Variety: Merlot
Region: California/Central Coast/Monterey County
Country: United States
Year: 2019
Price: $14.99
Winery Review
"This Merlot is better when it is warmer out. I was lucky it was a very warm and sunny day out not too hard but 65 degrees with a tad bit of wind. From the smell, right away you can detect coconut, plum, vanilla. The taste is more on the higher end of a Medium body wine. When you sip it, you will taste blueberry, spices, and plum. We had this with brie and jam and I also had another glass with German chocolate cake. The flavors really were present when paired with these items, I noticed. This one is sure to please a nice day, this I also did chill for about 20 minutes, this made a huge difference for the smell and the overall experience."
- Maryl72225 from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
Wine Folly
Wine Folly describes Merlot to be known for its "boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and smoky or chocolaty finish" (page 131). I think both times I sampled this bottle, I was able to pick up on most of those flavor descriptions; however, I was unable to pick up on all of these flavors at the same time. Although this will be further explained in my "professional" review, I felt like my food pairings transformed my understanding of this bottle. This first attempt, the wine felt tannic and chocolate; meanwhile, the second felt spicy and smokey. Strange how food can chemically change and transform my fundamental idea of how a wine tastes.
My Review
Now, typically I am not the biggest fan of a Merlot. I feel like the intensity of the tannins can make it pretty hard to enjoy. My palette is too young and stupid to truly enjoy the complexity found in a merlot. However, I found this piece to be bottle fairly enjoyable, but- because of what I was eating- the next time I bought the bottle the flavor was completely different. Despite the vintage and bottle being the same, two different bottles provided completely different experiences.
The first night I bought this bottle, my partner and I had paired it with a paneer tikka masala. The full bodied beverage went down smoothly, finishing with hints of chocolate and dark, oaky plums. It paired perfectly with the meal, enhancing the creamy tomato base in the curry. Although the description says it has hints of coconut and brown spices, I felt like the wine wasn't very spicy this first time. It felt more smooth, creamy, and jammy. A perfect compliment to a heavy meal.
The second time, however, was completely different, and in the worst possible way. I foolishly thought the chocolatey finish to this profile would pair well with late night chocolate chip cookies. I was wrong. This time I was able to pick up on the spicy finish, but it felt almost earthy. It was almost as if I had swallowed berry and black licorice infused mud. It was a horrible compliment to a dessert, but I think I should've probably guessed that a rich, full bodied merlot would not go well with a sweet treat. Perhaps a port or sparkling would have been more appropriate. Likewise, maybe a more rich, dark dessert- like black forest cake- would have been a much better companion.
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