"Odedi"

8.6

#MerlotThursday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing black plums, cherries, light oak, tobacco and chocolates.

Short finish with soft tannins and cherries.

This is a simple Merlot from Italy. Nicely balanced, easy drinking and fruit forward.

Not showing typicity, but good right out of the bottle, and good for parties.

Feels like a California red wine.

11% alcohol by volume.

86 points. — 2 days ago

"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. A pretty color.

Nose of blue and black fruits with cedar, tobacco, chocolates, earth and green vegetables.

Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, chocolates, vanilla, coffee, light vegetables, earth, bitter herbs and black pepper.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and bitter almonds.

This 8 year old Merlot from Lodi is drinking very nicely now. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

A nice sipping wine, good by itself or with food.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Fruit forward and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle, but started declining after an hour of airtime.

I had this vintage 4 years ago and liked it just as much. Will not get any better from now on.

Aged in French and American Oak barrels for 12 months.

15.9% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.1

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

Pretty color of ruby with a wide reddish brick rim.

Fruity nose with red and black fruits, chocolate notes and tobacco.

Dry on the palate and elegant, with nice complexity.

Showing black plums, cherries, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, black tea, earth and black pepper.

Nice finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 9 year old Merlot from Bordeaux is drinking very nicely now. Fruit forward and elegant, with enough earth notes to compliment it.

Nicely balanced, soft and smooth.

This 2015 was a great vintage in Bordeaux, and it is showing. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 15 years.

A blend of 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

8.9

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

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

The nose is simpler than I expected right out of the bottle, but beautiful once it opens up.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black plums, cooked cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, espresso, earth, light forest floor and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Merlot based blend from Bordeaux is drinking nicely now, and feels young, especially on the nose.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. I did not decant it and left it in the bottle. I was actually worried that it will die sooner, but it still has a lot in it. Love to see that. Only after 2 hours, the nose opened up and tannins showed up.

This 26 years old is easy drinking and good by itself or with food. I had the 2010 vintage, five years ago, and I liked it better this time.

Robert Parker 94 points.

Paired nicely with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$100. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

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

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish /brick rim. Pretty color, but looks much older than it is.

Muted on the nose with black fruits, light wood and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

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

Medium minus in length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice entry level Merlot from Napa Valley. Smooth and elegant with nice complexity.

Nicely balanced and fruit forward. Rich and spicy with a nice mouthfeel.

This 5 year old is peaking now and will not continue to improve.

Good right out of the bottle and easy drinking. A good pop and pour kind of wine, but better after 30 minutes of airtime.

Wine Spectator 91 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. A good party wine.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$37. — 15 days ago

"Odedi"

8.9

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

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium intensity.

Nice nose with red fruits, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice and peppercorn.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red currants, cherries, raspberries, earth, black coffee, bitter vegetables, light oak, spices, dark chocolates and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and cranberries.

This Australian Merlot is drinking nicely now. Earthier than I expected it to be. Feels like a blend of new and old world.

Showing a soft and plush mouthfeel, and a bit bitter once it opens up.

Easy drinking and better after a couple of hours of airtime. Changes every 30 minutes in the decanter. Interesting.

I had a few different vintages years ago, and it is a completely different wine today.

Aged in American oak barrels. Vegan.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Flint Knoll Winery Noble Right Proprietary Red 2021, Napa Valley, California

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

Dark ruby/ Inky in color with a short purplish rim.

Strong nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, cedar, licorice, chocolates, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, vanilla, herbs and peppercorn.

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

Dry on the palate and very fruity with black plums, black cherries, currants, cedar, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, black pepper, earth and light vanilla.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Merlot based blend from Napa valley. Rich and extracted, yet elegant. Powerful and spicy.

Needs 3 hours in the decanter to open up properly, so be patient. The high alcohol is not too noticeable already.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years, and has good potential to become a 95+ point wine. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

A very pretty wine made by Philippe Melka. Complex and well-balanced already. So nice to see that.

Good by itself or with food, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 21 months in (75% new) French Oak barrels. A tiny production of only 4 barrels.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

93 points

$175. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

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

Inky in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of blackberries, black currants, black plums, light cedar, licorice, chocolates and coffee notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with currants, plums, sweet cherries, Mediterranean spices, light cedar, earth, chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn and herbs

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Merlot from Israel needs 3 hours to open up properly. Rich, spicy and engaging. Drinking very nicely now, and good by itself or with food. Smooth and elegant.

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

This 4 year old is robust and good by itself as a sipping wine. Will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Unfiltered. Kosher and not Mevushal.

16% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 22 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

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


Pretty color of dark ruby with a wide reddish rim. 


Fruity nose with red and blue fruits, light wood, spices, coffee, earth, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, aluminum notes and black pepper. 


Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity. 


Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, herbs, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, spices, dark chocolates, light earth and peppercorn. 


Nice finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries. 


This is a very tasty Merlot from Livermore Valley in california. Much earthier right out of the bottle, and needed an hour to open up. A lot of red fruits come in after 2 hours of airtime. 


This Single Vineyard is fruit forward and rich. Tangy and interesting. A good quality wine. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. 


This 7 year old is showing nice complexity now. I had it 3 years ago, and it is drinking nicer now. Will not get any better, so drink up. 


Paired nicely with dried meats and crackers. 


100% Merlot grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 20 months. A tiny production of less than 1,700 bottles.


14% alcohol by volume.


90 points. 


$35. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.2

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

This 10 year old Merlot is delicious.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates, peppercorn, herbs and black tea.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Single Vineyard Merlot is elegant and robust. Drinking very nicely now, and probably at its peak. Will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

Needs a few hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Tangy and engaging. Easy drinking and fruit forward.

Good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$70. — 2 months ago