"Odedi"

9.1

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

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black fruits with light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, light black pepper, herbs, light vanilla and licorice.

Tangy finish with soft tannins.

This 5-year-old Merlot from Napa Valley is peaking now, and drinking very nicely. Fruit forward with an elegant mouthfeel.

Wine Spectator 91 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good for parties. Good with food too.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Full bodied and elegant.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

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

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.

Robert Parker 95 points.

I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.

A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with a nice mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco, coffee, cola, licorice and peppercorn.

This is a great sipping wine. Delicious with great balance and complexity. Very fruity, rich and extracted.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food.

I've had many different vintages of this Cabernet, and it is always delicious.

Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$45 (current vintage). — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a nice one from Red Hills.

Dark purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, raspberries, black plums, oak, light vanilla, licorice, herbs, tobacco leaf, earth, spices, chocolates, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, black currants, oak, tobacco, licorice, peppercorn, coffee, cinnamon, earth, spices, light vegetables and herbs.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County in California. Fruit forward with lots of coffee and chocolates notes.

Needs a few hours of airtime to open up, but drinkable right out of the bottle too. Big tannins come out after a couple of hours of air.

Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel, but still very young, and needs five years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. Will age nicely in the next 10 years.

I had the 2017 vintage a year ago and it is very consistent.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$75. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Strong nose of black plums, black currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, earth and peppercorn.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, oak, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee and black pepper.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a young Merlot from Bordeaux. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

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

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

A good food wine that I paired with pizza.

A blend of 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon.

15% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$55. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here's a very tasty one.

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick/ red rim.

On the nose plums, black cherries, light wood, licorice, eucalyptus, earth, light smoke, light vegetables wet leaves, black pepper, black tea, cola and light vinaigrette. The nose shows much like a Right Bank Bordeaux.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, raspberries, vanilla, licorice, wood, spices, peppercorn, chocolates, tobacco, graphite, dark coffee, vinaigrette, earth and tea leaves.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Israel. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Well balanced with nice acidity, a tangy finish and a nice and elegant mouthfeel.

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

This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now. Good by itself and better with food. Delicious.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

A blend of 42% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit verdot. Aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels. Kosher. Mevushal.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65. — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here's a great Napa Cabernet.

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pronounced nose of red cherries, vanilla, blueberries, light oak, dust, tobacco, light vegetables, graphites, alcohol, spices, herbs, leather, earth and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, cloves, vanilla, wood, earth, leather, coke, tobacco leaf, bitter vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Medium on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a very nice Cabernet based Bordeaux blend. Showing nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel. A wine that keeps changing as it opens up, which is always enjoyable.

Feels more like a new world bold Pinot Noir. Very unique.

Good by itself or with food. Still young and needs another 5 years to mature. Has good potential to be a 92+ point wine.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and show some tannins. After 2.5 hours, it changes again, and the new world Cabernet shows up. Definitely still young. I've had the 2013 not too long ago and loved it.

I paired it with Brie cheese and roasted almonds.

A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon 3% Petit verdot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 26 months in French Oak barrels.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$90. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

It’s #MerlotThursday! Here's a nice one from Napa Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish/brick rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, black plums, blackberries, light vegetables, black cherries, currants, oak, light vanilla, licorice, cedar, spices, earth, leather, chocolates, mocha, coffee, black pepper and pencil lead.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, cherries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, leather, chocolates, vegetables, vinaigrette, licorice, spices, tobacco, diet cola, light bell pepper, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Napa Merlot is still drinking nicely, but it's on the way out.
Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good by itself and good with food. Good right out of the bottle and better after 30 minutes of airtime.

Was better a year ago. Showing much more vegetables than last year, both on the nose and palate.

Very easy drinking, so watch out ...😃

I paired it with a few different soft and hard cheeses, but the Brie cheese really went well with all those green vegetables.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$15. — 8 years ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Love Lopez and this is no exception. Certainly will be better in a few years, but this still has layers of dark fruit flavors, deep earth, and good acidity. A touch tannic without food, but still excellent. Had at Casa Mono. — 9 years ago

Mike Varley

9.0

Great cab franc- smooth flavours with a very clean finish. A delight. — 10 years ago

Dave Chambers

9.8

A year later and the petrol notes are really there! Nice match with dinner, haddock and spinach salad with pineapple salsa! — 10 years ago

with Heather

"Odedi"

9.0

Deep ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nose of red fruits with light earth notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black currants, black plums, cherries, spices, tobacco, earth, light wood, dark coffee and black pepper.

Smooth finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This 6 year old is a very easy drinking Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley in France.

Good right out of the bottle, and gets more complexity as it opens up. Tannins show up after 45 minutes of airtime.

I had it 4 years ago, and it is drinking pretty much the same, although it did gain more complexity. Will not get any better from this point, so drink up.

Good by itself as a sipping wine and good with food. I gave it a light chill and paired it with cheeses and crackers.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

An “intermezzo” as we prepared for the reds flights. This was served blind. The 1978 shows really young for its age. Most at the table, including myself, were convinced that this was classified growth Bordeaux with maybe 20-30 years of age. However at least one of us thought it was Napa…and whoa. The color was dark and handsome though there was some sediment (to expected). The fruit was bright but I felt it was secondary to the dried leaf tobacco, earth and leather notes. There was good acid too. Tannins have integrated. Lots of wows when this was revealed while the Napa holdouts gave a smile. Bravo. This could easily live well for another 10 or so years. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium intensity.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing black and red fruits with tobacco, cedar, vanilla, leather, earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Tempranillo from Rioja. Nicely balanced and still very young, although it is a 6-year-old wine.

I had the 2011 a couple of years ago and loved it too.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food.

A blend of 91% Tempranillo and 9% Graciano. Aged in new French oak barrels for 25 months. Made only in special vintages, a few times per decade.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a beautiful one from Bordeaux.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, light vanilla, earth, wet leaves, herbs, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, dark chocolates and tobacco leaf.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.


This 7 year old, from the great 2015 vintage, is drinking very nice right now.

This Fifth growth Bordeaux is showing nice complexity, with a soft and elegant mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 3 hours in the decanter.

Young, but already delicious, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

Robert Parker 97 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A Delicious wine that drank better than the 1996 I had 4 years ago.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels (50% new) for 16 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$130. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain in Washington State.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward with black fruits and oak, vanilla, spices, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, cola, earth and peppercorn.

Shows a great mouthfeel with nice complexity. Tangy and interesting. Spicy and rich with nice structure.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime (90 minutes).

A great sipping wine by the porch. Big, yet elegant. Alcohol is not too noticeable at this point.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats, cheeses, olives and fresh fruit.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Here is a beautiful Merlot for #MerlotThursday.

Deep purple in color with a purplish rim.

Strong fruity nose with black plums, black currants, coffee, cedar, vanilla, leather, earth, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, dark chocolates, coke, tobacco and alcohol.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, chocolates, bitter herbs, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Spicy finish with medium tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Napa Merlot is always enjoyable, although very young. Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (2 hours).

Tangy, spicy and tasty. Nice complexity and a great mouthfeel. A nice sipping wine.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a beef burger and fries.

A blend of 80% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Malbec. Aged for 15 months in 40% new French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$45. — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

This Napa Merlot is always enjoyable by itself or with food.

Showing black fruits with chocolates, earth, wood, vanilla, vegetables, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, spices and peppercorn.

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

Nice fruity finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

Needs an hour to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle.

Needs a few years in the bottle to mature and remove some of bitterness at the ending.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

91 points — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Deep purple in color with a short purplish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, vanilla, earth, vegetables chocolates, coffee, beef jerky, bell pepper, vinaigrette, light barnyard, dust, smoke and peppercorn.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, black currants, sweet raspberries, cherries, wood, licorice, bitter herbs, spices, light vegetables, dark chocolates, alcohol, graphites, earth, tobacco and peppercorn.

Long and spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Syrah from Santa Ynez Valley in California. Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel and nice complexity.

Drinks way easier than it should, with all that alcohol, but still a little hot at the back of the throat. This is not a wine for the faint of hearts... Showing great complexity on the nose.

Needs an hour in a decanter to open up properly and remove some of the stinky nose. After an hour, it changes every 20 minutes. I love these kind of wines. Too bad it's my last bottle.

I had it 6 months ago, and it is already drinking better. Will age nicely in the next three to five years, and will probably get to 94 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine and good with food. I paired it with Brie cheese.

A blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (70% new).

15.7% alcohol by volume!

91 points.

$45. — 8 years ago

Mike McGlone

9.4

Mahogany in color. Still good fruit and flavor for it's age. Great food wine with our prime rib dinner. — 10 years ago

with Ann

Craig Thorn

10

Deeply in love with this wine. — 13 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Deep ruby in color, almost Inky, with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Very dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blueberries, plums, cooked cherries, black currants, light cedar, dark coffee, chocolates, earth, peppercorn, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, light vegetables and bitter herbs.

Short, tangy finish with fine grained tannins and pomegranates.

This 8 year old Rioja Reserva is still young and very dry, but already drinkable.

Lacking a bit of fruits on the palate, but the nose is gorgeous, once it opens up. The nose is more interesting than the palate at this point.

Needs a few hours to open up properly, so take your time.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years. Would be interesting to try it again in 5 years.

A good food wine that will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$50. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Zwebner Estate Vineyard Judean Mountains 35.6.18 Red 2017, Bethlehem

#KosherWineSunday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, black plums, currants, raspberries, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, coffee, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, peppercorn and black tea.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 6 year old red blend from the Judean Mountains in Israel, is showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and spicy.

Fruit forward right out of the bottle, and even better after an hour of airtime.

This Single Vineyard is good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

I Had the 2015 a few years ago, and it is very consistent. Delicious stuff.

A blend of Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. Kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

A very pretty color of ruby with a wide reddish/ brownish rim.

Fruity nose with raspberries, cherries, black currants, black plums, light oak, light vanilla, Mediterranean spices, licorice, chocolates, tobacco and herbs.

Medium bodied and smooth, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, green herbs, oak, earth, light vanilla, peppercorn and tobacco leaf.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and cranberries.

This is a very tasty and interesting Sangiovese from Napa Valley. Nicely balanced, tangy and fruit forward. Soft and elegant.

Needs a few hours in the decanter to open up properly, smooth out, and remove some of the acidity. I really enjoyed it after 3 hours.

An interesting expression of Sangiovese. Feels like a blend of old and new worlds.

The high alcohol is very integrated, so watch out.

I had the 2017 before, and it is very consistent.

A good food wine, but good by itself as well. I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers. Will pair nicely with red sauce Italian dishes.

A blend of 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months (35% new).

14.9% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$39. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep purple in color, almost inky, with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, cooked plums, sweet cherries, cedar, light vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, coffee, light cocoa powder and peppercorn.

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

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, earth, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and tobacco.

Tangy finish with round tannins and raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Tangy and interesting.

Spicy, rich and extracted, yet elegant. Nicely balanced with a nice mouth feel.

I had the 2018 not too long ago, and it is very consistent.

Very young, but already drinking nicely, after a couple of hours of airtime. A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

A good sipping wine that doesn't necessarily need food, but will be great with a big piece of steak as well.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged in mostly French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Dry and fruity on the palate with nice complexity, although still young.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, licorice, vegetables, light wet leaves, herbs and earth.

Earthier than expected from a Napa Cabernet. Feels like a left bank Bordeaux with a new world twist. Unique and interesting.

Will age nicely in the next 10 years. A good quality wine. Good by itself or with food.

Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$75. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth and pencil lead.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, raisins, vanilla, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon is always enjoyable. Drinking nicely now as a 3 years old.

Fruit forward with nice balance. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows the tannins (45 minutes).

Nice enough to drink by itself, but pairs nicely with food too.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$17. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.

Pronounce nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

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

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, cola, earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices, mocha, vegetables, leather and peppercorn.

Long spicy finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

A beautiful Monastrell blend from the house of Juan Gil. Showing nice complexity and balance with a great mouthfeel. Big bold and grippy.

Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins.

I love anything Gil makes, and this is a delicious example.

Still young and could use a few more years in the bottle to mature, but already drinking very nicely.

I paired it with Brie cheese, almonds and crackers.

A blend of 60% Monastrell, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah. Aged separately for 18 months in French and American oak barrels.

16.5% alcohol by volume (watch out)

92 points.

$32. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, dark sour cherries, dates, burnt figs, grilled meats, burnt ambers, liquid smoke & dark dry florals. The core color is dark with garnet edges. The palate is; slightly sour but mostly sweet dark cherries, stewed plum, cooked strawberries, rhubarb, dates, figs, tomatoes, smoke, grilled meats, brewed coffee, light tarry notes, dry crushed rock powder, volcanic minerals, dark rich earth, dusty tannins, dry dark florals, soft chewy leather, nice round acidity with a decent, soft, elegant finish...50-50 fruit & earth. This is the largest co-op producer in Europe with 50 members. They collectively have 250 acres; which is about 1/6 of the total under vine. Photos of; the town of Barbaresco (their tasting room near the tower), Produttori cellar and their tasting bar. No appointment necessary. Close to Gaja and the town has one of the best one star Michelin lunches as well as the best service we've experienced. Just right of Gaja. Good with our Veal Bolognese. — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

My Mid week sanity. This time it is in a form of a very enjoyable Napa Merlot.

Deep purple in color with a purple rim.

Nice fruity nose with blueberries, plums, black currants, sweet cherries, vanilla, oak, licorice, cola, light vegetables, peppercorn, earth, cloves, nutmeg, spices, chocolates, sage, eucalyptus, pencil lead and smoke.

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

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, blackberries, currants, earth, vanilla, licorice, pine, chocolates, dark coffee, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm, green tannins and cherries.

A very nice Napa Merlot. Still young, but already enjoyable, and needs an hour to open up. A good sipping wine, once it is opens up, and also good with food. Paired very nicely with grilled meats on the barbecue.

Would be much better in 3 to 5 years, once more complexity comes in. Not fully balanced, but shows nice complexity potential.

I enjoyed it just by itself. A good sipping wine. The nose is not intense enough yet, but the palate is very rewarding. Alcohol is still noticeable at this point, but time will make it all better.

14.2% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago