Merlot

Pahlmeyer

Napa Valley Merlot 1997

Purchased on release from the winery drinking much younger than its age showing good balance with plum, dark berry fruit & spice — 11 days ago

Joel, Tom and 5 others liked this

Château Meyney

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

vintage 2019 | Dark colour, complex smell with stewed cherries, cedar, dark chocolate. Soft taste, almost velvety with underlying power. This is a beautiful Meyney. 375 ml Paired with a truffle burger, baked potatoes and a salad with red cabbage, apple, walnuts and dates with a pomegrate dressing. — 15 hours ago

Berry, Daniel and 8 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

Deep and dark, a cool minerality. Bright fruit. Packed, is dense. Beautifully held. Great texture and structure. A stunner! — 8 days ago

Joe, Scott@Mister and 7 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Off the charts concentration.
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

Wow a 10! I have totally try that vintage! Cheers!

Harlan Estate

Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2019

Harlan Estate:  A Historic Retrospective.
With: Antonio Galloni, Will Harlan and winemaker Cory Empting.  At Angler restaurant, San Francisco.

Vintages:  all from magnum
1989 Harlan Estate....rare never released
1990 Harlan  Estate.....1st release, savory elegance
1993 Harlan  Estate ..fading
1994 Harlan Estate....a savory beauty, classic style
1995 Harlan  Estate..beautiful, classic style
1997 Harlan Estate ..flat(maybe the bottle), vintage that jumps to the riper style.
2001 Harlan Estate ...beautiful
2002 Harlan  Estate ..beautiful
2006 Harlan  Estate...drink
2010 Harlan  Esta...drink or hold
2011 Harlan  Estate...meh
2013 Harlan  Estate ..drink or hold
2016 Harlan  Estate ...hold
2019 Harlan  Estate  ...hold
2020 Harlan  Estate ...meh
2021 Harlan  Estate ..hold

FOOD:
Bluefin tuna
Slow grilled hen of woods mushrooms
Whole pastured chicken roasted in wood oven
A5 Australian striploin
Chefs selection of cheese

@Angler, San Francisco
— 24 days ago

Tom, Tom and 12 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

That’s a hell of a Harlan event. How was the 89?
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Somm David T Terrific event! The 1989 showed dried fruit and plenty of savory notes...drank well.

Cain Vineyard & Winery

Cain Five Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

Ming L
9.3

I opened this 2015 after the 16’ Branaire-Ducru.

The fruits are riper and slightly jammy with plum, blueberry, and blackcurrant, but it’s the savory expression that really sets it apart. Rich palate without excessive weight with lively acidity and fresh herbal lift. Kong savory finishes. Beautiful Bordeaux blend with Napa mountain fruits.
— 10 days ago

Joel and Tom liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Guidalberto Toscana Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2024

Purple plum red.

Aromas of beets, tomato leaf, blue and black fruits, stewed.

Iron, tomato, blackberries, dark cherry.

After an hour of decanting, develops that cocoa nib character that is pleasant and adds a richness along with more pronounced red fruits. The tobacco and earthiness calms and the fruit character develops
— a month ago

Vanessa and ESF liked this

Duckhorn Vineyards

Napa Valley Merlot 2023

Blend of 76% Merlot, 22% Cab Sauv and 2% Cab Franc, deep Ruby with aromas of rich berry fruit and earthy spice tones. On the palate flavors of rich blackberry and ripe cherry with sweet spice, licorice and cedar notes. Fine tannins, long finish ending with oak, fruit and mineral character. Good to drink now, will age some. — a day ago

Juan liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tenuta Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato Bolgheri Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2024

High qpr super Tuscan, this was under $30 @ costco — 16 days ago

Ted, Neil and 1 other liked this

Château Lanessan

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

A little tired, but still grownup wine. Earthy, mammalian (ha! am I the first to use that? I mean it has a bit of furry animal to it!), old fruit and iron. Just squeaks into a 90. — 10 days ago

Daniel, Sagee and 2 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

Love this wine. Still young ish but very nice drinking window. Love the texture and tannin structure. Long finish. — 16 days ago

Ted, Ira and 5 others liked this

Château Clinet

Pomerol Merlot Cabernet Franc 1989

1989 vintage. 10.16.26. — 24 days ago

Tom, Ted and 4 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2013

Floral note’s of blackberry and blueberry, baking spice, cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate. It has plush, velvety tannins that enhances the smooth finish. — 21 days ago

Letha Phillips
with Letha
Rick, ESF and 8 others liked this

Château Lafon-Rochet

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

Very pleasant, liquorish, mild tannins. Went well with venison pot roast — 18 days ago

Duckhorn Vineyards

Three Palms Vineyard Merlot 2022

AEL
9.3

Great year for this one. Really layered and granular, with a light lemon note offsetting the distinct dark fruit notes. Celebrating dad and Bogie, with mom in FL. — 17 days ago

Colgin Cellars

IX Estate Napa Valley Red Blend 2012

1 hour decant(lots of chunky sediment). A splendid deep dark ruby red color. On the nose: expressive Intoxicating perfumed notes of dark red fruit, smoked meat, forest floor, herbaceous, leather, and soy sauce. Taste: silky, opulent, pure wine with cherry/red plum, currants, dark chocolate, smokey spice, and a graphite raspberry long finish. YUM! — 8 days ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Dave, Steve and 10 others liked this

Realm Cellars

The Tempest Napa Valley Red Blend 2018

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

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Strong nose of black fruits with tobacco, vanilla, licorice, cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.

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

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, cola, vanilla, cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, spices, earth, light black tea, tobacco and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel, big and juicy. Complex and entertaining, elegant and rich. Fruit forward and extracted.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Bold, good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime.

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

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

14.6% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$150.
— 25 days ago

Brian, Tom and 10 others liked this

Gaja

Ca'Marcanda Promis Toscana Sangiovese Blend 2022

Casa Lenzi
酸っぱい匂いで苦手
— 6 days ago

Château Chasse-Spleen

Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

Timothy Eustis
9.2

2018. Cigar box and some lavender on that too. Great acidity and tart tannins. Really splendid wine this. In the best setting. — 19 days ago

Jay and Tom liked this

Masseto

Toscana Merlot 2022

Masseto 2022
· First impression & decanting: It was my first time trying Masseto. Since it’s a young wine, I put half the bottle into a decanter and kept the other half for the next day. It only started to open up after about an hour of decanting, showing dark fruit aromas.
· Second-day explosion: On the second day, the aroma fully opened up. I poured just a little into the glass, and the aroma instantly filled the entire bowl. Intense blackberry and plum, with hints of tobacco and cocoa.
· Palate: Tannins are velvety smooth; full-bodied, with good acidity and plenty of power.
· Summary: A very classic top-tier “Super Tuscan.” In its youth it is very tight and needs a lot of patience with decanting or further aging. But once fully open, it is absolutely stunning.

Gaja Gaia & Rey 2022
· Aroma: Fresh citrus, white peach, and pear, with light oak-derived notes of toast, vanilla, and minerality.
· Palate: Round and full-bodied, with a distinct creamy texture, bright acidity, and a clean, mineral finish.
· Summary: A very elegant top Italian Chardonnay. Excellent balance—it retains fresh fruit while showing the complexity of oak aging. Drinking perfectly now.

One-line summary: One red, one white; one powerful, one elegant—a fantastic pairing!
— a month ago