Alpha Omega Winery Michel Rolland Napa Valley MR 2014, California

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

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, cooked cherries, chocolates, black currants, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, cedar, spices, light alcohol, eucalyptus and peppercorn.

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

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, spices, tobacco, chocolates, dark coffee, graphite and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

A delicious Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux blend from the great 2014 vintage. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Fruit forward, elegant and rich. Opulent and tasty. Shows great complexity already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

I’ve had many wines from Michel Rolland, from all over the world, and I always enjoyed them. Never disappoints and always a pleasure.

Thank you Scott for sharing this beautiful wine with me.

Wine Enthusiasts 95 points. Robert Parker 96 points.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime, and good by itself as a sipping wine. No need for food at all, but will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (80% New). Only 370 cases produced. Some of the fruit come from To Kalon and Stagecoach Vineyards.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$175.

Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee 2018 Sonoma County, California

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

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Simple nose of plums, cherries, light wood, spices and coffee.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, cloves, herbs, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Short finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Sonoma County. Fruit forward with mild complexity.

A little “fake” on the nose, in the sense that something was definitely added to the wine.

Good right out of the bottle and better after some airtime.

A little hot, but smooth and elegant. Spicy and easy drinking.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$20.

Allegrini Amarone Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico Superiore 1982, Italy

Ruby in color with a wide and dirty brick rim.

Showing a wonderful nose with lots of earth notes.

On the palate, sweet cherries, over ripen plums, raisins, dried fruits, chocolates, citrus, tobacco, coffee, peppercorn, earth, black tea, wet leaves and herbs.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Nice tangy finish, yet not very long, with fine grained tannins.

I did not decant it, but let it open up in the bottle. I really liked the nose, after 30 minutes of airtime.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

Nice to see how this lasted so well, even though it is from a bad vintage.

This 39 year old is not at its peak any longer, but still very drinkable. I believe it was way better 10 years ago. Lucky to have the bottle all for myself, as no one else liked it. 😃

Also, great to see that the alcohol is kind of low (for an Amarone).

Aged for 2 years in wood barrels.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$120.

Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes 2013, France

This is a delicious dessert wine from France. Sweet on the palate with great complexity.

Showing honey, yellow apples, apricots, spices, sweet nectar, white wild flowers, melons, brown sugar and spices.

Medium bodied with high acidity.

Well balanced with enough acidity to balance the sugars.

Thank you Barry for sharing this with me.

This needs no food. Just sip and enjoy.

This 8 year old will continue age nicely in the next 40 years.

Just delicious.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

97 points.

$160 (375 ml).

Rubia Wine Cellars Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 Russian River Valley, California

Light golden in color.

On the nose citrus, yellow apples, lemons, light oak and vanilla, spices and white pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and lightly creamy, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with apples, melons, pears, spices, light oak, vanilla, earth, light herbs and white pepper.

Nice length on the finish with spices and light almonds.

This is a delicious Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Well-balanced with a great mouth feel. Elegant and rich.

Good by itself right out of the bottle, and better when not too cold, when the complexity shows up.

The light oak notes are very intertwined and give a luxury feel to the wine.

A good quality wine that would be nice to revisit in 3 years.

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

100% Chardonnay grapes were barrel fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 16 months on lees. A very small production of only 6 barrels were made.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

Flora Springs Family Estate Trilogy 2018, Napa Valley, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, blueberries, ripe cherries, light cedar, light earth, vanilla, black pepper, chocolates, coffee and pencil lead.

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

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, vanilla, vegetables, black pepper, spices, chocolates, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, leather and earth.

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

This is a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Napa Valley. Still young and will benefit from some bottle aging. Has good potential to become a really nice wine.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime. Really nice nose once it opens up.

Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years, however, already drinking nicely and showing nice complexity.

The Malbec seems very dominant at the moment. Spicy and tangy. Fruit forward and tasty.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and olives.

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 8% Malbec. Aged in mostly French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$85.

Postmark Wines Napa Valley Merlot 2018, California

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, chocolates, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs and black pepper.

Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot from Napa Valley. Drinks more generic than that, though. Feels like a California Cabernet.

An entry-level Napa Merlot made by Duckhorn. Has some residual sugar to balance it out. Showing mild complexity with a tangy finish.

Wine Enthusiasts 88 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after a couple of hours.

Easy drinking and a good everyday wine.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30.

Nicolis Angelo & Figli Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Ambrosan 2009, Italy

Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, dried figs, wet leaves, raisins, licorice, spices, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs and peppercorn.

Full bodied with medium acidity, bold and spicy.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, raisins, dried figs, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco leaf, chocolates, coffee and mocha.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Amarone. Nicely aged, big and tasty. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime. I did not decant it, but only let it open in the bottle.

This 12 year old from an excellent vintage is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Delicious by itself or with food. I paired it with a delicious pizza with prosciutto and fresh arugula.

A blend of 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella and 10% Croatina. Aged in French oak barrels for 30 months. 800 cases produced.

16% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$65.

Castello di Amorosa Cresta d’Oro Vineyard Rosato di Pinot Noir 2020, California

Pale salmon in color.

Light nose of lemons, light strawberries, citrus, limes, river rocks, green apples, sea salt and earth.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, limes, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, light earth, green apples and minerals.

Nice length on the finish with limes.

This is a very enjoyable Rosé from Russian River Valley. Nicely balanced, crisp and refreshing. Light and engaging without being bitter nor tart.

This Single Vineyard is showing nice complexity already. Easy drinking and good by itself.

Gets earthier as it opens up with an old world feel (30 minutes).

Good by itself or with food. A tasty wine that I enjoyed all by itself by the pool.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35.

Horsepower Vineyards High Contrast Vineyard Syrah 2018, Walla Walla Valley

This is a great quality Syrah from Washington State. Very stinky, in a good way. I had it blind and called it just by smelling it.

Harsh on the palate with black fruits, oak, spices, vanilla, peppercorn, wet leaves, earth, olives, mushrooms, vegetables, tobacco and espresso.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity. Very rich and extracted.

Dry and fruit forward with great complexity.

Thank you Barry for sharing.

Took 3 hours to open up, and it may  not have been enough time.

Still extremely young and would be better in 5 years. Will age nicely in the next 25 years. A 95+ point wine in 10 years.

I paired it with heavy appetizers.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200.