"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Pretty nose of black currants, black plums, cherries, light cedar, licorice, chocolates, black pepper, black tea, herbs and spices.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, currants, light oak, spices, chocolates, light black tea, licorice, herbs, coffee, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Merlot from Sonoma County is already drinking beautifully, but needs a few more years in the bottle to mature properly.

Fruit forward and very elegant, with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel. Spicy, tangy and entertaining. Feels like a Right Bank Bordeaux.

I've had an older vintage of this Merlot not too long ago, and it was drinking even better. Will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years. Has good potential to become a 96+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec. Aged for 16 months in (95% new) French oak barrels.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$500. — a day ago

Ruud Verhagen

9.0

needs much more cellar-time…90+ — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2013 vintage. Decanted and tasted after one hour and 3 hours. Medium body. Dark fruit and no stranger to structure. Balanced but on the dry side of the ledger. No front-running, plushy pony here. Really nice stuff and not recommended to pop as the extra bottle for the casual palate. 5.23.26. — 5 months ago

Michael Amoruso

9.2

2018 vintage. Cooked pineapple. Toasted coconut. Dry lemon curd. Just sweet enough. — 8 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château La Tour de Bessan Margaux 2022 — Margaux, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Left Bank blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon · 30% Merlot · 5% Petit Verdot (estate typically varies slightly by vintage) delivering structure, elegance, and aromatic finesse. Great frame and graphite tension coming from the Cab Sauv., mid-palate polish thanks to Merlot, and liked how Petit Verdot brings subtle spice and color depth. A beautifully traditional, unclassified Margaux that punches above its weight.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, violet, pencil shavings, cedar, light tobacco, and crushed stone. Fruit stays fresh and pure with delicate floral lift typical of the appellation.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with polished, fine-grained tannins. Dry, linear, and elegant rather than powerful. Balanced acidity keeps everything lifted and graceful with a clean, savory finish.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs, grilled lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom risotto, lentils, Comté or aged goat cheese. A very food-friendly claret.

Verdict
Proof that Margaux elegance doesn’t require classified growth pricing. Refined, honest, and beautifully composed. Delicious now with air, but easily cellar-worthy for 6–10 years.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is my kind of “weekday Bordeaux”, structured yet graceful, polished without heaviness. The sort of bottle that quietly disappears over dinner because everything just clicks.

Did You Know?
La Tour de Bessan is run by Marie-Laure Lurton (of the Lurton family estates) and is known for crafting textbook, terroir-driven Margaux expressions that emphasize finesse over extraction. — 9 months ago

Laura Snider

9.4

Apple. Very clean. A lot of bubbles. Yum! — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Nose of black currants, black cherries, light oak, spices, chocolates, herbs, coffee, licorice, tobacco leaf, earth, black tea and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, light oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, coffee and earth.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 5 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Sonoma County is already drinking beautifully. Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and chewy, complex and engaging. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Still very young, and needs at least 7 years in the bottle to mature properly, so be patient. Will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years, and showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged for 16 months in (95% new) French Oak barrels.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$500. — a month ago

K L

8.9

Ok but nothing super great. Kurt club wine. — 2 months ago

with Matt

Michael Bontà

9.5

Clear pale salmon. Medium + intensity on the nose with strawberry, blood orange, geranium leaf, pink grapefruit, tomato leaf, white peach. On the palate dry, medium + acidity, medium + intensity medium body, long finish and medium alcohol with notes of grapefruit, red cherry, grass, white peach and something plastic that I can't quite identify but isn't undesirable. Outstanding wine and fun to drink on its own without food. Creamy and sophisticated — 4 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2016 | True to type Sauternes | paired with apple crumble — 7 months ago

Andy@andyberke.com

8.9

Solid. Some terroir — 9 months ago

David Dorn

8.9

Solid value here — 9 months ago

Alanna coby

10

Light and lovely, very easy to drink! No oakiness at all. — 4 years ago

Dave

9.2

Chateau Latour Demons! Scary!
The quality of this wine is up there. Very satisfying medley of lively fruit (blackberry and plum), mid-palate spice, new leather, and silky lingering tannins. A pleasure to drink.
Listening to Fugazi — 9 days ago

Winton Sweum

9.5

Medium to deep yellow; inviting nose of lemon, subtle nuttiness and flinty mineral; fresh, grippy and acidic palate is well supported with stone fruit, lemony citrus, and stoney minerality. Delicious and a special expression of chardonnay. — 16 days ago

Paul J

9.2

PnP. Solid. Fairly complex with good fruit and terroir. Nothing that really wowed me. — 4 months ago

with Brooke

Ming L

9.4

The nose opens with waves of ripe black cherry, cassis, plum liqueur, and dark chocolate Beneath the opulence lies impressive complexity with hints of espresso, violets, and peppery spice emerge gradually with air. The palate is dense and supple, showing warmth and generosity. Plenty of nuance beneath the lavish fruit.

Possibly the best value for a St-Emilion GCC. Will need to seek out more. — 6 months ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

More focused than the 2015 as you might expect. Integrated butterscotch and rocks. — 8 months ago

with Sarah

Thomas Hillskog

9.1

Peak maturity now better than 2 and 4 years ago. Still fruity but with more complexity an soft tannins. — 9 months ago

Stuart Pollack

9.3

Lovely light Provençal Rosé. Light strawberry flavor with some vanilla. Perfect with light mild fish. . — 2 years ago