Tag Archives: meritage

Alexander Valley Vineyard Wine Club Reserve 2012

19 Tuesday May 2015

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Next in my tasting series from Alexander Valley Vineyard is this gem.  45% Cab Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot makes this a Meritage in anyone’s books.  How I love Cab Franc and more importantly how it melds into the Bordeaux style blend !  This was one bottle I was looking forward to.

Dark purple with a nose of black currant, eucalyptus, wood shavings and pencil lead. On the palate is a vibrant, somewhat tannic attack of currants, black berries and more  graphite. Very young wine with a good cellaring potential. 89 points with a drinking window of 2016-2022. (Or you could run it through a Vinturi and pair it with a ribeye!)  I paid $24 at the winery and give it 3 stars.  Salut….

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Kirkland Napa Valley Meritage 2011

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

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Some friends and I were at a Costco yesterday and decided to try a few of the Kirkland  brand wines.  This was our first attempt, it cost $11 and is a blend of 49% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% each Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  I took some basic notes:

Plummy with oak and currants.
Young and fresh, with hints of eucalyptus and oregano
87 points

At this price point it is a very serviceable party wine that won’t disappoint.  It could use another year of cellaring and drink till 2019.  3 stars from me.  Salut….

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Barboursville Octagon 2009

21 Monday Apr 2014

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Yesterday was my birthday and Easter, so Moxie took us all out to our local Melting Pot for some Fondue.  I had a quick look at the wine list and immediately knew I was ordering this bottle.  I had previously tasted the 2008 Octagon at the vineyard and was impressed, so when I saw a $50 (at retail) bottle selling for only $72 I knew I was getting a great deal at restaurant pricing.

One word.  Stunning.  On the nose was a mixture of plums, cherries, oak and an earthy note.  Dark purple in color.  I was excited to taste this one and was not disappointed.  A classic Bordeaux blend comprising Merlot, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  It tasted just like I imagined it would; cassis, plums, dark cherry, earth and a touch of cedary wood.  Very smooth and integrated tannins made this an amazing wine to savor and the acidity was so well integrated that I made a note ‘sublime acidity’ on my phone.  The wine did not last long as I could not help myself.  It went well with all the dishes of cheese, beef, shrimp with curry sauce and chicken cooked in Coq au Vin broth.

Yes, $50 is spendy for a bottle of wine.  Take into account the situation, the mood and what you are getting for this 92 point wine that I am giving 5 stars to.  I would recommend drinking this wine from 2014-2020, and I reckon it will evolve nicely in that time frame.  It was a magical day of Church, Brunch, afternoon nap followed by a great family dinner and this amazing wine was the crowning touch.  Salut….

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The family plus a friend

The family plus a friend

Relaxing on Easter weekend by the 'pit' before s'mores got the best of them

Relaxing on Easter weekend by the ‘pit’ before s’mores got the best of them

Ridgeline Vineyards Meritage 2010

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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I bought this one on ratings and write-ups, having never heard of it before.  It started out with plums and a woody note on the nose with an interesting initial attack that was slightly sour.  I noticed a tremendous acidity, perhaps too much??  The flavors that I came across on the first pass were red currants and raspberry.  The wine is silky with deep, smooth tannins.  Later on I noticed blueberry on the back end with some coffee.  This wine is very juicy, related to the acidity perhaps.  It was a little sharp when first opened but seemed to mellow out after some air time.  I’m not a huge fan of this wine but I think it is serviceable.  I have seen up to 92 points from critics on this one, I am not sure I agree- giving it 88 instead.  I paid $18 and therefore award it 3 stars.  Salut….

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Cadence Ciel Du Cheval 2006

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Mr. Leebering brought this one to the party, having stashed it in his cellar for a few years.  Unfortunately, it had an oxidized nose.  The good news is that the flavors were not too distorted.  This Red Mountain wine is a Meritage blend of 36% Cab Sav, 32% Cab Franc, 20% Merlot and 12% Petite Verdot- my style of wine!  A very smooth mouthfeel with black fruits and a coffee tinge on the initial attack.  Mellow tannins made it easy to drink with no hint of the 14.4% alcohol.  I wish this wine was not flawed as I feel it had the potential for greatness.  I cannot pass judgement on it as such but a quick look online shows a WS score of 93 making it a good value for the $45 price point.  Salut….

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Lyeth Meritage 2009

31 Friday Aug 2012

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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and Cabernet Franc that make this my style of wine. Purple in the glass and full of blueberry on the nose it hits the palate with a nice dose of tannin, acidity and blue fruitiness. Definitely California in heritage, it shows what can be done in the blending room. Rich and mature fruit combined in a Bordeaux style that us drinkable right now and has some cellaring potential. I would be really excited to see this vintage in 3-5 years. I reckon it has potential to develop some tertiary flavors which gets me excited. For the price, this is good and I will give it 5 stars for its sheer ability to impress at such a great QPR. I think it got high 80’s scoring. 89 would be about right. I’m serving it up with some London Broil tonight- yummy.

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BV Tapestry Reserve ’07

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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My second go at this wine and the initial impression is-wait. Too young, and a bit awkward. With a high 93 point rating from the big boys, I have yet to see it evolve beyond a highly alcoholic beast. Lurking are some brooding tannins, which hold this wine high as the more it matures, the better it’s gonna get. A Meritage ( blend of Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot), it mimics Bordeaux wine in composition using very ripe California fruit, hence the whopping 14.9% alcohol that hits the nose, the palate and the rest. I think with time, the tannins will subdue this wine and meld all the pieces together. Right now, lots of blueberry is coming on the initial and mid-palate. It will be interesting to see where the secondary flavors steer this wine. I am thinking it has a 5 star potential, but at this point- sit still. Cellar it until 2015 at the earliest and then see. Not too shabby and holding out for better years.

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