Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $13
Dark red in the glass with aromas of blackberry and dark berry and cherry on the palate. Â A slight tobacco finish with hints of smoke. Â Pairs well with chicken, veggies, grilled meat, pasta.
Recommendations: Merlot has, for a while, had a bit of a bad rap. Â I had been avoiding it for a while simply because I had had bad experiences with lower quality wines and it had clouded my judgement towards the entire varietal. Â However, this past year has changed my opinion of the grape, with Virginia producing several high quality Merlots. Â While this bottle didn’t come from Virginia (other side of the country in fact) it did continue the tradition that my home state has started of changing my opinion.
My wife and I picked up this bottle at a tasting event at our local wine shop. Â We had a hard time deciding between the Merlot and the Chardonnay from this winery, but ultimately went with the Merlot. Â We should have picked up more than one bottle. Â The deep red color of the wine in the glass was inviting to me as I love a dark colored wine – something comforting about it to me.
The aromas of berry, particularly blackberry were present but not overwhelming, and while there were some flavors of crushed dark fruit on the palate, I mostly got cherry, which I rather enjoyed. Â A hint of smoky tobacco on the finish with a smooth tannic finish made this a great wine to pair with a quick dinner of pizza and both my wife and I were wishing there was more in the bottle long after the last drop had been poured.
This is definitely a wine I would recommend, especially if you haven’t been keen on Merlot for whatever reason (I’m looking at you Sideways viewers). Â If this doesn’t change your opinion on Merlot than you really don’t like it and might not ever. Â Definitely one to grab.
