Quick Review: Albertina "Lorilai's Reserve" Merlot 2009

US, CA, Mendocino, Albertina "Lorilai's Reserve" Merlot 2009
+ // Fruity // Spice, Leather, Chocolate, Cherry  // Black pepper, Cherry, Savory // Medium

Hot. "Bigger" than preferred. Flavor dissipates quickly, but the hotness lingers.

Quick Review: Brooklyn Oenology Merlot

US, NY, Brooklyn Oenology Merlot 2006
/ // Spicy // Leather, Cherry, Petrol // Spicy, Cherry // Medium

Some balance against Portabello & Beet, sweet & earthy. An earthy wine should have gone better with the sliders.

Quick Review: Channing Daughters Merlot Rosato

US, NY, Long Island, Channing Daughters, Merlot Rosato
++ // Earthy // Slate, Fruit // Earth, Fruit, Leather // Light

Quick Review: Wines at The Forge

We couldn't go wrong - the wines were exceptional at The Forge.

US, CA, Napa Valley, Sterling "Three Palms" Merlot 2008

++ // Fruity // Bright ripe fruit

Fr, Bordeaux, Chateau-Bel Air, St Emillon

++ // Earthy // Tart Fruit, Earth,

US, CA, Ravenswood Zinfandel "Teldeschi" 2008

++ // Fruity // Cherry, Berry, Pepper // Medium-Full

Quick Reviews: Pedroncelli Red Wines

US, CA, Sonoma Valley, Pedroncelli Winery Dry Rosé of Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Signature Collection 2012 ++ // Funky // Light petrol, apple // Candy apple, grapefruit rind // Light

Very complex. A bit astringent, but not in a bad way at all. The bitterness is offset by the sweet fruit flavor. Great as a pre-dinner sipping wine. It reminded us of Campari, but was not as bitter. Got the saliva flowing. Our favorite wine from the Pedroncelli Winery mailing.


US, CA, Sonoma Valley, Pedroncelli Winery “Friends Red” 2011
++ // Fruity - Earthy // Dark berry // Dark berry, cooking spices (clove, cardamom), tannins graphite // Medium

A blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Syrah. Almost inky in color, this complex red starts out fruity, moves on to earthy, and then finishes tart. A very drinkable and versatile table wine.


US, CA, Sonoma Valley, Pedroncelli Winery Bench Vineyards Merlot 2011
++ // Fruity // Raspberry // Raspberry, cherry, white pepper // Medium

Very juicy and fruity. The white pepper “spice” on the finish balances the fruit well.

Quick Review: Chateau Haut Lavigne

FR, Chateau Haut Lavigne, Cotes-de-Duras, 2007

/ // Smooth // Barnyard // Tart, cranberry // light

Some off flavors in this Merlot blend from the southwest of France left us with an uninspiring glass of wine.

Quick Review: Wine at Hill Cafe

US, WA, Washington Heights Merlot
+ // Spicy // Earth, Grass, Nutmeg, Berry // Pepper, Blackberry // Medium

Added a spice to the Beef Bourguignon

Bordeaux
++ // Fruity // Cherry // Kiwi, Starfruit // Full

Quick Review: Duckhorn Merlot Part 2

US, CA, Napa, Duckhorn Merlot 2003
++ // Fruity // Blackberry, Raspberry, Herbs // Oak, Coffee, Strawberry // Full
Big, bright flavors, but the tannins were starting to come through and hint that they might overpower the fruit flavors.

US, CA, Napa, Duckhorn Merlot 2002
++ // Fruity // Prune, Dried Berries, Hay // Chocolate, Cherry, Oak, Forrest Floor // Full
This was a difficult vintage, with a hot summer that seemed to come through in some over-ripe fruit flavors.

US, CA, Napa, Duckhorn Merlot 2000
++ // Spicy-Earthy // Blackberry, Cherry, Nutmeg, Fig // Pepper, Chocolate, Berry, Oak // Full
This was a great example of how a great wine can stand up to some aging. The flavors were more subtle and blended than the 2005, but were still huge in the mouth. It was just a bit more difficult to isolate any single flavor note.

Did You Know?... About Merlot

Merlot is a red grape, second only in global production to Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a fairly hardy grape, and is grown throughout the wine world, but is possibly most famous for its use in Bordeaux blends. Given its wide range of growing locations, it defies any specific flavor profile, but often results in a "smooth" wine. The wide range of flavors means a wine range of possible pairings, but the stronger New World styles can stand up to hearty meat dishes, while the lighter French style pairs well with lighter proteins.

Quick Review: Duckhorn Merlot Part 1

US, CA, Napa, Duckhorn Merlot 2009
++ // Fruity // Berry, Peach, Cola, Brown Sugar // Earth, Cherry, Currant, Fig, Oak // Full
This wine was just released, and definitely needed to spend some more time in the bottle to tone down its more astringent flavors, but it showed some great potential.

US, CA, Napa, Duckhorn Merlot 2007
++ // Spicy // Floral, Cherry // Blackberry, Oak, Chocolate, Green Pepper // Medium
This one too seemed like it could stand a little more aging, as there was still some "spikiness" to the flavors.

US, CA, Napa, Duckhorn Merlot 2005
++ // Smooth // Hay, Coffee, Dark Cherry // Cherry, Coffee, Cinnamon, Earth // Full
Apparently this was the largest vintage they have ever produced, by volume, and a perfect season. It was also the high point of the tasting, for us, as it seemed to be the perfectly balanced wine; fruit and earth notes still balanced against a strong tannic backbone.

2012 NYC Wine & Food Festival: Duckhorn Merlot

As the last of our three tasting events at the New York Wine and Food festival, we were invited to a vertical tasting of Merlot from Duckhorn Vineyard in Napa Valley. Duckhorn was the first winemaker in Napa valley to focus on Merlot, while most everyone else was looking at Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. For the past 40 years, they have sourced grapes from the northern reaches of the Napa appellation, where the climate and soils are more conducive to Merlot.

In 1978, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn released their first Merlot, based on the Bordeaux style--more subtle flavors, with a balance of fruit and earth. Since then, they have been one of the premiere producers of Merlot in California. As demand for Californian wines grew, the demand for Merlot outstripped the supply...until the movie Sideways came along, and ruined everything. These days, the public's demand for Merlot has stabilized to be the second highest consumed varietal, after Cabernet Sauvignon, and Duckhorn continues to release a wide range of wines under a wide range of brand names (all focused on the duck theme), from simple table wines to complex and subtle single-vineyard wines.

We had a chance to try wines from one of their premier vineyards, the Three Palms vineyard, and from six vintages ranging from 2009 to 2000. Each was amazing in its own way, and we learned a few important things.

• These wines are made to be aged; they are held for 3 years before they are released, and will generally reach their peak in 3-5 years.
• Merlot has some big flavors, and pairs well with red meats; something simple with an older bottle, but big, strong flavors with a wine at its peak.
• They recommend we taste our wines from oldest to youngest, as the flavors get more subtle as the wine gets older and the young ones can kind of overwhelm the palette in comparison.

This was a great tasting for us, an opportunity to get a better understanding of what the best of Merlot can really taste like.

 

Quick Reviews: Brooklyn Winery Merlot Rose

US, NY, Brooklyn Winery, Merlot Rose, 2011

+  // Earthy  // Earth, Blueberry // Earth, Stone, Berries // Medium bodied
A hint of effervescence.

Quick Review: Airplane Wine

South Africa, Leopard's Leap, Merlot, 2008
+ // Earthy // Cherry, Leather, Grass/herbs / / Plums, Cherry // Light

South Africa, The Gander, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010
/ // Sweet // Citrus, Apple // Apple // Medium

Quick Review... Silver Springs Winery Merlot

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Silver Springs Winery, Don Giovanni Bold Merlot, 2005
+ // Earthy // Earth, Oak, Cherry // Oak, Pepper, Cherry // Full

QUICK REVIEW

United States, New York, Long Island, Raphael Vineyards, Estate Merlot, 2008

+ // Fruity // Leather, Spice, Berry // Strawberry, Raspberry, Leather // Medium

QUICK REVIEW: 4 from Palmer Vineyards

Palmer Vineyards, Long Island, NY

Photo courtesy of http://www.palmervineyards.com/

Riesling 2010
/ // Crisp // Apple // Grape, Green Apple // Light

Gewurtztraminer 2010
+ // Spicy // Floral // Floral, Spice, Cloves // Medium

Rose Merlot 2010
+ // Fruity // Cherry, Pepper // Cherry, Pepper, Cloves, Grass // Medium

Cabernet Franc 2008
+ // Earthy // Petrol, Oak // Oak, Black Cherry, Inky // Medium

QUICK REVIEW

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Silver Springs Winery, Don Giovanni Merlot, 2004

+ // Earthy // Oak // Black pepper, Sweet pepper, Cherry // Medium

Photo Courtesy
http://www.silverspringswinery.com/

QUICK REVIEW: Leidenfrost Vineyards

Five from Leidenfrost Vineyards

Named after the original founder, this farm has been growing grapes since 1947, and growing Vinifera grapes (the European varietals most often used in wine) since the 1980s.

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Leidenfrost Vineyards, Dry Riesling, 2009
+ // Crisp // Citrus, Lychee // Lemon, Oak // Medium

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Leidenfrost Vineyards, Baco Noir, 2010
+ // Earthy // Plum, Pepper, Leather // Dark Cherry, Bitter Chocolate // Medium

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Leidenfrost Vineyards, Catawba (rosé), NV
+ // Sweet // Rose, Lychee // Apple, Lychee // Full

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Leidenfrost Vineyards, Merlot, 2007
+ // Spicy // Plum, Leather, Tobacco // Smoke, Tobacco // Full

US, New York, Finger Lakes, Leidenfrost Vineyards, Encore 2, NV
+ // Sweet // Floral, Clove // Honey, Sweet Plum, Sweet Grape // Medium

Did you know . . . Noble Grapes

All hail the chosen grapes! These six grapes provide the foundation for wine production around the world and are often called the "noble grapes" due to their importance. 

They are:

• Chardonnay
• Riesling
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir

The first three are whites, the last three are reds. Wine regions often advertise being leaders in production from a particular grape on this list, but, at the end of the day, these six grapes are all that you need to know and recognize in order to select wine with confidence. Pretty basic, right?

While some experts have lengthened this list by adding more varietals, we take comfort in knowing that we can always find these 6 grapes on a wine menu or in a wine store. You can ignore the rest if you want to: with just these six grapes, you still have a lifetime of experimenting with region, vintage (year), and blends. We promise you won't get bored.

Summer of Rosé: The Results

How do rosé wines stack up against the flavors of summer? While city life makes it tough to grill outdoors, I improvised on the stove-top griddle. To test this, I ventured to the local farmers market and butcher and ended up with a pretty decent menu for the weekend.

Hamburger

French Fries
Fresh watermelon

Pork Chops

Grilled Tomato
Corn on the cob
Potato salad

 

Tortilla chips

Pretzels
Snap peas & broccoli
Spinach & artichoke dip

 Our first dinner was a mixed bag. The fruitiness of the Bordeaux well balanced the watermelon, and hints of minerality popped against the heartiness of the burger slathered in mustard and ketchup. The light, sweet flavors of the Negroamaro was buried under the flavors of the burger and fries, though it worked well with the bright, fresh flavors of the melon. The real winner here was the Pinot Noir. While its robust flavors overpowered the melon, the smokier oak notes complimented the burger, and the salt of the fries really made the flavors pop.

The snacks (meal #2) were simple, mild flavors. They didn’t stand a chance against the Pinot Noir. The sweetness of the Negroamaro proved to be an odd counterpoint to the mostly savory flavors. Overall, the Bordeaux paired the best. The subdued sweetness of the wine went well with the hints of fresh, sweet flavors of the veggies, and the hints of minerality played off the saltiness of the chips and pretzels.

For the final meal, all three wines worked fairly well. The sweet potato salad and corn paired  well with the sweet flavors in all of the wines, though the heavier berry notes of the Negroamaro may have been a bit too fruity against the corn. The tomato was a fairly simple flavor that nearly disappeared in the overall meal, but again seemed to bring out the sweeter flavors in all of the wines. Against the hearty, fatty flavors of the pork, the sweeter wines paired well, the fruitiness cutting through the richness of the pork. The more robust flavors of the Pinot Noir proved to be a bit strong, but like with the burger, smokey notes from the oak worked well with the meat. In all, this was by far the most successful round, with each of the wines having something to offer.

I declare the experiment a success. Rosé offers a range of flavors, leaning towards the fruitier side that pair well with the fresh, sweet flavors of summer fruits and veggies. The more robust flavors can compliment hearty grilled foods. And all of this holds up well to being chilled. I know we’ll be stocking up to last us through the warm months.