At twelve years old, this pre-teen is more than ready to be enjoyed! Bordeaux wines with dominant merlot tend to be more approachable and easier to enjoy as a younger wine. The merlot dominant wine is soft and smooth yet full of blackberry, plum, green pepper, smoke and vanilla aromas and flavours. 

Aromas of tilled soil, underbrush and dark berry lead the nose. On the savory easygoing palate, fresh acidity and pliant tannins frame black cherry, clove and a hint of licorice- KERIN O'KEEFE ( Wine Enthusiast)

Rich and flavorful, the wine is well-structured with fine grained tannins. The palate has a pleasing brambleberry note that leads to a long finish with a hint of oak spice.

92 Points-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The blend of this entry-level red from Rioja changes with the year, and the 2016 Sela is 87% Tempranillo, 7% Graciano and 6% Garnacha, reflecting a cooler year. The aim here is to produce a delicate and pleasant wine to have by the glass or with starters. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak barrels for 12 months. It's young and fruit-driven, has good freshness and is easy to drink, with almost unnoticeable tannins.

The La Tour Carnet from Haut-Medoc is a blend of 68% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot to add that backbone structure. Dark red cherries, plums, smoke, leather, and cedar abound with silky tannins and fresh acidity. Although this is ready to drink now, give it ample time in a decanter for optimal drinking experience!

The jury is out on this wine from St. Emilion, whether to drink or hold. If you're looking for a Merlot dominant wine, look no further than this blend of 90% with added 10% Cabernet France for structure and concentration. As one would expect, it's soft and fleshy with plum and blackberry fruits, laced with clove, walnut, and black tea. This will still evolve over time but can be enjoyed now.

Dark ruby. Slight funk on the nose, but ripe red fruit and spice permeates. Intense flavours of ripe red Cherry, raspberry, strawberry, lemon salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Dry, medium bodied. Good acidity and low, soft tannins. ABV 13.5%. Juicy, fruity, and fresh. Natural wine that has rusticity.

94/100 Wine Enthusiast

"Matured two years in oak foudres, this full-bodied blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah balances piercing black cherry and cassis flavors against a firm structure of fine, penetrating tannins and bright acidity. Richly concentrated yet pristine in fruit, it finishes on a sultry, smoky streak of crushed stone and charred anise. Approachable in youth but likely to improve through 2030 and hold longer still. Anna Lee C. Iijima"

From the Piedmont wine region, BARBARESCO 2014 is an intense and full-bodied Barolo with dark fruit, underbrush and earthy flavours on the palate and would benefit from a couple more years in cellar.