Merlots are one of those wines that for me I can’t get over being non-varietal. I have a picture of what a Merlot ought to be in great vivid details. No idea why Merlot is like that for me but it is. So I always approach Merlots cautiously with little expectations. I always watch for mention of plum for it to be varietal and look for spciy notes such as peppery for non-varietal. To date my favorite Merlots have come from California. So with that up front, I cracked this one. As usual I tasted it an hour before the meal to check on breathing. Generally I would not breath a Merlot. Man was I glad I checked. The wine is deepd in color with a varietal bouquet albeit a bit of a strong one. Then onto the tasting. On the mid pallet there are some Merlot flavors. So far so good. Some oaks are definitely prevalent. And then it hits me. Like a baseball bat that comes from no where. A whack of tannins and pepperyness on the finish. So intense it made my tongue tingle. This wine to some extent reminds me of some Niagara Merlots. Not a good thing because for me Niagara does not make a good Merlot. The wine after an hour of decanting softened significantly. I suspect this wine is too young and needs more time in the bottle. That would soften the tannins. In the end, if you had some patience, this wine would improve but it will never be a fabulous Merlot. I would give it an 87-88. I won’t be returning the unfinished bottle but I will be returning the remaining ones I have bought.
From the LCBO web site:
JJ HAND MADE WINES MERLOT 2006
WO Stellenbosch (Stellenrust)
This wine won a Gold Medal at the 2008 Veritas Awards, one of South Africa’s most important and respected wine competitions. This Merlot earns its ‘hand-made’ moniker through the low-tech, gentle winemaking techniques used to make it. No machinery is used in the process. Aged for 18 months in oak, and bottled unfiltered, this charismatic wine features plum, black cherry and blueberry fruit flavours with notes of spice and cedar. It’s dry, round, medium bodied and ready to serve alongside roast pork or smoked cheddar. 96586 (XD) 750 mL $17.95
Bottle
