Merlot

Duckhorn Vineyards

Napa Valley Merlot 2022

Ok more or less. — a month ago

Tom and Rick liked this

Château Duhart Milon

Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Blend 2022

2nd of Grand Cru Bordeaux. Great wine with incredible aging potential. Cheers. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister, Tom and 3 others liked this

Château Talbot

Saint-Julien Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1949

Actually deeper colour than the 1962 and 1959 . Slightly more medicinal nose , touch of swimming pool , lightly herbal with some dried fruit . On the palate this has a drier profile , darker dried fruit , slightly astringent acidity and quite gritty , rustic tannins . Slightly dry on the mid palate , but good earthy tobacco notes . Quite dense and robust , showing good backbone and body . Reasonable length , with earthy , gritty finish . Quite dense and structured. Not elegant but quite impressive for a 76 year old wine . Now and over the next 5 or more years , though obviously won’t improve. — a month ago

"Odedi", ESF and 6 others liked this
ESF

ESF

👀

Shafer Vineyards

Napa Valley Merlot 2023

2023 vintage. Light-medium body with excellent, back-end, enduring concentration without it being contrived or heavy-handed. Darting accents and flourishes throughout. Not the cheapest Merlot and it could still use a year or two but nice effort. Had been told at some point in the last few years that all the Merlot vines had been ripped out. Maybe they have and this is all purchased fruit? Difficulty remembering what lunch constituted tho so…4.1.26. — 2 months ago

Pinotman, jesus and 13 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

1000th wine by delectable 🥳. Controlled power...deep flavours that are starting to integrate nicely. Have wanted to try this for a long time and wasnt let down. Heres to the next 1000 🥂 — 2 months ago

Somm, Austin and 16 others liked this
Anthony De Blasi

Anthony De Blasi

Congratulations! I just bought the Petit Sirah and Pagani Ranch 🤩

Opus One

Overture Napa Valley Petit Verdot Blend

Majority Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) with the balance consisting of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. Blueberry and black currant. — 2 months ago

Amelia Mowry, CSWCristian Mendoza
with Amelia and Cristian
Amelia liked this

Cain Vineyard & Winery

Cain Five Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2006

Somm David T
9.3

I used to drink this producer in the late 90’s & early 2000’s. I’ve been revisiting older vintages based on recent price points. I think they sold a bunch of their cellar for revenue. It is out of need after the Glass Fires. They were somewhat consumed by it. The winery & part of their vineyards. Unfortunate!!!

Decanted an hour and enjoyed over 2-3 hours.

I was further inspired to acquire the 2006 by
@Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego who posted more than respectful thoughts of the 2006 not long ago. So, I acquired some winery stored bottles at $39. A more than fair price point. The cork had a millimeter or less along its side. The bottle neck showed trapped tannins. Extremely solid.

The nose is inviting. Slightly smoky & nicely ripe; dark core of blackberries, dark cherries, poached/baked strawberries, plum, blueberries and pomegranate. Slate, gentle, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, mid & light berry cola/licorice-red vines, soft dry tobacco, used leather, very soft graphite, graceful herbaceous notes, whiff with black & white pepper, dark, rich soils, mix of limestone/sandstone, red florals/roses, dark florals and purple lily blossoms.

The entry is elegant, ripe, slightly rich with nothing bitty. Medium, softened, mushy tannins. It shows nearly perfect elegance at or just and I mean just the other side of its peak. Ripe; dark core of blackberries, dark cherries, poached/baked strawberries, plum, blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate hues. Slate, gentle, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, mid & light berry cola, soft dry, used tobacco w/ ash, used leather, graphite, herbaceous notes, stem inclusion, some black & white pepper, dark spice box with mid intensity palate heat, layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & understated vanillin, dark chocolate, caramel, steeped teas, moist to dry volcanic clays, rich, dark, almost sweet soils, mix of limestone/sandstone, red florals/roses, dark florals and purple lily blossoms, very nice acidity, evolved, well-knitted, balanced, structured, tensioned, elegant finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and long sets on spice and beautiful earthiness. This will drink nicely for another 5+ yrs.

A good revisit and perhaps the most elegant Cain Five I’ve had.

Photos of; the Cain Five vineyards, Chris Howell-Winemaker, pressed grapes and the somewhat unglamorous cleaning out of stainless steel tanks after initial fermentation.
— a month ago

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

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Wowza! Helluva write-up! Have been pouring this 2006 vintage at the resto for the last two years. My bottle cost is in the mid-$60's. It seems like Spring Mountain is enjoying a renaissance...of sorts. Gonzo are the soft, delicate numbers from multiple wineries. Seems like everything I've tasted from Spring Mountain the last decade is bolder and more tannic than Howell Mountain. Mount Veeder as well. Historically, from my viewpoint, seems like Howell Mountain fully leaned into the tannins/beast that is mountain fruit whereas Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder looked to mitigate/assuage the tannic concerns. No longer the case.

Château Lanessan

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

Lacks complexity but its a truly excellent bottle and is singing now. Really good wine that is long lasting in bottle. Classical style. — a month ago

Jose Roberto Palazzoveronique paillardAdriana Pagliano
with Jose, veronique and 4 others
Jamie and Scott@Mister liked this
Alexandre Pagliano

Alexandre Pagliano Premium Badge

Lacks complexity but its a truly excellent bottle and is singing now. Really good wine that is long lasting in bottle. Classical style.
Alexandre Pagliano

Alexandre Pagliano Premium Badge

Medium dark rubi robe, nose of cedar wood, top soil and asian spices. Does not look the age in any way. Its a great classical claret, very elegant, just lacks some complexity to get a higher score. Top notch for the price point, very civilized and polished tannins for the year.

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Second & last of my bottles. Wonderful, while ready to drink still has plenty of years ahead of it. — 2 months ago

Realm Cellars

The Bard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

First time tasting the 2019 Bard. Big wine. Big ripe fruit - I’m getting mostly black with some red and hints of blue. Graphite. Lavender. Softened yet big chewy tannins. Acidity holding in strong at this point. Drinking well now with just a brief decant, but I can see this one really hitting a sweet spot in a few more years. — 2 months ago

Cardinale

Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009

Cardinale Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, California

#AgedWineTuesday

Inky in color with a short purple rim. Not showing much age.

Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, blackberries, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices and black pepper.

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

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, dried fruits, cedar, chocolates, figs, cola, vanilla, licorice, tobacco, herbs, spices and light earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This 17 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still drinking beautifully. Rich and engaging. Elegant, soft and fruit forward. Beautifully balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Needed 90 minutes in the bottle to open up properly and show great complexity, with good structure.

This gorgeous Cabernet is still drinking at its peak, but will not get better from this point on. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 7 years.

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

A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 22 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$200.
— 3 months ago

Douglas, Scott@Mister and 10 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore Red Bordeaux Blend 2023

2023 vintage. $120+ a bottle resto cost. I mean it’s nice but for that pricing and what I’d hafta charge for it? Hard pass. The new Antinori stuff (don’t ask about the whites) not working for me. Praying that their purchased property-Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars-has current offerings showing better for the pricing. Not holding my breath tho. 4.29.26. — 21 days ago

Somm, Tom and 8 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2022

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.
— 25 days ago

Jay, Stephen and 9 others liked this
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

These wines, to my palate, are not particularly interesting this young. After 15+ years from vintage? Way more interesting.
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

@Jay Kline not a great vintage too
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Personally, I think many have overreacted regarding 2022. Yes, Mother Nature threw some challenges late in the harvest but some made outstanding wines and when you consider the fruit source for Opus One, I’m sure they were on the winning side.

Realm Cellars

The Tempest Napa Valley Red Blend 2018

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.
— 2 months ago

Dave, Jose and 14 others liked this
Dave

Dave

First date gets Vodka.
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

@Dave 😂😂👍

Colgin Cellars

IX Estate Napa Valley Red Blend 2013

2013. Dark presence with violet-black from edge to end. Unctious. El Capitan tears with solar flare outcroppings linear paralleling across the cliff face. Lovely mushroom and earth interplay here with blackberry bourgeoning and black olive wisps. Forêt Noir leanings with brittle and toffee behind a curious veil of grill smoke. Palate is met with a rush of intense flavor, warm dark chocolate and raw nib, concentrated black cherry, cedar, blackberries and red currant, ripe blackberry, licorice, tobacco, and a drop of treacle. Wild resonance! Flavor permanences.

#Colgin #colginIXestate #2013 #Napa #StHelena
— 2 months ago

Tom, Andrew and 3 others liked this

Continuum

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Still as good as the first one — 2 months ago

Jan and Stef liked this

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Le Volte Toscana Sangiovese Blend 2021

Wine was delicious. Not harsh and no after taste or heartburn. Sweet but not too sweet. — 3 months ago

Gaja

Ca'Marcanda Promis Toscana Sangiovese Blend 2022

2/2026. Full flavor and nice finish. Easy drinking. — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister, Ted and 4 others liked this