Bordeaux Blend

This is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain in Napa.  Inky purple in color, ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, blueberries, tobacco, chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  It opens in the glass over time to show cassis, black cherries, and slight blueberries with tobacco, char and spice.  Long finish.  This needs a bit more time or air, but should drink well for the next twenty years.  Great on its own but a bit better with big food righ

Inky purple, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose deep. Cassis, graphite, leather, cedar and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.   Great balance.  On the palate, this complex and delicious.  Flavors of cassis, some black cherries, graphite, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now but will improve.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Great on its own, this will work well with meat or fowl or roasted veggies.

This is an interesting blend of 50% Tannat, 33% Merlot, and 17% Malbec from Virginia.  The name, L.

This is a Bordeaux blend of 48% Merlot, 28% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec from Virginia.  It is a winner of the 2024 Virginia Governor's Cup award.  By the way, the word Meritage means a blend and rhymes with the word heritage.  Garnet/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is yeasty (in a good way) with black cherries and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black cherries with some char.  Some mint notes on the long finish.  This is still developing but has a classic right bank profile.  It will show better with food.  Roaste

This is a Bordeaux blend of 46% Cabernet Franc, 30%Merlot, and 24% Petit Verdot from Virginia.  Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty, a slight aquarium note which blew off after about twenty minutes, boysenberry, and graphite.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Well balanced.  On the palate, black cherries, fresh tobacco with a slight green bell pepper note especially on the finish.  Good finish.  This drinks like a classic cooler vintage Bordeaux.  It is nice on its own but better with food.  It would be great with stuffed peppers.  Dirnk over the next five to

This is a Bodeaux blend from Virginia which is 42% Merlot, 29% Petit Verdot, and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Garnet in color with some purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has dusty attic with sour cherries, char and gravel.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nicely balanced.  On the palate, cherries, slight bitter cherry pit, and a fresh herb note.  Long finish.  This is has some complexity.  Certainly ripe but not over ripe.  It is nice on its own but better with food.  Anything that would work with classic Bordeaux would work.  Lamb chops would be great.  Drink over the

This estate provides some real value  in Bordeaux especially in the good (expensive) vintages.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, cassis, cigar box and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is showing a nice complexity.  It should still develop more but is getting closer to peak.  Cassis with spice and char.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It would work well with Lamb Stew.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.

This is a blend of 66% Merlot and 34% Cabernet Franc.  It is consistently a great value in Right Bank Bordeaux and in good vintages (such as 2008) it often out performs the vintage.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, coffee, slight chocolate and cigar box.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is approaching peak.  Some complexity and depth.  Flavors of black cherries, cherries, spice, chocolate and char.  Good finish.  This will be better with food.  It should work great with Lamb.  Drink over the next ten years.

This is a 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc blend from the Oakville District in Napa.  The 2017 vintage is proving to be a good vintage if not great.  That said Russell Bevan is a great producer which counts more than vintage.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, black cherries, slight cigar box, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  ON the palate, cassis, black cherries, cedar and chocolate.  Showing a nice complexity but drinking quite well.  Long finish.  This should drink well for another fifteen to twenty years.  Its great on its own and

Tasted blind with other wines including the 2013 Bard.  It was close and although I think this is the better wine, I found the 2013 a bit better on the evening.  It is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot.  Inky purple in color and shimmering bright.  Opaque.  The nose is big with cassis, graphite, slight earthiness and char.  A bit tight.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is young and tight.  Very ripe, this needs time.  Flavors of cassis, blueberries, spice and cherries.  Long finish.  Hold for five years and drink for thirty after that.  Bett