Tag Archives: merlot

Château Vieux Barrail Bordeaux Supérieur 2015, France

09 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Very thick purple color.  On the nose it’s all blackberries with a hint of nutmeg.  A strange one for sure but I like it.  On the palate it is a touch thin but tasty.  Blackberries and black currant make me think this wine will develop into a cassis laden beaut if cellared for a few years.  There is a delightful tannic grip that builds as I transition to the mid palate.  An oak component that hits me on the mid to back end, adding depth to the black fruits that are still prominent.  However, a touch of black tea alongside some astringency on the finish that makes me wonder.  Overall this is a nice wine with potential.  It’s drinking young right now unless you fancy a pretty dry drop.  Cellar till 2022 then drink for seven more years with steaks, pot roast or even moussakka.  88  points and 3 stars for this $15 wine.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Merlot 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Dark purple, semi opaque in the glass. On the nose there’s a  very concentrated plum core with a touch of oak and espresso.  On the palate it introduces blackberries and tannin right off the bat.  There is a black fruit component that carries through the slightly hollow midpalate into the finish of violet, black olive and plum.  It lasts a while.  I would cellar this baby till 2021 and then drink till 2026 with venison, roast squab or a hearty pasta dish…. steaks are an obvious pairing btw.  90 points  and 3 stars for this $46 bottle.  Salut….

La Loggia ‘Toscaia’ Rosso Toscana IGT 2017, Tuscany, Italy

07 Tuesday May 2019

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It’s a pretty shade of purple in the glass with a 98 point sticker on the bottle….. hmmm.  The nose is thin but offers up strawberry coulis and cherry juice.  On the palate it has much more presence.  A rich mouthful of dark cherry, strawberry extract and cola hit me square on.  Tannins introduce themselves right away and are not holding back.  This is a hefty wine, with structure to boot.  The mid palate has more of that extracted cherry that is almost overwhelmed by the tannic grip.  Wow, this wine is built.  The finish is very astringent yet tasty.  Red fruits swirl alongside black tea and jaw drying tannins.  It’s certainly an interesting wine that I am really enjoying, yet wondering what the cellaring potential is as there is very little acidity.  The tannins and fruit are certainly present, I am just a little concerned about the long term structure.  Let’s see in a few years.  For now, enjoy this Merlot/Sangiovese blend with pasta, steaks or moussaka.  It gets a realistic 91 points from me and 5 stars for the $14 price I paid.  Drink till 2027 at the least.  Salut….

Margaux de Brane 2014, Margaux, France

18 Monday Mar 2019

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A slightly dull purple in the glass, gives me concern.  On the nose however- violets, black currants, a touch of oak.  On the palate it is much darker- blackberry, cherry extract, graphite and singed oak.  There is a leather component too, it just comes along later, towards the mid palate.  The wine transitions very nicely with good tannic structure that is not obtrusive and acidic enough to balance. This is the third wine of Brane Cantenac, a Second Growth Margaux.  They use the young plots for source fruit, giving us an approachable young wine that drinks very nicely with good mouthfeel and medium term cellaring potential.  90 points from me for this $29 effort that gets 3 stars.  Drink now till 2024.  Salut….

Cellar Vall Llach Embruix 2015, Priorat DOCa, Spain

20 Wednesday Feb 2019

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Moxie and I met up with an old high-school friend at a Tapas bar in Massachusetts.  This wine was recommended by our waiter so we dove in.  I did not write too many notes so bear with me:

Nose of smoky plum.  Lithe and fruity with some complexity but not overpowering.  Dark fruits galore and lithe tannins make it an easy drinker with 5-10 years of cellaring potential.  We obviously ate it with Tapas, which was a great pairing.  Strangely enough, the pros vary between 88 and 92 points.  I would go with 89 personally.  $25 makes it a 3 star wine for me. Blend of 30% Garnatxa, 27% Merlot, 20% Samso, 18% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Salut….

Barbanera Ser Passo Toscana IGT 2016, Tuscany, Italy

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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Bright purple in the glass.   Black cherry and sassafras come to mind on the nose.  The palate is very tasty, brimming with Black cherry, cola, and dark chocolate.  Very fine grained tannins introduce themselves right off the bat and help to coat the gums very gently all the way through the mid palate and onto the finish.  Speaking of the mid-palate, there’s more cola than fruit here along with some licorice.  It’s quite nice!  The finish is medium length and continues the theme.  A very satisfying wine that I am enjoying with pasta and meatballs.  90 points, drink till 2025 with anything Italian!  For the $13 price tag, you need some of this 5 star wine.  Salut….

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Beyerskloof Synergy Cape Blend 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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Medium opacity, great purple color.  On the nose creosote, blueberry, charcoal and plum jam.  On the palate I get a darker fruit profile- blackberry, ripe plum.  The mid palate hits me with cheek quenching tannins, not overly done- just makes me pucker a bit.  The acidity also presents at the same moment.  Intriguing to have my rear jowls hit by opposing forces.  The finish gets me back to that mineral tone of creosote, perhaps some black olives, all tiptoeing around the tannic bite that crescendoed on the finish.  An interesting wine that I am enjoying thoroughly.  It’s needs meat though, pair it with game, lamb stew or something hearty.  91 points for this blend of 62% Pinotage, 22% Merlot, 12% Cab Sav and 4% Shiraz.  Aerate for immediate enjoyment and drink till 2025.   5 stars for this $15 effort.  Salut….

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Santa Ema Reserve Merlot 2015, Maipo Valley, Chile

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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Nice purple in the glass.  The nose is blackberry, oak and cocoa dust.  The initial palate is of ripe plums, more blackberries and vanilla.  The wine has gentle tannins, lithe acidity and drinks easily.  It has a nice midpalate transition.  Coffee notes hit me as well as more berries.  89 points from me for this $12 effort.  It drinks well and should be held in the daily drinker cellar for a quick go-to wine.  4 stars, drink now.  Salut….

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The Vineyards at Hershey Merlot NV, Hershey PA

22 Monday Oct 2018

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My old college buddy Japes took me to this winery for a tasting.  I enjoyed the Merlot the most out of their offerings in red and brought home this $25 non-vintage bottle.  It is slightly cloudy in the glass, with nice shades of lighter purple.  On the nose- damson, sea salt, iodine and blueberry pie.  The palate is very smooth with flavors of blueberry, plum ganache and cedar shake.  The tannins grip slightly more than I remember and are a welcome addition to the mid palate.  The wine transitions to the back end in a seamless manner, the flavors are consistent throughout.  The acidity is very nicely balanced with the structure and gives this wine a 3-5 year drinking window.  Since there are no vintages, it’s anyones guess when this bottle was made.  The label quotes Cherry as the initial flavor, I somewhat disagree, could be bottle or vintage variation.  Anyway, it is tasty and the vineyard is a neat place to visit, especially if they have an event going on.  It gets 88 points and 3 stars from me.   Salut….

Amalthea Cellars Reserve Merlot 2015, Outer Coastal Plain, USA

22 Monday Oct 2018

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This is the second bottle of Amalthea that my cousin brought over.  Bluish purple with nice legs showing in the glass.  The nose has plum, blueberry and filberts.  The palate has rich blue fruits, juicy acidity, nice tannins from the outset and a hint of that nuttiness I caught on the nose.  The wine transitions nicely to the mid-palate and finish where the tannins really grip.  More blueberries, black tea and a mineral note close it out.  The wine is very balanced with really well crafted tannins that give a nice level of dryness without astringency.  This is a much smoother wine than the Cabernet, which can be expected with the varietals.  It paired nicely with my Tri-Tip roast, Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2024.  91 points and 5 stars for this $21 effort.  Of note- both wines have had freezing issues which does not harm the wine, only crystalizing some sediment in the glass.  Salut….

Crystals from freezing

Tri Tip Roast