Foundry Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

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

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nice nose wild flowers, blueberries, black cherries, light wood, licorice, spices, bitter herbs, chocolates, tobacco leaf and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with cooked strawberries, black currants, sweet cherries, licorice, spices, light vanilla, cedar, leather, earth, peppercorn, herbs, red chili powder and light vegetables.

Nice length on the finish with soft tannins and raspberries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from the great 2015 vintage in Napa Valley. Nicely balanced with a great nose.

Showing nice complexity at this point. Elegant, spicy and soft.

Good by itself and good right out of the bottle. After 2.5 hours in the decanter, tannins and structure show up together with lots of spices. Worth the wait.

A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petite Sirah. A small production of only 214 cases. Aged for 29 months in French Oak barrels (80% new).

14.2% alcohol by Volume.

92 points.

$78.

Chateau Méaume Bordeaux Superieur 2018, France

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

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

On the nose black currants, black cherries, black plums, oak, spices, light vanilla, licorice, pencil lead, coffee, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with currants, black cherries, earth, oak, licorice, coffee, vegetables, peppercorn, black tea, graphite and bitter herbs.

Spicy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Bordeaux is starting to drink nicely now, although still very young.

Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouth feel. Feels very true to the terroir.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up. Structure and complexity come in after 30 minutes of airtime.

This 2018 was a great vintage, and it is showing. Nice to see that this young Bordeaux is already approachable. Will age nicely in the next 7 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it meats and cheeses. Really nice with the aged Brie cheese.

A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Bottled 2 years after harvest.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$20.

Château Gloria Saint Julien 2009, Bordeaux, France

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

Nice nose of blueberries, blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, spices, coffee, light vegetables, herbs, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, pencil lead, black pepper and light medicine.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, coffee, dark chocolates and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and coffee notes.

This is a nicely aged Bordeaux from the great 2009 vintage. Showing a great nose and mouthfeel.

Elegant with lots of fruits. Nicely balanced with nice complexity.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show its pretty nose, so be patient. Tannins come in after 90 minutes.

Robert Parker 93 points.

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

Tasty and spicy. A delicious wine.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$65.

Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery Train Wreck 2015 Paso Robles, California

Time for some Merlot on this
#MerlotThursday. Here’s a nice one from Paso Robles.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, licorice, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, coffee, pencil lead, spices, light earth, herbs and peppercorn.

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

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

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very interesting red blend from Paso Robles. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Elegant and stylish. Rich and fruity with lots of earth notes to make it interesting.

This 6 year old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue in the next 3 to 5 years.

I gave it 90 minutes to open up and show the complexity. After 3 hours of airtime, it balances out with much less vegetables notes. Worth the wait.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and crackers. Paired very nicely with the triple cream Brie cheese.

A blend of 21% Merlot, 21% Petite Sirah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 21% Zinfandel and 6% Mourvedre. Aged for 21 Months in oak barrels (35% New).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$45.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Homestead Red Blend 2018 Sonoma County, California

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

Dark ruby in color with a redish rim.

Strong nose of black currants, black cherries, plums, oak, licorice, barnyard, vegetables, bell pepper, herbs, earth and light black pepper.

Medium plus in body and smooth, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, wood, spices, light vanilla, tobacco, chocolates, dark coffee, earth, vegetables and graphite.

Medium finish with fine tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot based blend from Alexander Valley. Fruity, but with lots of vegetable notes. Very true to the region.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up. Easy drinking with a nice mouthfeel. A good everyday wine.

Feels young and will be better in the next 3 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Paired very nicely with the brie cheese.

A blend of 44% Merlot, 32% Zinfandel, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre and 3% Syrah.

14% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$23.

Meadowcroft Wines The Panorama 2017 Napa Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a pretty reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, black cherries, oak, vanilla, coffee, licorice, spices, chocolates, pencil lead, light herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

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

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

This is a delicious Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Still young, but already tasty. Nicely balanced and spicy, with a soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 2 hours of airtime, when tannins come in. Would be nice to check it out again in 5 years.

A nice food wine, and good by itself as a sipping wine as well. Very enjoyable and easy to drink. Elegant and fruit forward.

I paired it with dried meats and Brie cheese.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Aged in French oak barrels (30% new) for over 2 years.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

Chateau Loudenne Cru Bourgeois Le Chateau Médoc 2016, Bordeaux, France

Very dark ruby in color with a pretty reddish rim.

On the nose blueberries, black plums, cherries, earth, oak, licorice, black pepper, spices, herbs and pencil lead.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherry, earth, light alcohol, oak, spices, licorice, peppercorn, light vanilla, dark coffee, tobacco leaf, herbs and graphite.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice red Bordeaux from a great vintage. Very approachable and engaging already.

Nicely balanced and spicy, with a nice mouthfeel. Nice complexity comes in after a couple of hours of airtime. Tangy and interesting. Will be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30.

Kukeri Wines Stags Leap District Proprietary Red Blend 2018 Napa Valley, California

It’s time for a nice Cabernet for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, espresso, pencil lead, black pepper, spices, herbs and light vegetables.

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

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, black plums, oak, licorice, spices, coffee, cola, pencil lead, light peppercorn, vegetables, vanilla, earth and beef jerky.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Bordeaux blend from Stags Leap is spicy and interesting, and already drinking very nicely. Fruit forward and nicely balanced.

Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel. Tasty and rich, soft and warm.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Showing great potential to be a great 95+ point wine, and will age nicely in the next 15 years. A good quality wine that would be nice to revisit in 5 to 10 years.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 3% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. A small production of only 290 cases. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

Calla Lily Estate Audax Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

We have a new president! Time for a Celebratory wine 🍷

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with cedar, blackberries, vanilla, licorice, black plums, black currants, raisins, figs, chocolates, cola, earth, coffee, spices, violets and black pepper.

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

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, dark chocolates, peppercorn, tobacco and light herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel.

Easy drinking and elegant. Nicely balanced, fruit forward and spicy.

Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time (90 minutes).

This 5 year old is still young, and will age nicely in the next 10 years.
Nice to see a Napa Cabernet that is not too high in alcohol.

Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine by the porch, but will be great with a piece of steak too.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Aged for 27 months in French Oak barrels (50% new). A very small production of only 1,600 bottles.

14.1% alcohol by alcohol.

93 points

$120.

Barnett Vineyards Spring Mountain District Merlot 2014 Napa Valley, California

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a nice one from Napa Valley.

Dark purple in color with a reddish rim.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity.

Dry to off dry on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, light medicine, coffee and peppercorn

Medium length on the finish soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot from a great vintage. I actually expected more from this, but I believe it is still young. Too fruity for me, and that would hopefully calm down in the future. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 3 hours of airtime.

A good quality wine, but a little unbalanced.

Robert Parker 90 points.
Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

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

A blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 22 months in French Oak Barrels (
60% new).

14.8% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$65.