Tag Archives: merlot

Chateau Saint-Roch 2016, Saint-Estephe, France

13 Saturday Dec 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of tobacco, cassis, blackberry, green herbs, honey, a touch of earth, and petrichor.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium tannins that are slightly overwhelmed by the acidity.  Medium intensity flavors of cassis, black raspberry, rhubarb, green herbs, and sour red cherries.  It’s an interesting wine that smells one way, and tastes another.  The shortish finish is quite tart, and lacking much fruit.  I want to give this bottle a chance to soften up, but for now it’s an 87 point wine at best.  I bought it at a wine shop in Paris and forgot to write down the price.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Chateau Saint-Roch

Lachini Vineyards ‘La Contrada’ Red 2018, Walla Valley, Washington

15 Tuesday Jul 2025

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Deep, inky purple colored, with slight staining, and a high viscosity (14.6% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of cassis, blackberry compote, coffee, vanilla bean, dried herbs, sweet pomegranate syrup, milk chocolate, and acai berry.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins.  The flavors are quite pronounced and delicious.  They mimic the nose and really show off the Bordeaux-style blend of 75% Cab Sav and 25% Merlot.  It’s got length and breadth with a long finish.  This is a youthful wine that has great cellaring potential but is drinkable right away.  Lovely stuff to pair with game meats, grilled steaks or a lamb chop.  93 points for this $55 bottle makes it a 5 star effort in my opinion. Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Lachini Vineyards ‘La Contrada’ Red

Lachini Vineyards ‘La Contrada’ Red 2017, Walla Walla Valley, Washington

27 Tuesday May 2025

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Deep ruby colored, with slight staining, and high viscosity (15.4% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of cassis, blackberry, black plum, vanilla, acai berry, mint, eucalyptus, and espresso bean.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are quite grippy.  Dark fruit coupled with lavish, yet well integrated oak make for a very rich and satisfying mouthfeel.  The vanilla was very obvious on the nose but more subtle on the palate, as are the herbal notes- allowing the fruit to dominate the flavors.  The finish is medium (+) in length where it shows off the ripeness of the grapes, which are an 83/17 blend of Cab Sav/Merlot.  The tannins leave me with a dry palate after it’s all said and done, the youth and structure of this wine being quite obvious at this point.  I like it, 93 points worth and for the price of $55 it gets 4 stars.  Drink this youthful wine till 2034.  Salut….

Lachini Vineyards 'La Contrada' Red

St Thomas le Merlot A 2005, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

10 Friday Jan 2025

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Deep garnet colored with amber highlights, moderate staining and medium viscosity (No back label and no ABV info posted).  The nose of this aged Merlot has medium (+) intensity aromas of mushroom, truffles, baked earth, dried blackberry, game, cocoa, coffee, blueberry ganache, prunes, and leather.  Simply stunning.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are still a touch gritty with some bite.  The secondary notes of mushroom, truffles, earth, and leather dominate this complex and layered wine.  The fruit shows in a dried and mature way giving way to the evolution.  The finish is quite a dry affair, the tannins are still fearsome but the length is long and slightly tart.  This wine is a chameleon- the nose is so complex and mature yet the tannic structure is interfering, refusing to meld away.  Here are the disclaimers- this bottle can only be purchased ex-cellar.  My cousins own the winery.  This bottle is in magnum and I used my Coravin to taste it in anticipation of dinner at a steak house tonight.  There.  It’s a delightful wine that gets 94 points from me and what the heck- 5 stars as pricing is unknown.  This winery continues to show me the power of well made Lebanese wines and how they manage to age so beautifully.  Salut….

st Thomas merlot A

Clos Apalta 2013, Colchagua Valley, Chile

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Closing out the series at our 38th virtual wine tasting was this stunner.  I ordered it months before in anticipation of going out with a bang and I was not disappointed.  The group loved it and the notes were as follows: deep ruby fading to garnet colored, with slight staining and a high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose started out funky- “Donkey butt in a barn” was the initial call, followed by aromas of green pepper, black cherry for days, a combo of red and black licorice, cedar, Jujubes, sassafras akin to root beer, layers of ripe black fruits, smoke, and vanilla on the finish.  The palate had medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  A spectacular wine whose flavors echoed the nose- we all just sat there and stopped taking notes, savoring the complexity and finesse. The only loss of points for me was the medium finish, I had hoped for longer.  It would have scored a perfect 20 if so.  I will rate this $130 bottle at 96 points and award it 5 stars.  What a treat!  Carmenere based at 70% with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot supporting.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Clos Apalta

Barboursville Vineyards Octagon 2017, Monticello, Virginia

15 Sunday Dec 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pencil lead, blackberry, cassis, menthol, orange peel, bramble berry, black plum, and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that build on the mid palate.  Medium intensity flavors of blackberry, plum, cassis, bramble berry, coffee, menthol, and graphite.  The finish is very dry and long.  The tannins really grip here along with some juicy acidity.  It’s a delicious wine that is evolving nicely but I think the 2016 might be better (I gave it 93 points).  This one gets 91 points from me and at $95 it gets 3 stars.  I’m pairing with Sunday roast for the treat.  A classic Right Bank blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  Salut….

barboursville octagon

Raats ‘Red Jasper’ 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa

03 Sunday Nov 2024

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Medium ruby colored with moderate staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black plum, capsicum, black cherry, acai berry, vanilla, coffee, baking spice, charred oak, peppermint and dusty dried wheat (I know).  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that hit on the tip of my tongue.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black plum, black cherry, espresso, Lapsang Souchong tea, vanilla, baking spice and charred oak.  The back end is very powerful with tea, black coffee, and charred oak being prominent.  The finish is quite dry with the tannins holding their own all the way through to a medium length ending.  It’s a different profile but very delicious if paired with food.  It’s Sunday roast so the meat and gravy will sort this delicious wine out nicely.  91 points from me for this $20 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2030.  Mainly Cabernet Franc (53%) it also has Malbec, Cab Sav, Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot- the Classic Bordeaux blend.  Salut….

Raats Red Jasper

Connell Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, California

01 Tuesday Oct 2024

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Deep purple colored with red highlights on the rim, medium staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of black cherry, black plum, blackberry, mint, acai berry, singed alder, capsicum and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and high tannins that are grippy.  The alcohol shines through easily and overpowers me on the first sip.  Letting that blow off I get ripe black and blue fruit, some green notes from mint and bell pepper with a hint of oak integration by way of that medicinal note and coffee.  The finish is a dry affair that lasts medium in length.  It’s a young wine for sure, but I see promise once the tannins sort themselves out.  Hopefully the heat integrates better with the whole package as I think it can cellar nicely and gets 91 points from me.  From their website you can order this limited production Bordeaux blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot for $75.  That makes this a 3 star effort to pair with Ribeyes or a hearty Lamb dish.  Salut….

Barboursville Vineyards Octagon 2016, Monticello, Virginia

27 Friday Sep 2024

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Deep garnet with copper highlights and medium viscosity (13.7% ABV).  The nose of this Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend has medium (-) intensity aromas of rich black plum, black cherry, cassis, bramble berry, espresso, chocolate, menthol, anise and violet.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium body and medium (+) tannins that are very fine grained.  The wine hits with a bit of tannic grip but opens to layered dark fruit, mainly plum.  The coffee, anise, menthol and chocolate notes are present but there is a black tea note, along with its astringency that has popped up.  The finish is quite dry and medium (+) in length.  I like it but think a little air will benefit the tannins and help smooth out the mouthfeel.  When I tasted this vintage at the winery it was poured from a sealed case, but obviously had some air- it was stunning.  I hope this one opens up tonight for our guest dinner of grilled Strip steak and roasted veggies.  I am going with a potential 93 points on this $65 bottle that gets 4 stars.  Drink till 2033.  Salut….

Cosmologist Red Wine Knights Valley 2020, Sonoma County, California

24 Tuesday Sep 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (15.2% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, bramble berry, black plum, mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, licorice, fresh linen and cocoa powder.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body and medium tannins that are a touch astringent and green.  Flavors of black plum, bramble berry, black cherry, licorice, oversteeped black tea, eucalyptus, and a hint of vanilla.  The finish is hot right off the bat, detracting from the flavors I seek.  The length is medium (-) and a bit astringent, akin to black tea that has been made too strong. To me this is a bit disjointed, albeit the fruit is nice and ripe, the tannins are a bit underripe and the high alcohol is a detractor.  I would give this wine 87 points and for the $28 price point it gets 3 stars.  Drink this blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon till 2028 with steak or stew.  Salut….