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Merlot Thursday: Le Petit Vauthier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2015)
After a long day of decisions and disappointments, sometimes you just feel like going for the sure thing. In this case, the sure thing is 10-year-old Right Bank Bordeaux, which has consistently been hitting just right. This 2015 Saint-Émilion came from the back room at The Wine Authority, where I spied the shipping box in…
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Merlot Thursday: Mouton Cadet “Les Terroirs” Bordeaux Rouge (2023)
Welcome to another #MerlotThursday, where we make a weeknight meal of a bottle of Merlot! (And usually some food, too.) Today’s wine is from the Mouton Cadet line of daily drinkers. The story of this label goes back to 1930, when a disastrous harvest resulted in wines that Baron Phillipe de Rothschild decided were not…
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Merlot Thursday: Tenuta Campo al Mare “Baia al Vento” Bolgheri Superiore (2019)
I hope I never stop encountering wines that defy description. Variety is the spice of life, they say. And that nagging side-brain itch you get when you’re trying to describe an aroma that just won’t let itself be assigned to any normal noun or adjective? I’m trying to learn to love that feeling, that little…
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Review: Grand Enclos du Château de Cérons Graves Rouge (2016)
Buying premium Cabernet at a steakhouse is a bit like buying a phone charger at an airport. If you gotta have it, then you gotta have it–but there are way better times and places to make that particular purchase. As a price-conscious wine lover, I try to maneuver around the restaurant markups while still treating…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Gaby “Silver Label” Canon-Fronsac Bordeaux (2014)
For this #MerlotThursday, I hopped the (metaphorical) pond back over to France for a Bordeaux break. The venue is Winestein’s Tasting Room in Grapevine, where I’ve landed after a long and exciting afternoon of trying out Texans wines. The wine is Château Gaby “Silver Label.” (It’s the second wine from the Château. The “Gold Label”…
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Merlot Thursday: Matanzas Creek Alexander Valley Merlot (2021)
Happy, happy #MerlotThursday! Today we’re tasting the 2021 Matanzas Creek Winery Merlot from California’s Alexander Valley. Sonoma County winemakers since 1977, Matanzas Creek emphasizes cooler-climate sites and has built a reputation on their Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. A little Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Bordeaux-style red is also grown. Recently, the winery has branched out to…
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Merlot Thursday: Res Fortes “Merlot Madness” Vin de France (2021)
“Merlot Madness” may be the first #MerlotThursday wine to address the elephant in the room. “Unlike the Academy Award winning film ‘Sideways,’” the label reads, “we have always loved full fruit flavour, soft tannins, and easy drinkability.” Hey, we love all those things, too! A weekly dive into a glass of Merlot has reminded us…
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Merlot Thursday: Captûre Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak Merlot (2021)
There’s a certain rebellious thrill to matching a big wine with a small occasion. In this case, the small occasion was 5 PM on a workday. And the big wine was the 2021 Merlot from Captûre Wines’ Pine Mountain estate.* I ordered this glass as a #MerlotThursday splurge after narrowly surviving (an exaggeration, but only…
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2025 TEXSOM Diaries: Sommer Camp Part Three
I spent five days volunteering at TEXSOM 2025 as part of the Sommer Camp program. These are my TEXSOM Diaries–a day-by-day, behind-the-scenes look at Texas’s premier wine education conference. Also check out Part One and Part Two! It’s Day Four of the wine wonderland that is Sommer Camp, and we’re getting started early: A Sunday…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Larmande Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (2005)
Today is a very special #MerlotThursday because I’m featuring a Merlot wine straight from the source: The Vins de Bordeaux expo table at TEXSOM 2025! The Bordeaux delegation is on the expo floor for all three days, pouring beautiful reds that rotate each day. Likewise, three winemakers are here for the conference: François Despagne of…
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Merlot Thursday: Hope Tree California Merlot (NV)
On the tasting table today is a $5 bottle of non-vintage Merlot from Sprouts Farmers Market. But is it a Merl-icious bargain, or a Merlot no-go? Time to grab my best dollar-store glassware and twist that cap! We are earnest aspirants to fine-wine appreciation in this household. But we’re also cool with not-so-fine wine and…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Franc Patarabet Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2020)
Like a made-from-scratch spinach dip, a pair of suede loafers, a corduroy armchair…the best things in the world are cozy and opulent at the same time. We can surely add Merlot to that list. Unapologetically plush and oh-so easy to enjoy, it’s no wonder Merlot has been snubbed by those who think wine needs to…