Merlot

This is a Merlot dominant Napa Red proprietary blend from Oak Knoll.  Really an impressive wine.  Inky purple in color with a thin ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight (it is young) but with some air, black cherries, cherries, and milk chocolate emerge.  With a bit more air, there is also cedar, cassis and slight sandalwood and dust.  It took a few hours to full open up without any decanting.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, cassis, plums, over a char and slight tobacco.  Long finish.  This is delicious and has a nice complexity.  If drinking soon, giv

This is a blend of 70% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Malbec.  Pop and pour, this took about an hour and then was drinking quite well.  Purple in color, thin ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The  nose is nice with black cherries, cigar box, slight dark chocolate, a bit of leather.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, cherries, black cherries and coffee with a bit of dried tobacco.  Good balance.  Seems to be almost or at peak at this point.  Great on its own, this will work well with prime rip or other roasted meats.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

Once again demonstrating how long the 2005's are taking to come around.  Pop and pour (for logistic reasons), this was just starting to open at the two hour mark.  Still, a great showing though.

This is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.   Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, cedar, spice and char.    Lush, velvety texture but lots of vibrancy.  On the palate, cassis and blueberry fruit with underlying tobacco and char.  Long finish.  This is still developing and will be for a decade.  That said it is delicious now and will continue to drink well for another fifteen to twenty years.  It drinks very well on its own and will work with bigger, fattier foods such as prime rib or a roasted veggie pizza.  

This is a wine from the right bank of Bordeaux appellation Pomerol that was new to me.  It is 100% Merlot.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, plums, black raspberries, cedar and spice.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lots of red and some purple fruits with layers of cedar and slight earthiness.  This should continue to mature and improve over the next decade and drink well for ten to twelve more after that.  This would go well with roasted eggplant dishes.  

 This is the second wine of Château Tour Baladoz.  It is produced made from the youngest vines and consists of 90% Merlot.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight milk chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, there are light tannins.  The cherries and chocolate come thru with slight earthiness.  Nice finish.  Not profound but tasty and easy drinking.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  This drinks well on its own and would be a nice match with stuffed peppers.  

Very impressive showing and while just a bit tight, this opened nice with air.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  Black currants, plums, baking spices, graphite and char on the nose.  Full bodied with a lush texture.  On the palate, this unwinds in the glass to show depth and layers of fruit (plums and black currants), spice, slight forest floor, and smoke.  Great balance.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This is not yet at peak but well worth opening now and letting it breathe.  Drink over the next twenty years.  It drinks great on its own but will work better with food.  Roasted duck or eggp