Blackbird Vineyards Blackmail Napa Valley Merlot 2016, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Deep Inky in color with a very short purple rim. Not showing age at all.

Strong fruity nose with blackberries, black plums, black currants, light cedar, figs, stewed cherries, licorice, spices, light earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, chocolates, peppercorn, earth, herbs, spices, pencil lead, licorice and diet cola.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a great Napa Merlot with a touch of right bank Bordeaux. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Elegant and fruity. Spicy and interesting. Rich and tangy.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. Delicious stuff.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$100.

Advertisement

Castello di Amorosa Napa Valley Merlot 2017, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

This Napa Merlot is full of cedar, chocolates, black fruits and coffee notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity.

Dry and very fruity on the palate.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins.

Tasty and fruit forward. Rich and extracted. Tangy and interesting

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel, and good by itself as a sipping wine.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$46.

Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Merlot 2013, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back!

Dark ruby in color with reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black cherries, plums, currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Very dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, cherries, peppercorn, earth, pencil lead, dark chocolates, herbs and light vegetables.

Tangy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 10 year old Merlot from Napa Valley is delicious. Nicely balanced, fruit forward and rich.

Peaking now and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

I had this vintage before, and this time I gave it a long decant (4 hours) to bring the tannins out. What a difference. Really enjoyed it.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with Prime Rib, mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$35.

Emmolo Winery Napa Valley Merlot 2020, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark purple in color with a short purple rim.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward.
Rich, yet elegant

Showing black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, diet cola, tobacco, chocolates, peppercorn and light candy notes.

Nice finish with soft tannins and cherries.

This is a tasty Merlot from the Wagner family. Nicely balanced, easy drinking and good for parties.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime. Good by itself or with food.

I’ve had a few vintages of this Merlot, and it is very consistent.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$57.

Shafer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2014, California

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back!

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Soft and elegant. Smooth and fruit forward.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 2014 vintage is drinking wonderfully now, and this wine is a good example of it. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.

I had this vintage 6 years ago, but it was not ready at all. Was unbalanced and a little austere. Right now, it is a wonderful wine that’s at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

Easy drinking, spicy and entertaining.

Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

A blend of 78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Malbec. Aged for 20 months in mostly new French oak barrels.

15.3% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$60.

Blackbird Vineyards Blackmail Merlot 2016, Napa Valley, California

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a gorgeous one.

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate, smooth and elegant.

Showing black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 7 year old Merlot from Napa Valley is drinking beautifully now. Tangy and rich. Interesting and extracted.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with some airtime.

This 2016 was a great vintage in Napa, and it is definitely showing it.

I’ve had the 2014 vintage (which was a great vintage too) a few times before, and loved it just as much.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$100.

Perus Wine Company Bryn Proprietary Red Wine 2019, Napa Valley, California

It is time for a delicious Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Deep purple/ Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Big strong nose with blueberries, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, cedar, light vanilla, spices, raisins, chocolates, dried figs, light alcohol and peppercorn.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with cooked cherries, cedar, espresso, vanilla, spices, cola, herbs, beef jerky, tar, peppercorn pencil lead, dark chocolates and tobacco leaf.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Merlot based blend from Napa Valley.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime.

Tasty and concentrated. Rich and powerful, and not for the faint of hearts.

This young Bordeaux blend is already fabulous, will be so much better in 10 years, and will age nicely in the next 15 years. Would be nice to revisit it again in 5 years.

A blend of 67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet sauvignon. A small production of only 300 cases.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$125.

Titus Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2006, California

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, chocolates, earth and herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Showing a great nose with lots of complexity.

This 16 year old is peaking now. Elegant, yet rich.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Merlot 2018, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing black plums, stewed cherries, blueberry pie, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, cedar, earth, vanilla, spices, herbs, light licorice and tobacco.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a tasty Merlot from Napa Valley. Still young and would be better in a few years. Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 to 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Rich and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. Needed 90 minutes in the decanter to open up properly.

Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.

I’ve had many vintages of this wine, and it always delivers. Big, spicy and entertaining. Soft and supple.

Good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$42.

Pellet Estate Pellet Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot 2018, California

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back.

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Full bodied and bold with medium acidity.

Showing blue and black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn and coffee.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Single Vineyard is rich and extracted, and still young. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime.

A nice sipping wine and good with food too.

I had it a year and a half ago, and it is drinking better now.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

A tiny production of only 300 bottles. 100% Merlot grapes.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85.