Castello di Bolgheri Varvara DOC 2021, Bolgheri, Italy

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Very pretty color of ruby with a wide reddish rim.

Nice nose with unique aluminum notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red and black fruits, earth, herbs, oak, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Bolgheri in Tuscany. Elegant and fruity with nice complexity.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Easy drinking and needs time to open up properly.

Already tasty and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Elegant and robust. Spicy and fruit forward.

Feels like an old world Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of new world.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, and 6 months in large Austrian barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30.

Tenuta Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore 2021, Tuscany, Italy

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Nice nose of black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, vanilla, tobacco, milk chocolates and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, vanilla, licorice, cedar, leather, chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn and light cola.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot based blend from Bolgheri in Tuscany. Feels like a red Bordeaux, with a Napa twist. Interesting stuff.

Elegant and robust. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Spicy and entertaining.

This 3 year old is still young, but already delicious. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

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

A good quality wine that drinks wonderfully by itself. Will also pair nicely with a BBQ Meats.

A blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$120.

Tenuta Meraviglia Bolgheri Rosso 2020, Tuscany, Italy

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nice nose with red and blue fruits, light wood, spices, tobacco leaf, herbs and light vegetables.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, raspberries, spices, dark chocolates, black pepper and earth.

Short and bitter finish with fine grained tannins.

This is an interesting take on Cabernet Franc from Tuscany. Doesn’t drink like one, but easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Elegant and tangy.

100% Cabernet Franc grapes were aged for 12 months in large Chianti wood barrels.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30.

Podere Sapaio Volpolo di Sapaio Bolgheri Rosso 2022, Tuscany, Italy

Sitting for lunch in the heart of the city of Bolgheri, at a great restaurant, I had to try something I never had before. This entry level Bordeaux blend was a nice surprise.

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blueberries, plums, black currants, cherries, light oak, spices, light earth, herbs, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates, licorice and a touch of vanilla.

Tangy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Bordeaux blend from Tuscany is already drinking nicely, even right out of the bottle. Spicy and rich.

Opulent with lots of fruits, but also some earth notes to compliment the fruits.

Tannins show up after 30 minutes of airtime. A great nose shows itself after 90 minutes in the decanter. Much better once it opens up, so be patient.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Tangy, spicy and entertaining. I paired it with beef stew.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot. Aged in oak barrels for 14 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30.

Tenuta Castello di Bolgheri Bolgheri Superiore 2021, Tuscany, Italy

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Showing plums, black cherries, currants, chocolates, light oak, spices, coffee, licorice, light vanilla, peppercorn, tobacco leaf and light earth.

Medium plus in length on the finish, with grippy tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Bolgheri. Spicy and interesting. Nicely balanced and elegant.

Very tasty and already enjoyable, although still young. Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels and then 6 months in Austrian oak.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85.

Omina Romana Cabernet Franc 2013, Lazio, Italy

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Strong spicy nose with light cedar, tobacco, chocolates and licorice.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, black currants, coffee, light cedar, cola, light earth, herbs, tobacco leaf and dried meat.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Franc from Lazio, Italy. An interesting wine that feels more like a Right Bank Bordeaux. 

This 11 year old is tasty right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. Rich, yet elegant.

Would be nice to revisit it again in 3 years.

A good quality wine. Good by itself or with food.

100% Cabernet Franc grapes were aged in oak barrels for 20 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$100.

Le Chanceux Melenage 2015, Napa Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Fruit forward on the nose with light cedar and lots of chocolate and tobacco notes.

Dry on the palate, and complex right out of the bottle.

Showing blackberries, cooked plums, figs, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, cedar, vanilla, licorice, mediterranean spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 9 year old is showing beautifully now. Complex and interesting. Rich and engaging.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 45 minutes of airtime. Tannins calm down after an hour.

This 2015 was a great vintage and it is showing. Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Spicy and engaging. I had it 4 years ago and it is drinking better now.

A great sipping wine to have all by itself, but will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Cabernet Franc and 4% Syrah. Fermented in (50% new) French Oak barrels. A tiny production of only 540 bottles.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$60 (at release).

Rubicon Estate Rutherford Rubicon 2004, Napa Valley, California

Deep ruby in color with a short reddish/ brick rim. Not showing much age.

Beautiful nose of indian spices, cedar, vanilla, chocolates and herbs.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and very fruity with blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco leaf, light earth, vanilla, licorice, eucalyptus, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 20 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is just gorgeous now. Fruit forward and rich. Extracted and interesting. Loved the nose here.

I did not decant it, and left it to open up in the bottle. Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime. 

Wine Enthusiasts 93 points.

Probably peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. Gorgeous stuff. I just love these Napa Bordeaux blends.

Good by itself as a sipping wine to share with good friends. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak too.

A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 22 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$135.

Rutherford Hill Winery Napa Valley Merlot 2019, California

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish /brick rim. Pretty color, but looks much older than it is.

Muted on the nose with black fruits, light wood and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, cooked cherries, oak, light vanilla, licorice, light earth, herbs, spices, pencil lead, chocolates, light tobacco and peppercorn.

Medium minus in length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice entry level Merlot from Napa Valley. Smooth and elegant with nice complexity.

Nicely balanced and fruit forward. Rich and spicy with a nice mouthfeel.

This 5 year old is peaking now and will not continue to improve.

Good right out of the bottle and easy drinking. A good pop and pour kind of wine, but better after 30 minutes of airtime.

Wine Spectator 91 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. A good party wine.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$37.

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases Grand Vin de Leoville Saint-Julien 1989, Bordeaux, France

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim

Earthy nose with light oak, black fruits and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red and black fruits, wood, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, licorice, dark chocolates, black tea and black pepper.

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

This 35 year old is still drinking beautifully. This Second Growth Bordeaux is nicely balanced and complex.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10+ years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours. I did not decant it, but let it open up in the bottle.

Wine Spectator 96 points.

A good food wine that I paired with beef brisket. Gorgeous.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$275.