Montes Alpha M Colchagua Valley Red 2013, Chile

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

What a great Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Chile this is.

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

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, vegetables, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco, coffee, cola and black pepper.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

This 8 year old is delicious now and not showing much age. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

This Single Vineyard is a little heavy on the vanilla right now, but I enjoyed it regardless. Gets earthier as it opens up (2 hours).

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$95.

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

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

A very pretty color of dark ruby, with a red /brick rim.

Earthy on the nose with black currants, black plums, oak, licorice, light vanilla, light vegetables,, earth, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, dust, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and fat legs.

Dry on the palate with currants, cherries, spices, tobacco, oak, green herbs, vegetables, earth, spices, red chili pepper, bitter herbs and dark coffee.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still young, but already enjoyable. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel and good structure.

Earthier than I expected, actually, and good by itself or with food. Feels like a Left Bank Bordeaux. Interesting stuff.

Needs time to open up properly, I gave it 90 minutes. A good quality wine. Spicy and interesting.

Will be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with a French Brie cheese.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 21 months in (50% new) French Oak barrels.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$62.

Inglenook Vineyards Rubicon Estate 2009, Napa Valley, California

#AgedWineTuesday

Deep Inky in color with a very short reddish rim. Not showing age at all, with a teeth staining color.

Beautiful nose of blackberries, black currants, black figs, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, coffee, cola, herbs, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee and dark chocolates.

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

Dry on the palate and very fruity with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha and coke.

Long long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is 12 year Napa Bordeaux blend is drinking deliciously now. Well balanced with lots of complexity.

Showing great structure with a great mouthfeel. Well integrated and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 45 minutes of airtime, when tannins and more complexity come in.

This is just fabulous, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years, but I don’t see any reason to wait. Really delicious and enjoyable now.

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

A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot. Aged for 17 months in French oak barrels.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

97 points.

$180.

Clos du Val Wine Company Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one.

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

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, cooked strawberries, spices, cedar, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light vegetables, pencil lead, peppercorn, leather and coffee.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, peppercorn, pencil lead and dark coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime.

This 6 years old is still young, but already enjoyable. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

This is from a great vintage and it is showing beautifully right now.

Nicely balanced and fruit forward.
Loved the nose once it opens up.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Robert Parker 90 points.

Thanks Elvira and David for sharing this with me.

Tasty and spicy. Delicious, rich and opulent.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels (66% new).

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50.

Benhaim Family Winery Reserve Odysseia 2016, Mount Meron, Israel

It’s time for a delicious Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of blueberries, plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth, light vinaigrette, wet leaves and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, cedar, black currants, plums, tobacco, light vanilla, chocolates, coffee, black pepper and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Merlot blend from Israel. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and fruity.

Spicy, soft and interesting. Already drinking very nicely, but still young. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime.

Showing a beautiful nose that I enjoyed smelling on for a while.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Wine Advocate gave it 89 points. Unfortunately since Robert Parker left they are really off.

A good quality wine that will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

An interesting blend of 60% Merlot, with Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 24 months. A very small production of only 1,700 bottles. This is bottle number 1,269. Kosher.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.

Château Giscours La Sirene de Giscours Margaux 2010, Bordeaux, France

This is a delicious second wine from this Chateau.

Full bodied with medium acidity and dry on the palate with a great nose.

Showing blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cigar box, tobacco leaf, graphite, light bell pepper, peppercorn, earth and sweet black tea.

A beautiful wine from a great vintage. Very enjoyable with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Decanter gave it 86 points. I think they missed it this time.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show the complexity. It’s definitely worth the wait.

Feels like a Napa Bordeaux blend right out of the bottle, but then it changes as it opens up.

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

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$60.

Calla Lily Estate Audax Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

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

This 6 year old Napa Cabernet is drinking very nicely now. Rich and extracted. Spicy with a great mouthfeel.

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

Smooth and elegant and feels prestigious. Full bodied and bold.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, earth, chocolates, tobacco, coffee, Mediterranean spices, light vegetables and fresh flower stems.

Showing great complexity on the nose and palate with a gorgeous nose. Delicious.

Rich, yet elegant and so tasty.

Would be very nice to pair it with a big piece of steak. I paired it with Caciocavallo cheese. Delish.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Aged for 27 months in French Oak barrels. A small production of only 1,580 bottles.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$120.

Gemstone Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Napa Valley, California

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Gorgeous nose of blackberries, cooked plums, raisins, eucalyptus, earth, dried figs, tobacco, spices, oregano, light vegetables, cedar, vanilla, pencil lead, leather, chocolates, mint, herbs and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs. Smooth and elegant.

Dry on the palate and fruity, with blackberries, black plums, cedar, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, cola, vanilla, licorice, leather, spices, light vegetables, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Nicely aged and drinking extremely well now.

Well balanced with great complexity and a smooth mouthfeel. Tasty and tangy with a teeth staining color and a very interesting nose.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. After 3 hours in the decanter, tannins show up and bring nice structure.

Robert Parker 93 points.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

This 11 year old is peaking now, and will be good in the next 5 to 7 years. Rich and extracted. Spicy and interesting.

So enjoyable by itself, but good with food too. A great sipping wine that I paired with great company.

96 points.

$100.

Bressler Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

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

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, coke, graphite, light alcohol and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and fruity with blueberries, black currants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, spices, vanilla, licorice, cedar, earth, black pepper, chocolates and dark coffee.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity with a smooth mouthfeel.

This 7 year old from the great 2014 vintage is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

A very enjoyable Cabernet. Delicious, rich and extracted, with a great mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better as it opens up (1 hour).

Thank you Kim and Barry for sharing this with me.

Very tasty and good by itself or with foods, like BBQ Meats. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon , 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged in (80% new) French Oak barrels for 29 months. A small production of only 445 cases. Unfortunately, their last vintage was the 2015.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$100.

Hertelendy Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

Hertelendy Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

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

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, earth, cedar, leather, coffee, cola, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, dried meat, herbs and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with black currants, sweet cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, black tea, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from a great vintage in Napa Valley. Spicy and interesting.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Shows nice complexity at this point.

This 7 year old is drinking very nicely now and will continue to age in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. Needs 3 hours to open up properly, and show the complexity.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, but good with food as well. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 23 months. A small production of only 30 barrels.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$135.