
Levee & Loam Meritage Red Blend
Levee & Loam · Levee & Loam
Levee & Loam delivers a Meritage blend that respects the tradition without demanding a Bordeaux price tag. It's a straightforward, well-assembled wine that drinks above its weight class — the kind of bottle that earns a permanent spot in the weeknight rotation. Best enjoyed within two to three years of purchase.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Ripe blackcurrant and dark cherry dominate the opening, followed by a subtle cedar note that hints at some oak influence. There's a quiet floral undercurrent — something close to dried violet — that lifts the fruit and keeps it from feeling heavy.
Palate
Medium-to-full bodied with a core of blackcurrant and cherry that carries through from the nose. Cedar and a gentle toasted quality frame the fruit, while integrated tannins provide structure without being aggressive. A whisper of green pepper appears mid-palate, adding a classic Bordeaux-variety signature.
Finish
Moderate length with lingering cherry and a dry, cedar-tinged fade. Clean and balanced without overreaching.
Food Pairing
Grilled lamb chops with a rosemary-garlic crust, or a slow-braised beef short rib with root vegetables — dishes with enough richness to match the wine's structure without overpowering its fruit.
Levee & Loam draws its name from the earthen forces that shape California's vineyard landscapes, crafting Bordeaux-inspired blends that aim for approachability without sacrificing varietal integrity.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment

Passopisciaro Contrada P Terre Siciliane IGT 2021
Passopisciaro
Andrea Franchetti's Passopisciaro project maps Etna's contrade with obsessive precision, and Contrada P — from the Porcaria vineyard on Etna's north face — is a vivid demonstration of how volcanic fire, stored in the soil for millennia, shapes a wine's identity. Nerello Mascalese here is lean, focused, and electric.

Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne 2022
Vietti
Vietti's Tre Vigne Barbera shows how minimal oak aging can shape a wine without redefining it. The fruit remains front and center, with wood providing structure rather than flavor. For a daily-drinking red from a top Piedmont producer, it delivers remarkable clarity and balance.

Benanti Etna Rosso DOC 2021
Benanti
Benanti pioneered the modern Etna wine movement in the 1980s, and their entry-level Rosso remains a benchmark for the appellation. Nerello Mascalese grown on volcanic slopes delivers transparency, tension, and a sense of place that few wines at this price can match. A vivid expression of heat stored in stone.

Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga DOCG 2020
Marchesi di Gresy
Marchesi di Gresy's Martinenga vineyard is one of the historic crus of Barbaresco, and this 2020 shows the site's characteristic combination of elegance and structure. The tannins are fine-grained and the fruit pristine. A wine that rewards careful attention and moderate cellaring.