It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Deep ruby in color with a brick rim.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.
Showing plums, currants, light cedar, earth, herbs, light vanilla, licorice, light vegetables, coffee and black pepper.
This 20 year old Merlot from Napa Valley is still drinking nicely, but past its peak. Elegant and interesting.
This is a nice surprise, as I didn't see it drinking so nicely at this age.
Needs an hour to open up in the bottle.
Good by itself, and better with food at this point. I paired it with light appetizers.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$25. — a month ago
It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Deep purple in color with a wide purplish rim.
Strong nose of black plums, cooked cherries, currents, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, light earth, peppercorn, mediterranean spices and dark chocolates.
Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, raspberries, sweet strawberries, light oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices, earth and peppercorn.
Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 7 year old Merlot from Napa Valley is fruit forward and rich. Elegant and complex with a soft mouthfeel.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, when more red fruits show up.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
I had this vintage 4 years ago, and the nose is much nicer now. Really enjoyed it once it opened up.
This Single Vineyard is spicy and entertaining. Tangy and interesting. Feels like a Napa Merlot, with a Right Bank Bordeaux twist.
Tasty, and good by itself or with food.
A tiny production of only 300 bottles.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$100. — 2 months ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Light nose of red fruits with oak, licorice, spices, chocolates and moca.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with red cherries, currants, wood, spices, coffee, earth, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs and peppercorn.
Tangy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 6 year old Merlot from Napa Valley is drinking very nicely now. Tasty and easy drinking. Rich and extracted.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years. Needs 3 hours to open up properly, so be patient.
Nicely balanced and feels like a Right Bank Bordeaux red.
Good by itself as a sipping wine.
100% Merlot grapes were aged in (33% new) French and American Oak barrels for 18 months.
14.3% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$60. — 3 months ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.
Fruity nose and medium plus in body, with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, herbs, spices, earth, light vegetables, tobacco leaf and peppercorn.
Tangy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very tasty 9 year old Merlot from Saint Emilion in Bordeaux. Rich and fruit forward.
A little tart right out of the bottle, and needed 90 minutes of airtime to open up properly.
Wine Enthusiasts 91 points.
I also had the 2016 vintage, but it was a lot younger. Time has worked in favor of this great 2015 vintage.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Good by itself, and better with food.
A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$50. — 10 days ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Deep ruby in color with a reddish/ brick rim.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and light vegetables.
Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.
This 11-year-old Merlot from Bordeaux is a little unbalanced, but drinkable nonetheless. Elegant and complex, but lost some of its fruits by now.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime.
I had this vintage 2 years ago and it is drinking a little better now.
A good food wine that I paired with pizza.
100% Merlot grapes from 70 year old vines, were aged in French oak barrels (70% new). A small production of only 9,000 bottles.
13% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$35 (current vintage). — a month ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Inky in color with a reddish rim.
Fruity nose with blackberries, black currants, stewed plums, sweet cherries, dried fruits, light cedar, chocolates, spices, herbs and peppercorn.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with black currants, black plums, cherries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, chocolates, light earth, herbs and spices.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 7-year-old Merlot from Bordeaux is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Elegant and approachable right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Showing nice complexity with a tangy finish.
I've had this vintage a few times before and it is very consistent.
Good by itself or with food.
A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Kosher and not Mevushal.
15% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$50. — 2 months ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark purple in color with a purplish rim.
Nose of red and black fruits, light cedar, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, light earth, Indian spices, light peppercorn and vegetables.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with sweet cherries, plums, blueberries, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco, herbs, spices and peppercorn.
Long tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Merlot from Napa valley. Nicely balanced and complex. A great example of Napa Merlot with a Right Bank Bordeaux feel.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly, so be patient. Really enjoyed the nose once it opened up.
This single Vineyard is tasty and interesting. Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
I've had a few vintages of this wine, and I really like this vintage. Very approachable young.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with hard cheeses and crackers.
100% Merlot grapes. A tiny production of less than 500 bottles.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$100. — 17 days ago
It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark ruby in color with a reddish/light brick rim.
Medium-plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, coffee, licorice, tobacco leaf, vegetables, herbs and black tea.
Tangy finish with tart raspberries.
This Merlot based blend, from the great 2018 vintage, is drinking very nicely now. Nicely balanced with nice mouthfeel.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime.
This 7 year old is drinking at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.
Good by itself or with food.
A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$20. — 24 days ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark inky in color with a reddish rim.
Very pretty nose with black fruits, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, Indian spices, cola and light black tea.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, chocolates, toast, light vanilla, dark coffee, Indian spices, light cola licorice and peppercorn.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious 9 year old Merlot from Columbia Valley. Rich and extracted. Spicy and entertaining.
Peaking now and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 3 hours of airtime.
Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Smooth and elegant. Fruit forward and tangy. The high alcohol is well integrated by now.
Good by itself as a sipping 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.
93 points.
$75. — 2 months ago
"Odedi"
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Inky in color with a very short reddish rim.
Fruity nose and medium in body with medium acidity.
Dry and fruit forward on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, herbs, earth, light tobacco leaf and peppercorn.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Rich and fruit forward. Soft and smooth.
Still very young, and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, although very approachable right now.
A delicious wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.
Needs 3 hours in the decanter to open up properly, which I didn't have, as it was finished too quickly.
Very elegant, and very enjoyable by itself as a sipping wine. Will also pair very nicely with a big piece of steak or Barbecue meats.
A blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. A small production of only 8 barrels.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$170. — 3 days ago