Alpha Omega Winery Michel Rolland Napa Valley MR 2014, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one from Napa.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, cooked cherries, chocolates, black currants, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, cedar, spices, light alcohol, eucalyptus and peppercorn.

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

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, spices, tobacco, chocolates, dark coffee, graphite and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

A delicious Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux blend from the great 2014 vintage. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Fruit forward, elegant and rich. Opulent and tasty. Shows great complexity already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

I’ve had many wines from Michel Rolland, from all over the world, and I always enjoyed them. Never disappoints and always a pleasure.

Thank you Scott for sharing this beautiful wine with me.

Wine Enthusiasts 95 points. Robert Parker 96 points.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime, and good by itself as a sipping wine. No need for food at all, but will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (80% New). Only 370 cases produced. Some of the fruit come from To Kalon and Stagecoach Vineyards.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$175.

Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee 2018 Sonoma County, California

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

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Simple nose of plums, cherries, light wood, spices and coffee.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, cloves, herbs, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Short finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Sonoma County. Fruit forward with mild complexity.

A little “fake” on the nose, in the sense that something was definitely added to the wine.

Good right out of the bottle and better after some airtime.

A little hot, but smooth and elegant. Spicy and easy drinking.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$20.

Faust Wines Salvation Napa Valley Red Blend 2014, California

Dark ruby, almost inky in color, with a short reddish rim.

Very fruity nose of blackberries, cooked cherries, cedar, cooked plums, figs, raisins, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, cola, light earth, pencil lead and coffee.

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

Extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, black cherries, raisins, figs, cedar, spices, licorice, peppercorn, cocoa, mocha, coffee and tobacco.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 7 year old red blend from Napa Valley is delicious now. Drinking very nicely right out of the bottle, and way better after 4 hours in the decanter.

Rich and extracted with a great mouthfeel. Would age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

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

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

Showing great complexity, but very fruity right now, and might be too much for some.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$75.

Michael David Winery Politically Correct 2016 Lodi, California

This is a very tasty Bordeaux blend from Lodi. Showing nice complexity, but a little unbalanced.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity (and some RS), on the palate with blackberries, black currants, eucalyptus, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs and black pepper.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This 5 year old is big, bold and extracted. A little much, but very enjoyable.

This is an Orin Swift look alike, from the bottle look, to the wine style.

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

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years, and see if it calms down a bit.

A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon ,5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels (33% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50.

Podre il Castellaccio Orio Bolgheri 2017 DOC 2017, Italy

Dark ruby in color, almost Inky, with a wide reddish rim.

On the nose blueberries, black currants, black cherries, light vanilla, coke, licorice, Indian spices, tar, light vegetables, earth, tobacco leaf and graphite.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso and earth.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a very enjoyable Cabernet Franc blend from Italy. Tangy and interesting with lots of fruit.

Better after 90 minutes of airtime.
Really loved the nose after 2 hours in the decanter.

Showing very nicely at this point, once it opens up, with nice complexity, good structure and a nice mouthfeel. I love these Italian Bordeaux style reds.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too. I paired it with cheeses and Italian dried meat.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 10% Syrah. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. A small production of only 8,000 bottles.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$28.

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

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

Dark inky in color with a short ruby rim.

On the nose, blueberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, light vanilla, spices, licorice, earth, black pepper, chocolates and tobacco leaf.

Full bodied and soft with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, blueberries, currants, vanilla, licorice, light pencil lead, spices, oak, tobacco, earth, peppercorn, herbs and light vegetables.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and cranberries.

This 4 year old Merlot is drinking very nicely now. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Rich and tangy with nice complexity.

Still very young, and need 3 to 5 years in the bottle to mature properly. Would age nicely in the next 15 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. Showing good potential to become a much better wine.

I opened it up and tasted it every 30 minutes. Was ready to drink after a little over 2 hours, so take your time.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

15% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.

Montezuma Winery Voleur Cabernet Franc 2019, New York

Purple/reddish in color with light intensity.

On the nose strawberries, unripe cherries, earth, green vegetables, herbs, light bell pepper, green beans, wet leaves, mushrooms and light black pepper.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity.

Very dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spices, herbs, green vegetables, herbs, earth and black pepper.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a nice and easy drinking Cabernet Franc from the Finger Lakes in New York State. Earthy with mild complexity.

Feels like a French Cab Franc from the Loire. Very old world feel. Lean, earthy and light.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolves.

Good right out of the bottle, but better as it opens up.

Good by itself or with food. I gave it a light chill.

A good porch wine too. Light and engaging. A nice summer red.

13.1% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$19.

Domaine de Gachet Lalande de Pomerol 2009, Bordeaux, France

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

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim. Not showing age at all.

Nice nose of black currants, black plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, coffee, light barnyard, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, diet coke, dark chocolates, coffee, earth, graphite, vegetables and peppercorn.

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

This is a very enjoyable Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend from the great 2009 vintage. Drinks like a young wine, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Needs a long time to open up, so be patient with it. Took 4 hours for the tannins to show up.

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

I had the 2008 a couple of years ago and enjoyed it too. Very consistent.

Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel. Ripe, elegant and fruity.

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

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40 (current vintage).

Frank Fredericks Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

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It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one from Napa.

Dark ruby in color with a nice brick rim. Pretty color.

Strong nose of blueberries, black cherries, black plums, earth, oak, light vanilla, licorice, peppercorn, tobacco, chocolates, spices and graphite.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, tobacco, light green vegetables and herbs.

Nice tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity, especially on the nose, with a nice and easy mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. I gave it 3 hours to open up. As it opens up, it becomes spicier with more earthy notes.

Still young, but already enjoyable even by itself. A new world wine with a touch of Bordeaux. Very interesting.

Would benefit from 5 to 10 years of bottle time, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

A good quality wine that shows good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

Paired very nicely with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon,
2% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. Aged in new French oak for 27 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$275 (upon release).

Chateau des Granges D’Or Cru Bourgeois Médoc 2017, Bordeaux, France

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

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of cherries, sweet strawberries, black currant, plums, earth, oak, barnyard, vegetables, spices, wet leaves and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with strawberries, raspberries, plums, cherries, light oak, spices, earth, vegetables, bitter herbs, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, black pepper and coffee.

Short finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot based blend from Bordeaux. Balanced and easy drinking with a soft mouthfeel. Already showing nice complexity.

Needs time to open up. I gave it two hours. A little stinky, but some like that too.

Would be interesting to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolves.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Paired very nicely with the wild mushroom Brie cheese from the Netherlands.

A blend of 71% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$25.