Domaine de Gachet Lalande de Pomerol 2012, Bordeaux, France

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing black and red fruits with tobacco, chocolates, coffee, oak, light vanilla, spices and black pepper.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and cranberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot blend from Bordeaux. I’ve had different vintages of this wine, and it is very consistent.

This 11 year old needs 2 hours to open up properly, so be patient.

A good food wine that will pair nicely with grilled meats.

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.

13% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40.

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Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes 2005, Bordeaux, France

To celebrate my 20,000 Vivino followers, here is a gorgeous wine.

A very pretty color of deep gold.

Wonderful nose of honey, citrus, yellow apples, melons, pears, tropical fruits, spices, light earth and white flowers.

Full bodied and very smooth with high acidity.

Sweet on the palate with honey, citrus, red apples, tropical fruits, spices, maple syrup and minerals.

Long finish with lemons and spices.

This is a delicious sweet wine from Bordeaux. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Showing great complexity at this point. Loved the nose, and kept smelling on it for a while. Really pretty.

Very well balanced with enough sugar for the acidity. So delicious now.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years.

A great wine from a great vintage. Buttery and creamy. Spicy and entertaining. A wonderful wine.

I’ve had a few different vintages of this wine, and it is always amazing.

Thank you Scott for sharing this gem with me.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

98 points.

$250 (375ml).

Selene Wines Chester Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2016, California

This is a delicious Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley.

Fruit forward with nice complexity and a strong nose.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and leather.

Dry and fruity on the palate with medium acidity and long legs.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

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

Feels like a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon right out of the bottle. Only after a couple of hours, it brings out more earth and vegetable notes.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Spicy and entertaining.

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

A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40.

Perus Wine Company Alessio 2019, Napa Valley, California

Dark Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, blueberries, light cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, eucalyptus, Mediterranean spices, chocolates, mocha, cola and black pepper.

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

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, cola, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light earth, coffee, peppercorn and light mint.

Long long finish with fine grained tannins and chocolates.

This is a fabulous Bordeaux blend from Napa valley. Rich and extracted yet graceful.

Nicely balanced with lots of black fruits and chocolate notes.

Drinking beautifully now as a 4-year-old, but still so very young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years and beyond.

Showing a soft and opulent mouthfeel. Spicy and buttery.

Good right out of the bottle, but much better once it opens up. Started opening up after 2 hours in the decanter, but kept on changing from there.

Another gorgeous wine from Russell Bevan. A great wine to have all by itself. No food needed.

A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. A small production of only 8 barrels made.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$300.

Chateau Haut Cardinal Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2014, Bordeaux, France

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

Dark ruby in color.

Dry on the palate and bold.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity.

Showing red fruits with earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and green vegetables.

Big tannins on the finish with raspberries.

This 9 year old is a little unbalanced. I expected more complexity at this point, but I didn’t get much.

Might need a few years in the bottle to mature properly.

Very drinkable and better with food. Paired nicely with fresh pizza with prosciutto and arugula.

13% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$35.

Perus Wine Company Janeen Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California

Dark ruby/ Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Beautiful Fruity nose with blackberries, black currants, black plums, cherries, cedar, dark chocolates, vanilla, cola, spices, coffee and peppercorn.

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

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked black cherries, spices, chocolates, cedar, coffee, light vanilla, tobacco and peppercorn.

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

This 5 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend is drinking so beautifully now, yet so young. Very approachable at this young age.

Fruit forward and nicely balanced with a nice soft mouthfeel. Elegant and rich. Bold and extracted with nice complexity.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

Good right out of the bottle, but definitely better after 3 hours of airtime.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Robert Parker 96 points.

Soft and smooth. Elegant and robust at the same time. Just gorgeous.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. A small production of less than 4,000 bottles.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$240.

Chateau Tertre Daugay Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2000, Bordeaux, France

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

This 23-year-old Merlot based Bordeaux is still drinking very nicely.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Very dry on the palate with a nice mouthfeel.

Showing black plums, cooked cherries, oak, herbs, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, dark chocolates, earth and wet leaves.

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

This is a very tasty wine from the great 2000 vintage in Bordeaux. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Showing nice complexity, soft and smooth.

Lost some of the fruits by now, but still very enjoyable by itself, and even better with food.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$200.

Chateau Nenin Pomerol 2016, Bordeaux, France

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

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, herbs, tobacco, graphite, dark coffee and dark chocolates.

Medium minus in length on the finish, with grippy tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 7 year old Merlot blend from Bordeaux is showing nice complexity now, although still very young.

I gave it 2 hours of airtime, but it was clearly not enough.

Robert Parker 93 points.

Still very young and tight. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. I had the 2012 a few years ago, and it was much more approachable.

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels (35% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$90.

Merus Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, California

This is a superb Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.

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

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 13 year old is drinking fabulously now. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel. Soft, smooth and elegant. Rich and fruit forward, with a very nice nose.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

Still has a lot in it, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

I’ve had this vintage a few times before, and it is always gorgeous.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

Wine Spectator 92 points. Robert Parker 95 points.

Needs 3 hours in the decanter to open up properly.

Spicy and tangy. Ripe and entertaining. This is just fabulous.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$175.

Chateau Clinet Ronan Bordeaux 2016, France

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

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, vanilla, coffee, peppercorn, earth, vegetables and herbs.

Medium finish with medium tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 7 year old from the great 2016 vintage is still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. showing a soft mouthfeel with nice complexity.

Needed 3 hours in the decanter to open up.

Decanter 93 points.

100% Merlot grapes.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$12.