St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth and black tea.

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

This 10 year old Merlot from Saint Emilion still feels young. Drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

This second wine is good right out of the bottle, and much better after a couple of hours of airtime.

Wine Spectator 91 points. Wine Advocate 92 points.

A nice sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 22 months in all new French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$50.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 2010 “Virginie de Valandraud” pours a deep purple/garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with powerful notes of cassis, dark brambles, black cherries, cocoa, purple flowers, leather, tobacco, a mix cool and gentle warm spices and earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. This is showing really well. Drink now through 2035.

2019 vintage.

Solid second wine. Ripe modern style, but in a vintage where it benefits from that.

It’s been about 6 months since I last tried the 2016 Virginie de Valandraud which, really isn’t a true 2nd wine of Chateau Valandraud. In fact, it’s made in the same fashion as the Grand Vin by the same team but from separate terroir. The wine pours a deep, impenetrable, glass staining ruby and there’s already a bunch of sediment coating the inside of the bottle. The nose is high intensity, with currants, tobacco, bell pepper, purple flowers, smoke, and baking spice. On the palate, the wine is generous with perfectly ripe dark fruits, tobacco, earth and baking spice. Finish is bone dry. This is a dense, extracted wine yet it remains balanced. The structure is firm but not overbearing. Great acid. While this is really good stuff now, I expect it will continue to evolve for many years to come. Check back in another 6-10 years.

Tonight's wine is another Right Bank gem. This is the second wine from Chateau Valandraud the 2009 Virginie de Valandraud. A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc from Jean-Luc Thunevin.

The nose brings wonderful notes of black plum, black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, cedar, licorice, spice, smoke and black earth.

On the palate there a notes of bbn lack cherry, black plum, blackberry, green bell pepper, kitsch, coffee, a pleasant oak, violet and earth.

The wine is full bodied that has a smooth velvety mouth feel with medium+ acidity and medium+ sandy tannin that leads right to a long dark fruit finish. The weekend has wonderful wines in store so stay safe and enjoy yourselves. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Good fruit out of the bottle. Pleasant sipper

Faded blackcurrant with soft structure. Drink up.

Feels like it was picked too ripe but good nevertheless.

Medium garnet red with bricking on the edges. Layered nose developing some secondary characteristics with leaves, dried cigar box, dried cherries, spices and some dark berries. Medium and smooth tannins (6.5/10) with a full body. Elegant and feminine start with floral characteristics, dark spices and dried black cherries. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2026.