"Odedi"

8.9

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, chocolates, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs and black pepper.

Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot from Napa Valley. Drinks more generic than that, though. Feels like a California Cabernet.

An entry-level Napa Merlot made by Duckhorn. Has some residual sugar to balance it out. Showing mild complexity with a tangy finish.

Wine Enthusiasts 88 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after a couple of hours.

Easy drinking and a good everyday wine.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30. — 6 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Nice fruity nose of black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, light tobacco, herbs and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, spices, vanilla, licorice tobacco, chocolates, dark coffee, graphite and peppercorn.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very nice Merlot from Napa Valley. Still young, but already easy drinking. Tangy and spicy, and good by itself or with food. Soft and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time (60 minutes). Would age nicely in the next 5 years.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers, and will be good with pizza.

100% Merlot grapes were aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.1

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim. Not showing age at all.

Nice nose of black currants, black plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, coffee, light barnyard, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, diet coke, dark chocolates, coffee, earth, graphite, vegetables and peppercorn.

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

This is a very enjoyable Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend from the great 2009 vintage. Drinks like a young wine, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Needs a long time to open up, so be patient with it. Took 4 hours for the tannins to show up.

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

I had the 2008 a couple of years ago and enjoyed it too. Very consistent.

Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel. Ripe, elegant and fruity.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40 (current vintage). — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose of black plums, black currants, oak, spices, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, light alcohol, blueberries, light earth, pencil lead, coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, licorice, oak, vanilla, chocolates, tobacco and peppercorn.

Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a young red blend from Columbia Valley. Fruit forward with a nice mouthfeel.

A good everyday wine to sip on by the porch. Easy drinking, tangy and interesting.

Good now, and will be better in a couple of years. Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

A blend of 45% Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah and Grenache. Aged for 9 months in neutral oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$22. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

It's definitely time for a great Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Great nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, peppercorn, pencil lead and earth.

Full bodied with medium acidity and elegant.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, earth, peppercorn and leather.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot based blend from Napa Valley. Rich, yet elegant. Fruit forward with nice complexity.

This 8 year old Magnum is drinking very nicely now. The fact that it is from a great vintage doesn't hurt it either.

Delicious right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Excellent quality. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Thank you Barry for sharing this with me.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with delicious lamb chops.

Grapes are grown at 2,100 feet of elevation. A blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in French oak barrels (31% new) for 25 months. A small production of 579 cases. Made by Philippe Melka.

15.1% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$350 (Magnum) — 13 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

This is a very tasty Bordeaux blend from Medoc.

Showing black fruits with chocolate notes, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, wood, spices, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, bitter herbs, light cola and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and nicely balanced with lots of fruits and a nice mouthfeel.

Will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Rich and good right out of the bottle. Becomes earthier after 3 hours of airtime.

Good by itself or with food, and would pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Pellet Estate Napa Valley Pellet Vineyard Merlot 2018, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here's a nice one from Napa Valley.

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

On the nose blueberries, black plums, black cherries, licorice, cedar, light vanilla, spices, chocolates, earth, vegetables, tobacco and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with strawberries, raspberries, plums, oak, licorice, spices, coffee, spices and peppercorn.

Medium length on the finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very young Merlot from a Single Vineyard. Starting to drink nicely, although better with food.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly. Tangy and elegant with a soft mouthfeel.

Showing mild complexity at this point. Would be better in 3 to 5 years, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Has the potential to be a gorgeous wine.

I paired it with Prosciutto, aged Brie and crackers.

100% Merlot grapes. A very small production of around 300 bottles.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$85. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.5

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday, and this is one of the the best Merlots from California, that I have ever had.

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Gorgeous nose of black currants, cooked plums, cooked cherries, dried figs, cedar, licorice, vanilla, basil, tobacco, chocolates, light cola, eucalyptus, Mediterranean spices and peppercorn.

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

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity with a great mouthfeel, and drinks way above its price point.

Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time. After 90 minutes in the decanter, tannins show up and bring more structure. Well worth the wait.

Tasty and luscious. Flavorful and inviting with a fabulous nose.

Robert Parker 93 points.

Will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. A great wine to have all by itself and talk about.

Thank you Scott for sharing this beauty with me.

Delicious and engaging. Rich and extracted.

Teeth staining color, so not so good for a first date. You're welcome.

A blend of 96% Merlot with a touch of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$90. — a month ago

with Scott

"Odedi"

9.1

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here is a nice one from Bordeaux.

Dark inky in color with a short ruby rim.

On the nose, blueberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, light vanilla, spices, licorice, earth, black pepper, chocolates and tobacco leaf.

Full bodied and soft with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, blueberries, currants, vanilla, licorice, light pencil lead, spices, oak, tobacco, earth, peppercorn, herbs and light vegetables.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and cranberries.

This 4 year old Merlot is drinking very nicely now. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Rich and tangy with nice complexity.

Still very young, and need 3 to 5 years in the bottle to mature properly. Would age nicely in the next 15 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. Showing good potential to become a much better wine.

I opened it up and tasted it every 30 minutes. Was ready to drink after a little over 2 hours, so take your time.

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

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

15% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of cherries, sweet strawberries, black currant, plums, earth, oak, barnyard, vegetables, spices, wet leaves and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with strawberries, raspberries, plums, cherries, light oak, spices, earth, vegetables, bitter herbs, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, black pepper and coffee.

Short finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot based blend from Bordeaux. Balanced and easy drinking with a soft mouthfeel. Already showing nice complexity.

Needs time to open up. I gave it two hours. A little stinky, but some like that too.

Would be interesting to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolves.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Paired very nicely with the wild mushroom Brie cheese from the Netherlands.

A blend of 71% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$25. — 2 months ago