Dark purple/ inky in color with a short purple rim.
Pretty nose of blackberries, black cherries, licorice, light vanilla, cedar, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, spices, light herbs and pencil lead.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked strawberries, spices, vanilla, tobacco, cedar, leather, dark chocolates, coffee, light earth, vegetables, liquorice and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing a smooth mouthfeel with nice complexity.
Still very young, but already enjoyable, even by itself. Needs 5 to 7 years to mature properly.
A good quality wine that has the potential to become a 95+ point wine.
Needs 4 hours to open up properly, so give it time.
I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot.
14.8% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$165.
Tag: Cabernet Franc
Pellet Estate Napa Valley Pellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California
It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here’s a beautiful Cabernet.
Inky in color with a purplish/ reddish rim.
Fruity nose with blueberries, black currants, black cherries, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, potpourri notes, chocolates, spices, light earth, wild flowers, licorice and black pepper.
Full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, oak, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, light vanilla, earth, light herbs, spices, coffee, light cola, graphite and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. A very nice sipping wine.
Still young, but already drinking very elegantly, with nice complexity and mouthfeel.
Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. I gave it two and a half hours, but that might not have been enough. Nevertheless, it is delicious now and good by itself or with food. As it opens up, it shows a gorgeous nose.
Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
I had the 2014 last year, and it is showing nice consistency. A good quality wine with good potential to become even better.
This Single Vineyard from this great vintage is rich, elegant, soft and spicy. Just Delicious.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (75% new). A small production of 375 cases.
14.7% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$110.
Chateau Bellefont Belcier Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2018, Bordeaux, France
It’s time for some Merlot on this#MerlotThursday.
Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
On the nose, plums, black currants, strawberries, sweet cherries, light cedar, licorice, vanilla, earth, herbs, chocolates, tobacco, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.
Medium plus in body and soft, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with currants, black plums, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, light vegetables and herbs.
Medium finish with fine tannins, tangy raspberries and peppercorn.
This young Bordeaux from Saint Émilion is already showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Tasty and interesting. Tangy and rich. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly.
Still young, but starting to drink nicely now. I am surprised of how approachable it is already. Still a little unbalanced, and needs another few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.
This 2018 vintage is showing a lot of potential. A little lighter than the 2016 I had a couple of weeks ago.
A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years.
I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.
A blend of 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$55.
Hawk and Horse Vineyards Block Three Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Lake County, California
It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one from California.
Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.
Nice nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, spices, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, light earth, liquorice and black pepper.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, figs, vanilla, cedar, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.
Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County in California. Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.
Still young and would be better in a few years. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.
Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. I gave it 90 minutes to open up and show the tannins.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a nice piece of steak. Very tasty.
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels. A small production of 150 cases.
14.3% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$60.
The Wine Foundry Broken Rock Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, California
It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one from the great 2013 Napa vintage.
Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim. Not showing much age.
Gorgeous nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, raisins, figs, chocolates, cedar, light vanilla, coffee, licorice, light earth, tobacco, wildflowers, Mediterranean spices and a touch of pencil lead.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, black plums, oak, vanilla, tobacco, licorice, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and earth.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Rich, elegant and very tasty. Fruit forward with a beautiful nose.
This 8 year old aged very nicely and is drinking wonderfully now. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
Good right out of the bottle, and so much better after 3 hours in the decanter.
Spicy with a soft mouthfeel. Shows nice complexity and balance. I just love these Napa Bordeaux blends.
A good wine to sip on all by itself, but good with food as well. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 3% Petit verdot. Aged for 28 months in (70% new) French Oak barrels. A small production of only 108 cases.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$115.
Chateau Bellefont-Belcier Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2016, Bordeaux, France
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a delicious one from France.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Strong nose of blackberries, black plums, black currants, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, leather, spices, dark coffee, milk chocolates and peppercorn. Pretty, once it opens up.
Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate and fruity, with blackberries, earth, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, light alcohol, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather, pencil lead, herbs and black pepper.
Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious 5 year old Right Bank Bordeaux. Drinking very nicely now, although still young.
This 2016 vintage is showing very nicely now. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.
Still a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point, but I love the cedar and sweet cherry notes.
Needs 90 minutes to open up properly, so give it time. Good by itself once it opens up.
Will age nicely in the next 15 years, and has good potential to become even better.
Tasty, tangy and spicy. A delicious wine from a great vintage.
A good food wine too, that will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with cheeses and green olives.
A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are grown on limestone soil.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$55.
Clos du Val Wine Company Stags Leap District Hirondelle Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2017, Napa Valley, California
It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one from Napa.
Very dark ruby in color with a pretty reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of black currants, figs, vanilla, cedar, sweet strawberries, cooked cherries, licorice, eucalyptus, bell pepper, earth, mint, tobacco leaf, spices, vegetables, celery, pencil lead and black pepper.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, dried cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light vegetables, graphite, vegetables and peppercorn
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley. Showing a gorgeous nose with great complexity.
Already very tasty, although still young. A little hot right now, but that will go away with proper aging.
Would be nice to revisit it in 6 years, and will age nicely in the next 20 years. Showing great potential to become a 97+ point wine, and already delicious by itself.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, show the tannins, and the beautiful nose, so be patient.
This Single Vineyard is so interesting and unique. Nicely balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.
Soft, yet powerful. Rich and extracted. Elegant, tangy and fruity.
A blend of 91% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 20 month in (90% new) French Oak barrels. A very small production of only 18 barrels.
14.7% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$120.
Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, California
Dark inky in color with a short purplish rim.
On the nose black currants, plums, cherries, earth, light oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, dust and black pepper.
Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, oak, spices, vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, light alcohol, espresso, chocolates, earth and light herbs.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature, but drinking nicely now. Already showing some complexity, especially on the palate.
I’ve had an older vintage of this wine a few years ago, and it has great potential to get a lot better. Would be great to revisit this in 10 years.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so give it time.
90 points Wine Enthusiasts.
Good to by itself or with food, and will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon,
14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Aged in mostly French oak barrels (48% new) for 18 months.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$46.
J. Bookwalter Winery Foreshadow Columbia Valley Merlot 2012, Washington State
It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a nicely aged one from Washington State.
Ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.
Fruity nose of blueberries, cherries, currants, oak, spices, chocolates, peppercorn, dark coffee, tobacco leaf, earth and herbs.
Full bodied spicy and smooth with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth, dark coffee, wet leaves and peppercorn.
Spicy finish with fine grained tannins.
This 9 year old Merlot from Columbia Valley is very tasty now. Showing nice complexity with a soft, smooth mouthfeel.
Spicy and elegant. Tangy and interesting. Tastes like an aged California Cabernet.
Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.
Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time.
Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 92% Merlot, 5% Syrah and 3% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels.
14.9% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$40.
Galius Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2016, Bordeaux, France
It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday
Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.
On the nose cooked cherries, red currants, plums, oak, tobacco, licorice, vanilla, earth, light vegetables, metals, Mediterranean spices, chocolates and black pepper.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long long legs.
Dry on the palate with blueberries, sweet strawberries, cooked cherries, plums, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco leaf, spices, cocoa, earth and peppercorn.
Medium finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This Merlot-based Bordeaux is rich, spicy and interesting, with a tangy finish. A little off balance at this point.
Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime (2 hours).
I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it feels like it is in its dumb phase. Still young, but already enjoyable.
This 5-year-old from the great 2016 vintage, would age nicely in the next 15 years.
Thank you Elvira for sharing this with me.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$30.
