Absolutely loved it. Complex but easy to drink. We had Volume 4. — 5 years ago
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
This Petite Sirah from Lodi is always enjoyable. Big and bold, spicy and tangy.
Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins.
Showing black fruits, chocolates, coffee, wood, vanilla, licorice, mocha, caramel and peppercorn.
Full bodied with a nice finish. Might be a little sweet for some.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points. — 7 years ago
Time for my Friday's Cabernet fix. This time it's a California Cabernet.
Dark purple in color with a dirty red rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, dried figs, raisins, blueberries, cherry pie, wood, earth, licorice, cloves, spices, vanilla, peppercorn and pencil lead.
Full-bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate and very fruity, with blackberries, sweet black plums, cooked cherries, vanilla, earth, oak, cloves, light bitter herbs, cola, chocolates, graphite, mint, spices and peppercorn.
Long finish with firm tannins and black pepper.
This California Cabernet is always enjoyable. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.
A great sipping wine by the porch or pair it with food like BBQ steak.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (30 minutes).
14.5% alcohol by volume.
$18. — 8 years ago
Deep purple in color with a purplish rim.
Full bodied and Bold, with high acidity and awesome legs.
After an hour of opening up, gorgeous nose with blackberries, blueberries, currants, chocolate, turmeric, vanilla, spices, cooked plums, figs, licorice and peppercorn.
Dry and fruity on the palate with black currents, figs, cherries, blackberries, dry fruits, vanilla, licorice, coffee, tobacco, Mediterranean spices and black pepper.
Long finish with spices, smooth tannins and tart cherries.
Really needs 1 hour to open up properly. Another great Cabernet from the Michael David house. Very enjoyable by itself or with a big juicy steak. I Paired it with a Moroccan chicken dish with lots of spices, and it held its own well.
This changed some from a year ago. Matured and not as abrasive.
15% alcohol by volume. — 10 years ago
It’s time for some Merlot on this#MerlotThursday.
Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
On the nose, plums, black currants, strawberries, sweet cherries, light cedar, licorice, vanilla, earth, herbs, chocolates, tobacco, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.
Medium plus in body and soft, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with currants, black plums, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, light vegetables and herbs.
Medium finish with fine tannins, tangy raspberries and peppercorn.
This young Bordeaux from Saint Émilion is already showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Tasty and interesting. Tangy and rich. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly.
Still young, but starting to drink nicely now. I am surprised of how approachable it is already. Still a little unbalanced, and needs another few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.
This 2018 vintage is showing a lot of potential. A little lighter than the 2016 I had a couple of weeks ago.
A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years.
I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.
A blend of 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$55. — 5 years ago
This is a very tasty Single Vineyard Malbec from Israel. Drinking very nicely now. Spicy and rich. Showing nice complexity at this point.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Showing black fruits with wood, earth, light vegetables, tobacco, chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.
Soft finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.
Drinks like a 10 year old Bordeaux mixed in with a Napa Cabernet.
This 6 year old is nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Delicious once it opens up. Peaking now and will be good in the next few years.
A very enjoyable wine even by itself. I've had it before, and this time I gave it 3 hours to open up properly in a decanter. Very drinkable so watch out.
15% alcohol by volume. Kosher.
92 points.
$32. — 6 years ago
This Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon is extremely fruity. Good by itself as a sipping wine. Showing black fruits with chocolate notes and peppercorn.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins.
I found this 3 year old better than the 5 years old 2014 i had not too long ago.
I paired it with a cheese plate, dried fruits and crackers.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$18. — 7 years ago
This is a great Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley. Fruit forward with black fruits and chocolate notes, earth, vegetables, bell pepper, spices and peppercorn.
Nose of sweet red candy that fades out with airtime.
Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some complexity and tannins.
After a few hours of airtime it is much earthier with lots of vegetable notes.
Would benefit from another few years in the bottle.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$26. — 7 years ago
It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a great Cabernet from Washington State.
Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.
Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, figs, light oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, pencil lead, black pepper, dark chocolates, dark coffee, earth and leather.
Medium to full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, herbs, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, dark chocolates and pencil lead.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a great Cabernet from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with great complexity and mouthfeel. Smooth, elegant and very tasty. This 4 year old is peaking now.
This is not an expensive wine, but with proper short term aging, it drinks wonderfully. Worth giving it a try.
Good right out of the bottle and so much better after 2 hours in a decanter.
I paired it with cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and light appetizers.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$15. — 8 years ago



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
Dark inky color with a purplish rim.
Oaky nose with plums, blackberries, wood, vanilla, vanilla, vanilla (did I say vanilla?), earth, spices and black pepper.
Full bodied, smooth and bold with nice legs.
Fruity on the palate with blackberries, figs, cherries, plums, earth, oak, vanilla, dirt and peppercorn.
Nice finish with big tanning and black pepper.
Awesome wine with a great mouth feel, that can be enjoyed by itself. I paired it with Parmesan cheese, crackers and great company. Drinkable now, but will be even better in 3 to 5 years.
A blend of 60% Monastrell, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah. Each was fermented individually, and then aged for 18 months separately, in new French and American oak barrels. After blending, it sat for over a month in steel tanks before bottling.
15.5% (Wow!) Alcohol by volume. — 10 years ago
Pale lemon in color with a green hue.
On the nose citrus, vegetables, herbs, green apples, earth, minerals, and grapefruit juice.
Medium bodied with medium acidity. Crisp and refreshing with long legs.
Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples, lemons, bitter herbs, earth and vegetables.
Tangy finish with limes and almonds.
This young Pinot Gris from Oregon is easy drinking and tangy, with a soft mouthfeel. Surprisingly good out of a can.
Earthier on the nose than on the palate. As it opens up, grapefruit notes show up on the nose, and nicer with some airtime, so be patient.
I had an older vintage of this wine, and it definitely is better with some age. I wonder how it would age in a can, though. For now, it is lemony and refreshing. A nice sipper by the pool.
Good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with fresh seafood like oysters.
Aged in neutral French Oak barrels and stainless steel for 11 months.
13.3% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$8. — 5 years ago
Time for a good Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here's a delicious one from Washington State.
Deep purple in color with a short purplish rim.
Nose of black plums, cedar, chocolates, coffee, cooked cherries, leather, light vegetables, earth, licorice, black tea, tobacco and black pepper.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cherries, chocolates, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.
Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very tasty Merlot from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Another delicious wine from Michel Rolland.
Still young, but already tasty. Drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle, but better after an hour of airtime, as the complexity comes in. Showing nice complexity already.
Wine Enthusiast 89 points.
Tangy and interesting. A Delicious wine.
A blend of 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in (85% new) French Oak barrels.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$65. — 5 years ago
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
It's time for #MerlotThursday. Here's a great one from Columbia Valley.
Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, black currants, cherries, cooked plums, wood, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, dark coffee, mocha, earth, leather, coke and black pepper. What a great nose.
Full bodied with medium acidity and nice legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, spices, espresso, chocolates, peppercorn, earth sweet vinaigrette, dark coffee and light mocha.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.
This 4 year old Merlot from Washington State surprised me.
Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.
Soft, spicy and smooth. Peaking now, and better now than a year or two ago.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).
I paired it with a filet mignon and grilled asparagus.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$20. — 8 years ago
Purple in color with a wide purplish rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, sweet strawberries, plums, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, pencil lead, peppercorn and tobacco.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Smooth with long legs.
Dry on the palate, and fruity with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, earth, meats, green vegetables, herbs, chocolates and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great Zinfandel from Sonoma County, California. Getting into the drinking range now. Well balanced with nice complexity and interesting acidity.
Good as a sipping wine, all by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).
This is not the jammy Californian Zinfandel one might be used to. Spicy and interesting. I really enjoyed it this time.
This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now. I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it was not very enjoyable. What a difference a couple of years in the bottle has done...
Could use a few more years to become even better.
Wine Spectator 92 points.
14.8% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago
David Walser
From Costco Houston for about $10. Pleasant, a bit on the sweet side but would buy again. — 5 years ago