"Odedi"

9.3

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

Dark inky in color with a short purplish rim.

Fruity nose and full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and very fruity.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, dried figs, cedar, vanilla, cooked raisins, chocolates, light earth, herbs, spices, dark coffee, peppercorn and licorice.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Fruit forward and extracted. Rich, and in your face kind of wine.

Still young, and needs 7 years in the bottle to mature properly. Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

This 8-year-old is nicely balanced and dense, with enough acidity for the fruits. Complex with a nice mouthfeel. Big, bold and beautiful, with a teeth staining color. Not a good choice for a first date.

Wine Advocate 94 points.

The blend varies with each vintage. I've had the 2014 vintage a year ago, and loved it even more.

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

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$160. — a day ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Calla Lily Estate Audax Valor 2023, Napa Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Earthy nose with red and black fruits, light wood, coffee, earth, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn and spices.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, raspberries, light oak, spices, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, light vegetables and green tea.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and raspberries.

This Cabernet Franc based blend from Napa Valley is already drinking nicely, even by itself.

Still young, and needs more bottle time to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 to 7 years.

Fruitier on the palate than the nose, nicely balanced and elegant. Earthy and spicy. Tangy and interesting. Feels like a Right Bank Bordeaux Red.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. A good sipping wine and very easy drinking, so watch out.

A blend of 56% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$150 — 5 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Light gold in color.

Sweet nose with citrus, yellow apples, melons and light honey notes.

Full-bodied and creamy with medium acidity.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with apples, citrus, spices and light oak.

Elegant fruity and rich. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

A nice sipping wine.

13% alcohol by volume.

90 points. — 7 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Pale lemon in color.

Nose of citrus, green apples, earth, herbs, river rocks, green vegetables and minerals.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with green apples, light grapefruits, limes, earth, sea salt, bitter herbs and spices.

Tangy finish with limes and herbs.

This is an interesting Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley. Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Fresh and easy drinking.

Earthy nose and a bit fruitier on the palate. Feels more like one from the Loire Valley.

Much earthier and than the 2024 vintage that I had last year, which I loved.

Feels like it needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Good right out of the bottle and a good food wine.

100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes were hand picked and fermented in stainless steel vats.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$25. — 2 days ago

"Odedi"

8.8

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with mild complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with light wood, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and earth.

Medium finish with soft tannins.

Generic tasting, but very drinkable. Fruit forward and rich.

Needs 30 minutes to open up properly.

Wine Enthusiasts 93 points. Wine Spectator 89 points.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

14% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$20. — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Mira Winery Franc Blanc 2021, Napa Valley, California

Light gold with a touch of salmon in color.

Light nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing limes, grapefruits, lemons, green apples, bitter herbs, spices and minerals.

Nice finish with limes and almonds.

This is a tasty white Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley. Crisp and refreshing. Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Feels like a California Sauvignon Blanc. Fun and interesting.

Wine Enthusiasts 87 Points.

Good by itself or with food.

100% Cabernet Franc grapes were aged in stainless steel vats and used French oak barrels for 12 months. A tiny production of only 3,000 bottles.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$65. — 6 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

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

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, chocolates, toast, licorice, spices, earth, tobacco and herbs.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot based blend from Bordeaux. Rich and extracted. Nicely balanced and complex.

This 16 year old is starting to drink at its peak now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Wine Advocate 96 points. Wine Spectator 96 points.

I've had the 2012 a few years ago, but this 2010 vintage is showing so much better.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food.

A blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 17 months in French Oak barrels. Unfiltered and unfined.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$180. — 8 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Caroline Parent Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2012, Burgundy, France

#AgedWineTuesday

Purple in color with medium plus intensity.

Nice nose of red fruits with red flowers, light wood, spices, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, light barnyard and dark chocolates.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, cherries, light wood, spices, coffee, earth, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf and light forest floor.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 14 year old Pinot Noir from Burgundy is still drinking very nicely. Elegant, complex and interesting. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Soft and smooth, spicy and entertaining.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food. I paired it with pasta and Ragu sauce.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$300. — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Pretty color of peach with a salmon hue.

Soft nose of light raspberries, fresh cherries, light citrus, green apples, spices and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, citrus, peaches, spices, sea salt and cayenne pepper.

Long finish with limes and tart pomegranates.

This is a delicious Rosé from Walla Walla Valley. Rich and creamy. Very spicy and entertaining. Complex and engaging.

Fully dry, but showing this fruitines on the palate, which is very attractive.

This Single Vineyard Rosé is starting to drink beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Showing good balance with a great mouthfeel. Feels like a spicy Bandol Rosé. So interesting.

Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.

Good when properly chilled, but shows the complexity when not too cold.

A great sipping wine.

100% Grenache grapes were aged for 10 months in concrete and stainless steel vats. A small production of only 1,788 bottles. Biodynamic.

13.4% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — 4 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Nose of blueberries, black plums, cooked cherries, black currants, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, dark chocolates and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, licorice, cedar, light earth, light vanilla, chocolates, black pepper and coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 8 year old Napa Cabernet is still young, but already delicious. Rich and powerful, yet elegant, with a soft mouthfeel. Nicely balanced, fruit forward and complex.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter.

This Single Vineyard Cabernet needs another 5 years in the bottle to mature properly. Has good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

I've had a few vintages of this Cabernet Sauvignon and it is so much better with age.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and paired beautifully with food too.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in (70% new) French oak barrels for 20 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$200. — 7 days ago