Quilceda Creek Palengat 2016 Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

This is a gorgeous Bordeaux blend from Washington State.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

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

Feels like a Napa Cabernet with light age. Showing great complexity already.

Robert Parker 94 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Very yummy now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

This is a fabulous Cabernet.

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Aged in new French oak barrels for 20 months.

94 points.

$120.

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Bodegas Lan A Mano 2020, Rioja, Spain

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This young Tempranillo is surprisingly approachable already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Needs time to open up properly, but really nice right out of the bottle.

Elegant rich and robust.

A blend of 87% Tempranillo, 9% Mazuelo and 4% Graciano. Grapes are grown at 1,500 feet of elevation. Aged in new French oak barrels for 13 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50.

Dow’s Vintage Port 1994, Portugal

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Full bodied with high acidity to balance the sugars.

Sweet on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, cooked raisins, cedar, spices, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, light earth and herbs.

Long finish with cherries.

This is a gorgeous sweet wine from Portugal. Rich with great balance and a soft mouthfeel.

The 1994 vintage was an exceptional vintage, so I was very excited to try it when I saw it on the wine list.

Smells very young, although it smelled a little oxidized right out of the bottle, which went away after 20 minutes of airtime.

Drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese. So nicely paired, tasty and decadent.

A great experience to try these kind of wines from special vintages.

20% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$85.

Bodegas TresPiedras Unanimous Finca La Tejera 2020, Ribera Del Duero, Spain

Dark ruby/ Inky in color with a wide purplish rim.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate.

Showing black plums, cooked cherries, spices, chocolates, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 3 year old red blend from Ribera Del Duero is starting to drink nicely now. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime.

Good by itself, and a nice sipping wine that doesn’t need food.

Showing good structure, and a good quality wine.

A pleasure to drink it with the winemaker. Thank you Jorge for sharing this with me.

This Single Vineyard is delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Will be nice to revisit it in 5 years and see how it evolved.

A field blend of Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha and 20% Albillo Mayor (white grapes). Grapes are from over 100 year old vines in a tiny Vineyard, about 1.5 Acre in size. Aged for 13 months in used French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

Bodegas Septien Bolicario de Silos 2021, Arlanza, Spain

Deep purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Fruity nose of red fruits and spices.

Medium plus in body and smooth, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and very fruity with mild complexity.

Showing red cherries, black plums, currants, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and cherries.

This is a very easy drinking Tempranillo blend from Arlanza, Spain. Fruit forward and drinks very much like a Beaujolais.

Good right out of the bottle, and would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Good by itself or with food. A good wine to sip on by the porch.

Drinking this with the winemaker makes it even better. Thank you Andres for sharing this with me.

A field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mencia. Aged in French oak barrels for 11 months. A tiny production of only 2,005 bottles. This is bottle number 1,061.

14% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40.

R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2011, Spain

Reddish in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nose of red fruits with earth and mildew notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Elegant and restrained.

On the palate red fruits with earth, light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, light wet leaves and peppercorn.

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

This recent release of this Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now.

A good quality wine. Easy drinking, and a good food wine that I paired with dried meats and crackers.

This 11 year old feels so very young still, and will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years.

Needs time to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.

A blend of 70% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Aged for 6 years in used American oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.

Bodegas Lan Culmen Rioja Reserva 2017, Spain

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium intensity.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

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

Showing black and red fruits with tobacco, cedar, vanilla, leather, earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Tempranillo from Rioja. Nicely balanced and still very young, although it is a 6-year-old wine.

I had the 2011 a couple of years ago and loved it too.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food.

A blend of 91% Tempranillo and 9% Graciano. Aged in new French oak barrels for 25 months. Made only in special vintages, a few times per decade.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

Domaine de Gachet Lalande de Pomerol 2012, Bordeaux, France

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

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

Showing black and red fruits with tobacco, chocolates, coffee, oak, light vanilla, spices and black pepper.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and cranberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot blend from Bordeaux. I’ve had different vintages of this wine, and it is very consistent.

This 11 year old needs 2 hours to open up properly, so be patient.

A good food wine that will pair nicely with grilled meats.

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.

13% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40.

Selene Wines Chester Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2016, California

This is a delicious Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley.

Fruit forward with nice complexity and a strong nose.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and leather.

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

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Feels like a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon right out of the bottle. Only after a couple of hours, it brings out more earth and vegetable notes.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Spicy and entertaining.

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

A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40.

Blackbird Vineyards Blackmail Napa Valley Merlot 2016, California

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

Deep Inky in color with a very short purple rim. Not showing age at all.

Strong fruity nose with blackberries, black plums, black currants, light cedar, figs, stewed cherries, licorice, spices, light earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, chocolates, peppercorn, earth, herbs, spices, pencil lead, licorice and diet cola.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a great Napa Merlot with a touch of right bank Bordeaux. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Elegant and fruity. Spicy and interesting. Rich and tangy.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. Delicious stuff.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$100.