Umami and tannins, bacon and herbs. Single vineyard may be the rage, but blends let the winemaker play with the whole palette, for your palate. Read More
Semi-private sit down epicurean experiences like the one offered at St. Francis are not uncommon anymore, but they are for this price. Read More
Plums and black cherries show on the nose. Black fruit is dominant on the palate, loads of plum, with black...
The nose shows blackcurrant, blackberries, unsweetened cocoa, and tobacco leaf. Blackcurrant and plums dominate on the palate, but are balanced...
If you find a bottle of this wine lingering in a wine shop, buy it. Recommended (especially at this price) (90). Read More
If you live near a Costco you know where this is going. “Kirkland” is Costco’s proprietary brand for everything from soup to nuts (and I mean that literally). They market a “Kirkland Signature Wine Collection” whereby they slap their own label on wines, and some of them are quite good and represent excellent value. This Meritage is a classic Bordeaux blend. The nose is slightly herbal and gives off whiffs of boysenberry and cedar. The flavors are of blackberry and there is perhaps a shade too much oak. The merlot comes on strong, almost overtaking the cabernet sauvignon, but the fruit is quite nice. A tad one-dimensional, but still very pleasant, and an absolute bargain for the price and quality. Nice with simple grilled meats. Recommended. GT Read More
This merlot-driven Washington cuvee shows big fruit slathered with big, but fine, wood. Layers of deep black cherries, some slightly bruised, unsweetened chocolate, and espresso, are sandwiched between thin layers of French oak, offering richness, some depth on the mid-palate, and wood-spice flavors, cedar and sandalwood. Drink with something very thick, very red, and only slightly cooked. Recommended. Read More
This is a very pleasantly juicy, reasonably-priced meritage. Cherries overly blackcurrant flavors, while dark chocolate, tobacco, and eucalyptus appear on the mid-palate. Tannins and acids are well balanced, and moderate, and the finish has a pleasant mintiness behind the mixed red and black fruits. Drink with duck. Read More