Château La Tour Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Cru Classé de Graves 1998, Bordeaux, France

A very enjoyable 21 year old, Left Bank Bordeaux, from Pessac Léognan.

Showing black fruits with earth, wet leaves, herbs, oak, spices, chocolates, pencil lead, black pepper, forest floor and tobacco leaf.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and nice legs.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.

A great quality wine with good complexity and mouthfeel. I had it blind, and called it right. Missed the vintage by 2 years 😊

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins and structure (90 minutes).

Very enjoyable now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$80.

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Château du Bois Chantant Bordeaux Supérieur 2015, Bordeaux, France

It is time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a nice surprise from the Right Bank of Bordeaux.

Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.

Earthy nose of blueberries, plums, currants, oak, vanilla, cloves, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs, barnyard, black pepper, vegetables, bell pepper, black tea, graphite, leather and tobacco.

Full bodied with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, blueberries, wood, earth, light vanilla, vegetables, tobacco, black pepper, spices, dark coffee, wet leaves, bitter herbs, pencil lead, bell pepper and earth.

Medium finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a nice Merlot blend from Bordeaux. Earthy and nicely balanced, with a nice mouthfeel.

This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now, but not one for long term aging, even though it is from a great vintage. Tastes much more aged than a 4 year old.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins (2 hours).

Wine Enthusiasts 89 points.

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

A blend of 63% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Cabernet Franc.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$15.

Cuda Ridge Wines Livermore Valley Cabernet Franc 2016, California

A pretty color of dark ruby with a nice reddish rim.

Strong nose of blueberries, black cherries, plums, vanilla, licorice, oak, cloves, spices, pencil lead, light vegetables, chocolates, tobacco, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and spicy with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, herbs, spices, vanilla, oak, licorice, light vegetables, coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This Cabernet Franc from Livermore Valley is very enjoyable right now. Showing nice complexity with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.

This is a nice surprise. I expected to see more bell peppers and vegetable notes, but I didn’t in this case, which I liked.

Needs 30 minutes to open up and remove some of the acidity. Has high alcohol but it is not noticeable.

A good wine to sip all by itself or to pair with food. Nice and enjoyable.
I paired it with cheeses and olives.

Would be nice to see how this evolves in the next 2 to 5 years.

15.7% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$36.

Grand Napa Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2016, California

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

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, raisins, vegetables, bell pepper, vanilla, cedar, spices, dust, earth, leather, tobacco, chocolates, mocha, coffee and black pepper.

Full-bodied and soft, with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries wood, cherries, blueberries, plums, vanilla, vegetables, tobacco, leather, peppercorn, espresso, dark chocolates, graphite and earth.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a great Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity, soft, smooth and a little spicy with a tangy finish. Showing earthier nose than the palate.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (One hour).

Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature and remove much of the vegetable notes. However, it is already drinkable, and very delicate, elegant and delicious. Will probably be 93+ points in 5 years.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

Aged for 24 months in 60% French Oak barrels. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$110.

1692 Spier Creative Block 5 Red Blend 2015, South Africa

Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, plums, bell pepper, oak, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, vegetables, tobacco, barnyard, graphite and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, vegetables, river rocks, spices, earth, wet leaves and herbs.

Medium plus in finish with fine tannins and tangy pomegranates.

This South African Bordeaux blend really surprised me. Drinking nicely now and will be better in a few years.

Not fully balanced, yet enjoyable by itself or with food. Exhibits new world characters with an old world feel. Tastes very much like a flashy Right Bank Bordeaux.

Changed every 20 minutes in the decanter, which I really liked. Needs 3 hours to open up properly.

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

A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit verdot and 3% Malbec.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$25.

Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac Gran Cru Classé 2000, Bordeaux, France

A great 19 year old Left Bank red, from a great vintage. Shows a pretty ruby color with a wide brick rim.

Pronounced nose of blue and black fruits, earth, wet leaves, forest floor, smoke, tobacco, vinaigrette, cocoa and peppercorn.

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

Dry, spicy, earthy and gentle with still enough fruits.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins (90 minutes).

Good by itself or with food. I would probably have preferred it 3 years ago.

Tasted it blind, and this time got it right 😊

12.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

Cuda Ridge Wines Livermore Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

It’s time for my Friday’s Cabernet fix. This week it’s a nice one from California.

Dark ruby in color with a short
reddish rim.

Nice nose of blueberries, spices, cedar, vanilla, licorice, sweet cherries, dark chocolates, coffee, earth, peppercorn and leather.

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

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, coffee, oak, earth, vegetables, graphite, vinaigrette, spices, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy pomegranates.

This is a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from California. Showing nice complexity with a Soft and elegant mouthfeel. Tangy and interesting.

Needs an hour to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.

Showing a beautiful nose. I loved to smell on it for a long time. Still young and needs another few years in the bottle to mature properly.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Aged for 29 months in French oak barrels.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$40