Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix. This is a superb Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 13 year old is drinking fabulously now. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel. Soft, smooth and elegant. Rich and fruit forward, with a very nice nose.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

Still has a lot in it, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

I've had this vintage a few times before, and it is always gorgeous.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

Wine Spectator 92 points. Robert Parker 95 points.

Needs 3 hours in the decanter to open up properly.

Spicy and tangy. Ripe and entertaining. This is just fabulous.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$175.

#AgedWineTuesday

Deep Inky in color with a short purple rim. This 12 year old is not showing age at all.

Fruity nose of black currants, blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, raisins, dried fruits, cedar, licorice, earth, vanilla, light herbs, tobacco, chocolates, cola and black pepper.

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

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked raisins, dried figs, tobacco, peppercorn, cedar, vanilla, leather, light earth, fennel, dark chocolates and spices.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This is a fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Showing great complexity with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and fruity. Rich and extracted, yet elegant.

Delicious right out of the bottle, and even better after 3 hours of airtime.

A great wine to pair with a nice piece of steak, but good by itself too, as a sipping wine.

Showing great balance between the fruits, acidity and tannins. High alcohol is well integrated by now, so watch out. I would love to try it next to the Insignia.

Robert Parker 95 points.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 to 10 years.

This 2010 was a great vintage in Napa and it is definitely showing.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. I love these Napa Bordeaux blends.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$150.

In mag - still youthful - helped me spread candy out to truck treaters lol - ripe black cherries and plums - plenty of tertiary notes like tobacco cedar and cocoa - plenty of life left - just lovely 😄

06’ Merus. On a slow decline. Drinking nicely.

Dark inky color.

On the nose; big dark floral fruits of; mulberry, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark liqueur style cherries, faint strawberries, spice, limestone, crushed dry rocks, big layers of baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark chocolate and mocha powder. Black licorice, sweet tarry notes, saddle-wood, dry stem and perfumed lavender & violets.

The body is big, full & lush. The structure, length, tension and balance are just starting to hit its stride. The wine is seamless beginning to end. Ripe; blackberries, dark style liqueur style cherries, mulberries, stewed plums, black plum, black raspberries & strawberries & creamy raspberries on the glass edges. Dark spice with some lifting palate heat, limestone, crushed dry rocks, big layers of baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark chocolate and mocha powder. Black licorice, sweet tarry notes, dry herbs, saddle-wood, dry stem and perfumed lavender & violets. The acidity is round and nicely executed. The long, big, rich, lush, ripe, well balanced finish is beautiful and lasts minutes.

It’s delicious tonight but, it’s still early. Give it 5 more years and will drink well for another 5-8 years after that!

Photos of; Merus with a beautiful sunset, dinning/Private tasting room, entrance into their cellars and their main tasting room.

Took an hour to open up from the magnum bottle.

Big, black , dark fruits dominate the palate while sophisticated undertones of graphite, gamey meats and baking spices are noticeable by not as well represented as the fruit. The wine carries power and flavor but the mouthfeel is almost subdued comparably. I nice wine for the steak dinner and a pleasant surprise as our palates had the pleasure of a crescendo, landing in bold Cabernet after laps with cocktails and bubbles.

This has another decade in it.

Thank you Kirk for sharing this beauty with us!!! Big, Bold and luscious. Teeth staining inky black. Yum!! Wine spectator top 100 👏🍷🍷👏

Silky smooth, well balanced, big and a little peppery. Wonderful!