Tag Archives: merlot

Chateau Lamarsalle 2010

18 Thursday Dec 2014

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From Montagne St. Emilion comes this rather tasty wine.  Bright purple with a nose of kirsch, cassis and oak.  Crisp opening with a dried blueberry, spice box, graphite.  Mouth coating tannins are smooth and offset by some balanced acidity. This is a delicious, young wine that highlights the best of 2010 Bordeaux. Easily enjoyed now, it has the stuffing to cellar until 2020 at least. I’m willing to bet this one develops those beautiful secondary flavors that the region is famous for. Perfumed smoothness is instantly credited to the 55% Cab Franc, the balance is Merlot. Yummy and 90 points for this $20 effort.  4 stars.  Salut….

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Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells Merlot 2011

22 Monday Sep 2014

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We bought this wine in Truckee where I stayed after the Reno Air Race weekend.  I have had this winery’s offerings on several occasions and recall reading about the Indian Wells wines that got favorable reviews.  Standing in a Safeway wine aisle one has to go with memory and gut, not pricing and labels.  This was a sure winner.

Priced at $15 and getting a WS score of 88 make this a good deal, I however went higher.  Pure merlot plums and butterscotch greeted on the first whiff.  Great balance of fruit, tannins and acidity came on the initial attack of purple plum torte and blackberry jam which had a sliver of oak thrown in.  Blackish purple with good extraction were the clues I got on the first pour, I was not disappointed.  91 points easy from me and 5 stars without a doubt.  The beauty of this wine is it’s consistency and the fact that they make a crapload of it making it readily available.  Buy this one by the case for a great party wine that is flexible with most foods.  2014 to 2017.  Salut….

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Wolf Blass Yellow Label Merlot 2012

16 Friday May 2014

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I got a good deal on two bottles of Yellow Label, this Merlot and a Cab Sav.  I have had this line before and recall it’s consistency and value for money.  I was not disappointed, and was happy to spend $10 each (RRP $17).

The wine was a deep purple in the glass which was a good start.  On the nose I got a very interesting mix of ripe plums and oak which carried through on the palate.  I also got a strange yet intriguing taste that I noted ‘woodsy component like green tree branches’.  Transitioning to the mid palate is where the Kirsch and sour cherries kicked in with some nutmeg and cola.  I feel this wine is slightly backward right now but expect it will sort itself out in the near future.  The tannins are gentle and the acidity is present in this South Australia wine.  I’m going with 89 points and 4 stars for the price.  Salut….

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Montes Classic Series Merlot 2012

28 Monday Apr 2014

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A bargain for $9, but only if you like the style in which it is made.  Me, not so much.  It started out with sweet plums and cherry cola on the nose supported by a generous dose of oak.  Merlot makes up the majority of the blend in this Chilean wine and gives it a youthful plum profile on the palate with a high degree of acidity.  Very slight tannins give an easy to drink mouthfeel, yet the wine is over oaked with lashings of wood and vanilla.  It is a casual drinking bottle that may appeal to many as an aperitif with some nuts, olives and bruschetta.  I am going with 84 points and 2 stars.  Salut….

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Merryvale Merlot 2007, revisited

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Back in January I discovered two bottles of this Napa Merlot blend.  I opened the first and was horrified by the state of the cork. I wrote about the wine and promised a re-taste.  Yesterday was our first real day of Spring weather, so I got the patio sorted out, cleaned the Weber and decided to open the Merryvale to go along with marinated Flank steak.  It was a glorious evening and a great precursor to the Game of Thrones season opener, bliss.

I was right, this is a damn good wine.  Forget what you saw in the movies, Merlot is a great wine and so is Chardonnay.  Merlot is highly adaptable, smooth, makes a good blend and has the stuffing to cellar for years.  It offers a softer side to Cabernet Sauvignon but has the grace to make it’s own name (Think Chateau Petrus plus the majority of St. Emilions and Right Bank of Bordeaux.)  It is blended in the this bottling with a touch of two other noble grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

I immediately got plums and currants on the nose which is way better than the last bottle.  A full bodied attack of black berries and plums was simply delicious.  This wine is rich and gorgeous with great tannins rounding out the damson and earth finish.  Good acidity give this wine the balance I was hoping for along with the great mouthfeel.  I’m bumping it up to 91 points and for $46 it is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

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Spring, glorious spring....

Spring, glorious spring….

Merryvale Merlot Napa Valley 2007

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Several points about this wine.  Firstly, I don’t remember buying it, or the second bottle I found in my ‘to drink’ rack.  Perhaps one of my mates brought them over for Thanksgiving when I was not here yet Moxie has no recollection of this occurring.  Oh well, free booze is free booze.

Secondly, the cork on bottle #1 was badly stained, never a good sign.  I sliced the second one open to see, it is safe.  So…. I will write based on the fact that I suspect this wine to be flawed, which is a shame considering it’s heritage, reputation and price.

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As you can see, pretty grim on the left side.  I shall endeavor to open the other one soon so I have a fresh recollection.   Anyway, back to the details.  Mostly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make this more of a Right Bank blend which excites me.  The wine is inky dark in the glass and unfortunately had a slightly oxidized nose of plums and blackberry.  On the palate I was in for a surprise.  The wine had survived nearly intact.  Big juicy black berries and dark plums with a deft addition of the wood and some spices make this a full-on wine of great depth.  The tannic structure is great with some dryness on the back end, right where it should be. I did not sense any imbalance but did notice a slight oxidized note on the finish.  I am lucky this bottle showed so well, now if only I could find it’s source!  I am giving a provisional 90 points and found it online for about $46.  Potentially a 4 star wine for me, we shall have to wait for the re-taste to confirm.  Salut….

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Chateau Les Chapelles 2009

09 Monday Dec 2013

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From Montagne Saint-Emilion comes this Merlot/Cab blend.  It was very dark in the glass and bitingly tannic with some hidden fruits lurking.  I think I drank it too young as the main flavor was the dryness of my teeth.  I did manage to get plums and coffee with some interesting oak on the back end, but generally a muted wine.  I paid $18 for it and give it 87 points making it a 3 star effort for me.  I think it might improve but the fruit is going to really need to shine and the tannins need to recede for it all to balance up.  Salut….

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Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc 2009

06 Friday Dec 2013

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From South Africa comes this amazing Bordeaux blend for a mere $15.  Inky purple in the glass it showed off dark fruits on the nose with a hint of mintiness.  The flavor was sublime and the finish was nice and dry from the firm tannins.  The purple flavors of plums and blackcurrant were mingled with some slight oak and cassis.  Very balanced and showing complexity, I loved this wine.  I have read about it in several magazines over the years and this is the first time I have seen it in the shops, I  will be back to buy more.  Still young but drinkable, I reckon it will start to peak in 2015 and go for another 5 years.  I would pair this with Venison or Lamb chops all day long.  5 stars for this 91 point effort.  Salut….

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d’Arenberg The Galvo Garage 2008

04 Wednesday Dec 2013

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Another wine from this awesome winery in Mclaren Vale, Australia.  This bottle is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot- the cornerstones of the Bordeaux blend.  I was really excited to try this as the blend is right up my alley.  Bold and beautiful in the glass it showed its power right away.  Plums and Black cherries with a rich and smoky oak  came blasting throughout the gripping tannins.  On the backend came a eucalyptus tinge that was very interesting.  The wine is very young and in need of cellaring, perhaps from 2014- 2020 is where I would think it’s peak is.  Great balance and structure make this $23 wine a bargain.  Think Roast Beef and this wine will sing.  91 points and 5 stars from me.  I think I need to get more for the dungeon. Salut….

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Chateau Bel Air 2008

03 Tuesday Dec 2013

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A Bordeaux Superier from a modest vintage that did not break the bank.  $12 buys an everyday Cab/Merlot blend with tasty red fruits and some cassis.  The tannins seemed a little unripe to me, almost like they had let some green stems stay in the must a little too long.  The result was a slightly angular back end finish.  I would buy it again and pair it with a cheese platter and some cold cuts.  Nothing special here yet appealing for some reason or another.  85 points and 3 stars.  Salut….

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