Château Joanin Bécot Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux 2015, France

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

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

On the nose black plums, currants, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, black pepper, herbs, tobacco leaf, earth and light forest floor.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with currants, black plums, cherries, tobacco, oak, green vegetables, chocolates, earth, herbs and black pepper.

Medium on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a tasty Merlot blend from Bordeaux. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel.

I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it is drinking much better now.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime.

A good food wine that I paired with cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 16 months in (60% new) French Oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30.

Smith Madrone Vineyards Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California

This is an Interesting Cabernet from Spring Mountain.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black fruits with cedar, earth, vanilla, spices, vegetables, bitter herbs, green pepper, tobacco leaf, coffee and black pepper.

This Napa Cabernet is still young, and shows lots of earthy notes. Feels like a left bank Bordeaux. The Cabernet franc is very dominant right now.

A good sipping wine with good structure and a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Aged for 21 months in French Oak barrels.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$60.

Justin Vineyards and Winery Isosceles Reserve 1999, Paso Robles, California

This is a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Paso Robles. Easy drinking and spicy at this point.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Showing red and black fruits with vanilla, licorice, cedar, earth, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, chocolates and coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

Showing great complexity with a smooth mouthfeel. So pleasant and enjoyable by itself, and really gorgeous after 3 hours of airtime.

This 23 year old is not going to get any better with time, but it is delicious now. I just love these aged Bordeaux blends.

Interesting, elegant and rich. Fruit forward and extracted.

I’ve had a younger vintage of the Reserve a few years ago, and it is very consistent. Nice to see these quality wines out of Paso Robles.

Robert Parker 91 points.

A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 19% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels for 33 months (60% new). Unfiltered and unfined.

14% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$180.

Chateau Bellefont-Belcier Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2017, Bordeaux, France

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

This is a very tasty Merlot based blend from Saint Emilion.

Full-bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blueberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cola, chocolates, light vanilla, oak, light vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Still young and needs three to five years in the bottle to mature. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

I had it a few months ago and this time I gave it 24 hours to open up in the bottle. Much better this way.

Good by itself or with food. I enjoyed it with Camembert cheese and crackers.

A blend of 68% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc.

15% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$60.

Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé 2001, Bordeaux, France

So a few years ago I started my Merlot Thursday series, where I drink Merlot every Thursday. This is actually the wine that started it all. After watching the movie sideways a few times, I decided to try to get Merlot back in the game.

This wine was on my wishlist for a long long time, and I’m glad I am able to try it, finally.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Showing a beautiful nose with great complexity,

Dry on the palate and elegant.

Showing red and black fruits with earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, coffee, graphites, vegetables and herbs.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great experience. A delicious Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Saint Emilion. Not from the best vintage, but at this level of wine making, it is almost always gorgeous.

Feels young and would continue to age nicely in the next few decades.

Showing great complexity and mouthfeel. I loved the nose much better than the palate.

Robert Parker 93 points. Wine Spectator 93 points.

I had it after 6 hours of airtime. I really wanted to love it even more, but it is what it is. Got to keep it real.

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$700.

Krupp Brothers Stagecoach Vineyard Synchrony 2012, Napa Valley, California

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix. This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc blend from the great 2012 vintage.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

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

This 10 year old Single Vineyard is extracted and rich, yet elegant.

This fabulous wine is drinking wonderfully right now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

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

A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec. Aged for 22 months in (70% new) French Oak barrels. A tiny production of only 5 barrels.

94 points.

$150.

Smith-Madrone Vineyards Spring Mountain District Rosé 2021, Napa Valley, California

Bright neon cherry in color.

On the nose light raspberries, citrus, limes, green apples, light herbs and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, sour cherries, limes, green apples, red grapefruit, spices and white pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with limes and light almonds.

This is a unique Cabernet Franc Rosé from Napa Valley. Feels fresh with some weight on the mouthfeel.

Nicely balanced, crisp and refreshing. Tangy and easy drinking.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with food too.

A blend of 67% Cabernet Franc and 33% Merlot. A tiny production of less than 2,000 bottles.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30.

Meadowcroft Wines Anniversary Cuvée Napa Valley Red Blend Non Vintage, California

This is a very tasty red blend from Napa Valley.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black and red fruits, cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco leaf and peppercorn.

Nice finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime, when tannins and structure come in.

Still young and would be better in the next 5 to 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A good wine to pair with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petite Verdot, 9% Touriga Nacional, 2% Syrah, 5% Merlot and 2% Syrah. A small production of 10 barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.

De Toren Private Cellar Z 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, leather, chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, eucalyptus, peppercorn, alcohol, black tea and violets.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, vanilla, licorice, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, pencil lead and light mint.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Merlot based Bordeaux blend from South Africa.

This 6 year old is starting to drink very nicely now. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Spicy and opulent. Fruit-forward and elegant with nice complexity.

Gets tangier as it opens up, and feels like a Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon.

Good right out of the bottle, and much better after 90 minutes in the decanter. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Wine Enthusiasts 91 points. Robert Parker 90 points.

A blend of 54% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$45.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pirouette 2014 Columbia Valley, Washington State

This is a delicious Bordeaux blend from Columbia Valley in Washington State.

Very dark in color, and looks very young.

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

Dry and fruity on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, raisins, dried figs, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices, earth and coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 8 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Smooth and elegant. Rich and extracted, with a great mouth feel.

Good by itself or with food. A great wine to sip on and talk about.

Robert Parker 94 points.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle as well.

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

A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc and a splash of Malbec. Winemaker is Philippe Melka.

15.4% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$65 (current vintage).