"Odedi"

9.1

Holly's Hill Vineyards Fanaughty Syrah 2024, El Dorado, California

Inky in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of black currants, black plums, licorice, light oak, barnyard, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, blackberries, oak, licorice, black pepper, herbs, light vegetables, earth and spices.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a young Syrah from El Dorado in California. Rich, elegant and nicely balanced.

Already drinking very nicely, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Feels like a California Syrah with a Northern Rhone flare. Fruit forward, with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

A good sipping wine that paired nicely with my charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

Aged in used French oak barrels for 12 months. A small production of less than 2,000 bottles.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35. — 5 hours ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light cedar, earth, cola, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black tea and light garigge notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, light licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, cola, herbs, peppercorn and light vegetables.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and complex, spicy and tangy.

Delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

The alcohol is nicely integrated already, although not as high as typically from this region.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and this is not my favorite, by far.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450. — 4 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Red fruits on the nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Mourvedre from Bandol is starting to drink beautifully now. Already showing nice complexity and good balance, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Soft and elegant. Complex and interesting. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

A blend of 90% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache. Aged in used French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60. — 7 days ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.

Fruity nose with red and black fruits, and full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate, elegant and very complex.

Showing black currants, black plums, blackberries, figs, earth, light licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley. Elegant and nicely balanced. Rich and interesting.

Showing great complexity right out of the bottle, but tannins show up after 90 minutes in the decanter.

I had the 2019 vintage 4 years ago and it is drinking so much better now. Drinking at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

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

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$55 (recent vintage). — a day ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Light red in color with medium intensity.

Red fruits on the nose and light to medium in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red cherries, currants, light wood, spices, coffee, dark, chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins.

This is a very tasty Grenache from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Showing nice elegance, spicy and entertaining. Well balanced, fruit forward and interesting.

Still very young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, but already enjoyable even by itself.

A great vintage in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, that will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show the complexity.

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

100% Grenache grapes from old vines, were aged for 18 months in (30% new) French oak barrels. A small production of only 2,500 bottles.

15% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

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

Beautiful color of ruby with a wide brick rim.

Great nose with over ripen red fruits, forest floor and earth notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, currants, cooked cherries, dried fruits, light wood, prunes, cola, chocolates, spices, herbs and vegetables.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This 30 year old Merlot is still drinking nicely. Not at its peak anymore, but very tasty nonetheless. Elegant with some fruits left. Complex and interesting.

I've had a recent vintage not too long ago that was drinking better, although I did love the complexity here, especially on the nose.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with food too.

A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 12 months in (30% new) French oak barrels.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$65. — 6 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Fates' Lieutenant Winery Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2024, California

Pale lemon in color with a green hue.

Nose of citrus, apples, spices, light earth and herbs.

Medium plus in body and creamy, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with yellow apples, citrus, lemons, light grapefruits, herbs, light oak, spices and light earth.

Medium length on the finish with limes and almonds.

This is a very tasty Chardonnay from Santa Rita Hills in California. Rich and fruit forward. Smooth and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.

This Single Vineyard Chardonnay is nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Tangy, complex and interesting.

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

Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.

Chardonnay grapes were aged in used French oak barrels for 11 months.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35. — 7 days ago

"Odedi"

8.8

Light golden in color.

On the nose yellow apples, pears, herbs, spices and earth.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with green apples, citrus, spices, herbs, earth, river rocks, almonds and white pepper.

Tangy finish with almonds and grapefruits.

This Single Vineyard Verdicchio from Italy is nicely balanced with mild complexity.

Reminds me of an old world Chardonnay on the nose, and earthier on the palate. Showing lots of fruits to compliment the earth notes.

Would be nice to revisit it in a few years and see how it evolves.

A good food wine, tangy and interesting.

Verdicchio grapes were handpicked and aged on the lees for 6 months in stainless steel vats.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$26. — 2 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, blueberries, light wood, spices and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, red currants, sweet cherries, light oak, spices, chocolates, tobacco, coffee, light licorice and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty red blend from Mendocino County in California. Nicely balanced with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel. Fruit forward and rich.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Tangy and interesting, spicy and entertaining.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 30 minutes of airtime.

A fun sipping wine, that I gave a light chill and had it all by itself.

A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah and 14% Merlot. Organic.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$20. — 2 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Grand Napa Vineyards Stone Crib Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Rutherford, California

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of red and black fruits with light oak, chocolates, light earth, licorice, herbs, spices and wild flowers.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, cooked cherries, dark chocolates, dark coffee, spices, light earth and herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 5 year old Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford in Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully, although still young. Powerful yet elegant.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Rich and fruit forward but not extracted. Showing elegance with good structure.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years and see how it evolves. Has good potential to become a 94 point wine.

Not your typical Napa Cabernet, as it shows some touches of old world as well. The high alcohol is well integrated already.

Needed 2 hours in the decanter to open up properly, so be patient.

I had the 2018 vintage a few years ago, and it is very consistent.

Fruit forward and good by itself as a sipping wine. Would also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$165. — 5 days ago