Central Valley Merlot

Duckhorn Vineyards

Napa Valley Merlot 2022

I was craving old school Merlot. Wasn’t on restaurant list. Bought this across the street at a local grocery school. Amazing that the store stocked this. — 11 days ago

Dave, Rob and 6 others liked this

Pine Ridge Vineyards

Clarksburg Chenin Blanc + Viognier Blend 2024

k
9.3

Full mouthfeel with acidity, minerality, and tropical fruit notes exquisitely balanced. Or peach and honeyed citrus per label. Still lovely. — 8 days ago

Colgin Cellars

IX Estate Napa Valley Red Blend 2004

#AgedWineTuesday

Deep inky in color with a short reddish/ purplish rim.

Strong nose and full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

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

Showing black currants, black plums, blackberries, dried figs, dark chocolates, raisins, peppercorn, licorice, light earth, herbs, light tar, tobacco leaf and light barnyard.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 22 year old Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is drinking beautifully now. Rich and fruit forward, very complex and entertaining. A fantastic wine.

Drinking at its peak now, and will continue to do so in the next 5 years.

Wine Spectator 93 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

The high alcohol is well integrated by now.

Elegant, and a great sipping wine. Paired beautifully with my delicious American Wagyu steak.

A blend of 59% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Unfiltered and unfined.

15.6% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$400.
— 10 days ago

Lyle, Paul and 13 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

15.6?!?! 👀

Gaja

Ca'Marcanda Promis Toscana Sangiovese Blend 2023

Ted
9.1

Haven’t had this is a minute. Ripe black cherry fruit. Soft and easy to drink. — 24 days ago

Jeni
with Jeni
Sharon, Tom and 7 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Rob N
9.5

Excellent structured cab. 99 pts RP. $425 @ Olympic Club Lakeside! A little young, still tannic, opened up well.
— 20 days ago

Joe, Jay and 2 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore Red Bordeaux Blend 2021

Super Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Cabernet Franc (29%) and Merlot (13%). Dark ruby color. Aromas of red and black fruit, anise,purple flowers and leather. Flavors of black cherry/plum/berry fruit, black licorice, cocoa powder and sweet baking spices. Lovely mineral and minty tones on the long and lingering finish. Silky tannins and a velvety texture. Loaded with finesse and wonderful freshness. Enjoyed with Petey and Kase (Thanks Guys) on the beach in Cape May, NJ. — a month ago

Joel, Tom and 4 others 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!
— 20 days ago

Austin Hope

Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Deep ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, plum and caramel. Red and black fruit on the palate, vanilla and oak finish.

🏅91 Points - Wine Enthusiast
— 18 days ago

Joel, Tom and 12 others 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
— 6 days ago

Vanessa and ESF liked this

Orin Swift

Papillon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2022

Very well done. A beautifully soft Cabernet while full and bold it remains delicate and delicious. Great Sat. Night celebrating owning the condo Phuc Yea! — 5 days ago

Joseph, Robin and 5 others liked this

Saxum Vineyards

Broken Stones Red Rhone Blend 2019

2019 vintage. Needed time to breathe. Then it sang. — a month ago

David liked this

Belle Glos

Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

Ming L
9.2

The house style is still here with ripe, slightly over extracted blue fruits, baking spices, cocoa, and a plush velvety palate. But the fruits become less confectionary and some savory components have emerged. Acidity seems more apparent. Really nice integration.

I think Pinot bottlings from Belle Glos are at their best with 5-8 years bottle aging. This is another proof.
— 2 months ago

Joel, Tom and 1 other liked this

Château Lascombes

Margaux Merlot Blend 2009

+1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A striking dark ruby red color. On the nose: Enticing notes of dark red fruit, pencil shavings, floral, little barnyard funk, worn leather, tobacco leaf. Taste: Silky-smooth, creamy, rich(not your old school Bordeaux) wine with blackberry/dark cherry, currants, licorice, glycerin, dried herbs, dark chocolate and a peppery cedar long dry finish. YUM!! — 13 days ago

Tom, Somm and 20 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Silky smooth is the 09 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)..1997 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
— 2 days ago

Tom, Steve and 10 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2008

This needed lots of air showing mostly black fruits, menthol, leather, graphite, earth, sweet spice & wet tobacco. Although enjoyable now this will continue to develop for many years — 10 days ago

Tom, Juan and 8 others liked this

Continuum

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2023

N vegetal
P herbal. Dense cherry. Spice. Delicious. Balanced.

46 cs 41 cf

Grapevine 238
— 15 hours ago

Emmolo Winery

Napa Valley Merlot

Blackberry, Spicy but with some sweetness. Bought at Enoteca for ¥7,225. — a month ago

Dave liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2006

3L. Textbook Pauillac. Proper yet lifeless - at Chris & Mary’s — 25 days ago

Scott@Mister, jesus and 5 others liked this