The label lists this as 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Purple in color with some ruby swirls. The nose is simple with fresh cherry fruit. Medium bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, cherries and black cherries. Moderate finish. This is a pleasant wine that should be consumed in the next few years. It would make a nice mid-week wine with burgers.
Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. This is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon according to the winemaker's notes. The nose is nice with black cherries, smoke, plums, chocolate and cedar. Firm tannins. Full bodied. On the palate, this is very tight. It unwinds a bit in the glass to show cherries, black cherries, and slight chocolate. Some depth. Nice finish. Certainly, this seems at least a bit shut down at this point. Best to hold this for five to eight more years, then drink for ten to twelve after that.
My first time trying this producer. It is their second wine. A blend of 73.1% Merlot, 24.3% Cabernet Franc, and 2.6% Petit Verdot. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with clay, and cherries. Medium bodied. Light tannins. The palate has cherries with slight black cherries. This is open and drinking well today. Some complexity but mostly a tasty wine for immediate drinking over the next couple of years. A nice wine with pizza. Unfortunately, like most Pomerol wines, it is a bit expensive to be a daily drinker.
According to the label, this is 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Malbec. It is a biodynamic wine. Ruby/purple in color if a bit flat. The nose is nice with cedar, cherries, and a slight char. Firm tannins. A bit thin on the body. Black cherry fruit with low acidity. Moderate finish. This is a nice inexpensive Bordeaux for drinking over the next few years. It the fruit holds out, perhaps even longer. Better with food. This would be nice with meatloaf or a burger.
Located in Southern Tuscany, Val Delle Rose is one of the largest wineries in the region. Their 2018 Aurelio, something of a flagship wine, offers superb quality fruit - muted pomegranate, rhubarb, black cherry, blackberry, along with a judicious use of oak that brings out cedar notes. There are vague back notes of dusty cocoa. This is a nicely balanced wine that combines all the necessary elements of oak, fruit, tannin and acidity, making for a wine that would be very complementary for any number of foods.
Soft and supple, there is a lovely viscosity to this Merlot. You’ll find notes of blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry and huckleberry surrounded by light cedar, raspberry compote and violets. The acidity allows for the fruit to shine through while maintaining structure for the wine. The tannins are fairly mild but this goes a long way on the palate. The judicious use of oak also helps to support the darker fruit of this wine. This is a soft, shy wine, not an aggressive over the top in your face Merlot.
This is Screaming Eagle's Merlot based wine. This year the blend is 61% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. It is still young and tight and took some time to open. That said, it was delicious. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, cherries, dark chocolate, violets and a bit of earthiness. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this has a lush texture. Black cherries and cherries with some chocolate and char. Great balance. Long finish.
Three Palms is unquestionably the most well-known and famous Merlot in the United States. That Duckhorn has made a commitment to Merlot for decades is to be applauded. This iteration beautifully spells out why they have made that commitment. The deftly handled balance of fruit, acidity, tannin and oak is simply marvelous. Black cherry, blackberry, boysenberry and huckleberry lead off, followed by back notes of black cherry, plum, anise, and cocoa powder. Aged for 18 months in predominately new French oak. ORIGIN: Napa Valley. ALCOHOL: 14.5%
There’s a belief I have that if you mess up any fruit from Howell Mountain there’s something wrong with you. Duckhorn has consistently produced an extraordinary Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2017 is no exception. Comprised of all Cabernet with 10% Merlot, this is a softer version than in years past, these tannins are a little more mild, the acidity a little brighter, and the fruit opulent and rich. Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and boysenberry, lead off and the fruit is a tad more expressive than in years past. It was aged 24 months, 18 of which were new French oak.
Perhaps the best red wine that I have yet tried from Hungary. This is world class Merlot. 14.5% abv.
