7 year old counterpart. Same base notes, but leaning toward more focused acidity with a sweet touch- green apple, pear, lemon. No butteriness, just clean & fresh. Again, lovely wine, lovely $$. 10/10 would buy again. Would like to try aging this myself if I can get more! — 3 years ago
I revisited this wine in July of 2022, and I am upping my rating to 9.1. I don’t know if it’s just a biochemical difference in my taste buds from day to day, or whether the wine is miraculously transforming itself within the bottle while I’m not paying attention to it. All of my previous descriptions still hold, except at the tannic structure has become fuller. And that holds everything together. My new opinion of this wine is that it’s very elegant, indeed.
My old review: 2019 opened February 2022. Disappointing but drinkable. Mint and nettles on the nose. Unripe strawberries on the front of the palate. It has a weak — almost watery — tannic structure that fails to balance the sour high notes that crowd in on mid pallet. And the pucker factor intensifies as it transitions to the finish, but it dissipates quickly leaving just a hint of lingering flint and menthol. Better than a fourth growth Bordeaux in an off year, but that’s not saying much. — 4 years ago
100% Cabernet, aged French oak (78% new), deep Ruby with aromas of red and black fruits, herbs and sweet floral spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and black cherry with floral herbs, earthy oak and black pepper. Fine dusty tannins, long. finish ending with fruit, toasty oak and herb pepper spice. Will age well! — 6 months ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Inky in color with a short brick rim.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.
Showing black currants, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco leaf, herbs, spices, vegetables, black tea, tar, light earth and peppercorn.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 15 year old Washington Syrah is drinking very nicely now. In your face kind of wine. Bold, extracted and definitely delicious.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime.
Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.
Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.
100% Syrah grapes from Red Mountain were aged in (50% new) French oak barrels for 12 months.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$60. — a year ago
Smooth, delicious. New respect for Merlot. Had at sister's house. — 5 years ago
A blend of 70% Cab Sauv, 21% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc & 2% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in 60% new French oak. Deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits and spicy notes. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry with cacao and tobacco adding in oak and leather. Well balanced with acidity, fine tannins, long finish ending with oak and sweet spice. Has room to age. Nice! — 5 years ago
"Odedi"
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Fruity nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, mint, vanilla, cedar, cola, licorice, eucalyptus and peppercorn.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate and fruit forward with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, licorice, spices, graphite, peppercorn and black tea
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous 12 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain in Washington State. Complex and fruit forward. Rich and elegant.
I had a more recent vintage not too long ago, and it’s definitely better with age.
This Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely fantastic now. Drinking at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 7 years.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel and a gorgeous nose. Loved smelling on it. The high alcohol is well integrated by now.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and paired beautifully with the delicious Wagyu Steak.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in all new French oak barrels for 20 months.
15.2% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$180. — 17 days ago