Omina Romana Diana Nemorensis I 2017, Italy

This week’s #MerlotThursday is from Italy.

Dark ruby in color with medium plus intensity.

Fruity nose of blueberries, cherries, currants, light oak, spices, earth, herbs, light vegetables and dark coffee.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, plums, raspberries, wood, peppercorn, earth, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite and bitter herbs.

Medium length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Bordeaux blend from Italy is nice and easy drinking.

Tangy and spicy with a nice mouthfeel. Fruit forward with mild complexity.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself or with food. I paired it with a gorgeous view of the lake.

I had this vintage before and this time it’s a little better. Is it the view?

A blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$35.

Ca’ d’Or Winery Franciacorta Brut Rosé Non Vintage DOCG, Italy

Pale salmon in color.

Light nose of citrus, lemons, yeast, raspberries, minerals and herbs.

Medium bodied with small bubbles and medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with citrus, limes, green apples, grapefruits, strawberries, spices, earth, bitter herbs, light vegetables and white pepper.

Nice tangy finish with tangy cranberries.

This is a nice sparkling Rosé from Italy. Tangy and easy drinking.

Needs 30 minutes to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle. A good quality wine.

A good pool wine and good with food. I paired it with Parmesan cheese on a baguette.

Made in the traditional method. Spent 30 months on its lees.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$20.

Michael Mondavi M Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, bell pepper, cedar, leather, dark chocolates, light vanilla, diet cola, dark coffee, black pepper, light alcohol, spices, earth, leather, vegetables, vinaigrette and tobacco.

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

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, figs, vanilla, cedar, licorice, coke, tobacco, spices, black pepper, earth, herbs, dark chocolates and coffee.

Long finish with fine grained tannins, yet persistent, and tangy cherries.

What a great Cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley this is. I had the 2006 recently and this is so much better.

This 13 year old is showing a great nose. I kept on smelling on it for a long time. Drinking very nicely now, with lots of complexity.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

A good quality wine that still has lots in it to last another decade or two. Nicely balanced with great complexity and a smooth mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and changes every 20 minutes, which is so nice to see, and so interesting. I love these kind of wines. After two hours in a decanter it shows tannins and structure.

Delicious, tasty, interesting, rich and elegant.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged for 20 months in French oak barrels.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$170.

McGah Family Vineyards Scarlett Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, California

It’s time for a delicious Cabernet on this #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, mocha, pencil lead, alcohol, peppercorn, leather and tobacco.

Full bodied, big, bold, rich and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, figs, cooked cherries, black licorice, cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, peppercorn, pencil lead and dark coffee.

Long finish with round tannins, tangy cherries and spices.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from a great vintage in Napa. Rich, powerful and tasty.

Still young, but already very yummy, and will age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years. Will probably be a 96+ point wine in 5 years.

This 6 year old is good right out of the bottle, but better as it opens up. I let it open up for 90 minutes, but I’m sure another couple of hours would have been a better choice.

Thank you Kim and Barry for sharing this delicious wine with me.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$70.(current vintage)

Double Black Merlot 2018, Paso Robles, California

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of plums, cherries, wood, cloves, light vegetables, vanilla, spices, earth, light barnyard and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with black cherries, black plums, currants, light oak, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs and dark coffee.

Medium finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot from Paso Robles. Easy drinking with a nice mouthfeel.

Needs an hour to open up properly and come into itself.

A nice wine to sip on by the porch. Good by itself or with food.

Thank you Wendy for sharing.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$14.

Nik Weis Urban Riesling 2018 Mosel, Germany

Pale lemon in color with a golden tint.

Fruity nose of citrus, lemons, red apples, limes, minerals, sea salt and white pepper.

Full bodied with high acidity.

Medium sweet on the palate with citrus, apples, melons, light herbs, minerals and spices.

Long finish with tangy lemon rind.

This is a very tasty Riesling from Mosel. Showing mild complexity with a great mouthfeel.

Tasty and enjoyable. Rich with bright acidity. Tangy with nice sweetness.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Would pair very nicely with spicy Asian food. I had it all by itself by the pool.

100% Riesling grapes were fermented on their own yeast.

10% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$13.

Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, California

To support the wineries that are the victims of the Glass fires, here is a delicious one from Newton Vineyard.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Great nose of blueberries, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, coke, tobacco, light alcohol, mocha and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, cooked cherries, dried figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, mocha, coke and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 10 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking wonderfully, right out of the bottle. Very tasty and enjoyable by itself.

Very complex with a great mouthfeel. Rich and smooth. Awesome nose, that I kept smelling on for a long time.

This would have been even better if we had a couple of hours to open it up properly, but it was gone so quickly.

Robert Parker 94 points.

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

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with beef kebabs.

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$55 (current vintage).

Netofa Winery Tel Qasser Roussanne 2017, Israel

Golden in color.

Spicy nose with ripen yellow apples, spices, light vanilla, wood, bitter herbs, vegetables, apricots, peppercorn, citrus and lemons.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with apples, over ripened citrus fruits, lemons, light butter, herbs, limes, spices and black pepper.

Tangy finish with black pepper and limes.

This 3 year old Roussanne from Israel is delicious now. Showing nice complexity with a great buttery mouthfeel.

I had it a year ago, and it is drinking nicer now. Would be nice to see how this evolves in the next year or two. Nicer when it opens up (30 minutes). A good quality wine.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with grape leaves, crackers, cheeses and olives.

100% Roussanne grapes from the Galilee were aged for 10 months in French oak barrels. Kosher.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$32.

High Dive Cellars Red Blend 2015, Napa Valley, California

Here is my #FridayCabernetfix with a beautiful Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, strawberry pie, dried figs, tobacco, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, mocha, coke and light earth. Gorgeous nose.

Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, figs, raisins, vanilla, sweet cedar, leather, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, earth, peppercorn, spices and light vegetables.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is s very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon based blend. Showing a great mouthfeel, although still young.

Nicely balanced with nice complexity, which will get better in the next 5 to 10 years.

Fruit forward with a touch of a Left bank Bordeaux style.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, which I didn’t have unfortunately, as it finished too quickly. Delicious wine.

A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged for 19 months in 65% new French Oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$95.

Heir Apparent Cellars Proprietary Red Wine 2017 Napa Valley, California

Here is a great wine for #MerlotThursday.

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, light cedar, spices, peppercorn, tobacco, pencil lead, earth and herbs.

Full-bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, oak, light vanilla, vegetables, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, earth, bitter herbs, dark chocolates, spices and pencil lead.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a great, smooth mouthfeel.

Still young and needs 3 to 7 years to mature and become so much better. Showing great potential.

Good right out of the bottle, but way better after a few hours of airtime. I decided to drink it after 4 hours in a decanter. That’s when the complexity really shows.

Spicy and elegant, yet powerful.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers. Was very nice with the stinky Camembert cheese.

A blend of 30% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$110.