Bordeaux Blend

This is a go to house for value in Bordeaux while still getting quality and terroir.  This vintage is a 70/30 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust, cigar box, black cherries, and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, cassis, tobacco, black cherries, slight dark chocolate and char.  Long finish.  This is still youthful but drinking well.  Some complexity now and more as it ages.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Nice on its own but evenbetter with food.  Slow cooke

 This is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, and 4% Syrah from Israel.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, plums, spice, slight chocolate and char.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, there is some complexity and depth.  This is tasty and easy to drink.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, spice and char.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with many (non seafood) dishes.  A nice wine to serve with the main

People looking for value and top quality should check this wine out.  At age 6, it is coming into its own and drinking beautifully.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, raspberries, black raspberries, cigar box, slight leather and spice.  Semi-plush texture.  Great balance.  On the palate, this has some depth and complexity.  Medium tannins.  Flavors or raspberries, black raspberries, spice and black cherries.  Long finish.  This is still young but getting there.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own or with bigger food. 

Ordered off the wine list at Eduardo's in Chicago (Gold Coast) for $80.  A nice find except that it was so young, it really should have been decanted.  It is a blend of 56% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot.  Deep ruby in color with some purple hues, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cherries, tobacco, spice and char.  Full  bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, there is some varietal complexity but this is very tight.  It never fully opened as the bottle was drained.  That said, it was enjoyable

This is my favorite Israeli wine.  It is Kosher and it can hold its own among the best Bordeaux  blends anywhere.  It is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot.  Ruby in color, purple at the core.  The nose has cassis, dust, black cherries and slight chocolate.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, black cherries, spice and slight char.  Slight heat on the finish.  This is young and needs some air or cellaring to sort out.  Hold for as couple and then drink for ten after that.  It would pair nicely with brisket at a

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