Chateau Haut Cardinal Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2014, Bordeaux, France

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back!

Dark ruby in color.

Dry on the palate and bold.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity.

Showing red fruits with earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and green vegetables.

Big tannins on the finish with raspberries.

This 9 year old is a little unbalanced. I expected more complexity at this point, but I didn’t get much.

Might need a few years in the bottle to mature properly.

Very drinkable and better with food. Paired nicely with fresh pizza with prosciutto and arugula.

13% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$35.

Advertisement

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Special Club de Collection Brut Champagne 2008, France

This is a delicious Champagne from the great 2008 vintage.

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Medium plus in body with small bubbles and medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with a nice mouthfeel. Elegant and complex.

Showing bruised apples, yeast, citrus, brioche, spices, minerals, sea salt, light river rocks, earth and white pepper.

Long finish with limes and almonds.

This 15 year old Champagne is rich and very enjoyable by itself or with food.

Nicely balanced and concentrated, with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

I paired it with light appetizers.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$100.

Chateau Tertre Daugay Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2000, Bordeaux, France

It’s time for some Merlot on this#MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back!

This 23-year-old Merlot based Bordeaux is still drinking very nicely.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Very dry on the palate with a nice mouthfeel.

Showing black plums, cooked cherries, oak, herbs, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, dark chocolates, earth and wet leaves.

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

This is a very tasty wine from the great 2000 vintage in Bordeaux. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Showing nice complexity, soft and smooth.

Lost some of the fruits by now, but still very enjoyable by itself, and even better with food.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$200.

E. Guigal Vignes de L’Hospice Saint Joseph Rouge 2005, Rhone, France

This is a gorgeous 18 year old Syrah from Northern Rhône. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel now.

Inky in color and dry on the palate, with medium acidity.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, light vegetables, coffee, light cola and peppercorn.

Feels much younger than it is, and really delicious now. Nicely balanced, rich and powerful.

Wine Spectator 93 points. Robert Parker 96 points.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly. Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

100% Syrah grapes were aged in new oak barrels for 30 months.

13% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$90.

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau, 2010, Rhone, France

Beautiful color of dark ruby, with a cloudy brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black plums, cherries, sweet strawberries, spices, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco leaf, eucalyptus, earth, dark coffee and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 13 year old is drinking beautifully now. Shows exactly how you would expect it to, especially from this wonderful vintage.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Good by itself or with food. Rich yet elegant.

Good right out of the bottle, and much better after 2 hours of airtime, when tannins show up.

I’ve had a few different vintages of this wine, younger and older, and I find this to be at a perfect age for my palate. Nonetheless, it will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$120.

Chateau Clinet Ronan Bordeaux 2016, France

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back!

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, vanilla, coffee, peppercorn, earth, vegetables and herbs.

Medium finish with medium tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 7 year old from the great 2016 vintage is still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. showing a soft mouthfeel with nice complexity.

Needed 3 hours in the decanter to open up.

Decanter 93 points.

100% Merlot grapes.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$12.

Chateau Kirwan Margaux Grand Cru Classé 2005, Bordeaux, France

This is a delicious 18 year old Cabernet Sauvignon blend from bordeaux.

Showing a gorgeous nose at this point.

Dry on the palate and nicely balanced.

Full-bodied with medium acidity.

Showing blackberries, black plums, black cherries, earth, tobacco, cedar, licorice, vanilla, light wet leaves, herbs and black pepper.

Loved the long finish here.

This Third Growth is rich and elegant. Complex and tasty.

This great 2005 vintage is showing wonderfully now. Peaking now and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

I had other vintages of this wine, and this vintage is definitely the best so far for me.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 30 minutes of airtime. Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

Wine Enthusiasts 93 points. Wine Spectator 93 points.

A blend of 52 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot.

94 points.

$120.

Château Ducru Beaucaillou Saint Julien Grand Cru Classé 2005, Bordeaux, France

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with earth, vanilla, cedar, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, spices and dark chocolates.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

What a great Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Saint Julien.

This gorgeous wine feels much younger than it is right now. Complex and tasty.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours in the decanter.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

Thank you Robbie for sharing this with me.

The 2005 vintage was outstanding, and it’s really shining through right here.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Aged in 100% new French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$325.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Marey Monge Grand Cru 2001, Burgundy, France

To celebrate reaching 8,000 reviews on Vivino, I’m excited to share this beautiful wine with you.

This is a very special bottle for me. It was on my wishlist for years now, and here we are.

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

Dry on the palate with great complexity and mouthfeel. Easy drinking and smooth.

Showing red currants, cherries, strawberries, light earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, black pepper and dark chocolates.

Long finish with fine grained tannins.

Elegant and fruit forward. Rich, and not showing its age at all.

Needed a few hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.

This 22 year old Pinot Noir from Côte D’or feels very young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years and beyond.

Only 12,352 bottles were produced. This is bottle number 633.

13% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$5,000.

Michel Gonet Mesnil Sur Oger Brut Blanc de Blanc Champagne Grand Cru 2012, France

This is a delicious Blanc de Blanc Vintage Champagne.

Pale lemon in color.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity and small bubbles.

Dry on the palate with some RS to balance it out.

Showing limes, citrus, green apples, earth, minerals, brioche, light yeast, herbs and light green tea.

This 11 year old is drinking very nicely now. Elegant and complex.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 30 minutes of airtime. Better when not too cold.

Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

Showing nice complexity at this point, and will continue to improve in the next 5 to 10 years.

Dosage 2 g/l. Disgorged June 2020.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$100.