Varietal:  Meritage (58% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Franc; 2% Petit Verdot)
Region: Virginia – Charlottesville – USA
Cost: $10
Light to medium red color in the glass, with aromas of cherry and crushed berries. Â Flavors of cherry and fresh berry with a hint of pepper on the finish. Â Pairs well with grilled or roasted chicken and prime rib.
Recommendations: It’s been raining for three days here in Virginia, at least in my part of it, and nothing makes me want to drink some good red wine quite like a dreary rainy day. Â Because of that, last night my wife and I opened up a bottle of the 2005 Blenheim Vineyards Meritage. Â I’d picked this one up during our March trip through Virginia wine country, and with a dinner of some chicken out of the oven and orzo pasta it just sounded right.
It would have been right with anything. Â If you haven’t guessed already, Blenheim is hands down one of my favorite vineyards, both in and out of Virginia. Â Wines like this are the reason. Â The blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot gave a great wine that was full of fruit, but had just a hint of pepper on the end that was tempered by the Petit Verdot. Â Cherry and raspberry flavors were smooth, and the wine was light in the mouth.
If I had to describe this wine to somebody I’d probably call it a more fruit forward Cabernet Franc, but it’s really so much more than that. Â This is a great wine to just have around, and at $10 a bottle it’s arguably one of the best values I’ve come across. Â Sadly I don’t think it’s available anymore, though if you’re out at the vineyard (which I recommend) and they do still have some available, I do recommend snapping up as much as you can.
This has been a good all, purpose go-to red for us for a while (thanks to the $10 price and a case discount when Blenheim still had the wine in stock). I think the “meritage” label misleads people, but it is still a solid wine if not a great meritage.