Host
Derek & Joe
Date
October 22, 2010
Bottles
2006 Franciscan - Jess & Evan
2006 St. Francis Winery - Tara & Sean
2007 Brisco Reserva - Joe & Derek
2007 Blackstone Winery - Danielle & Anthony
2007 Clic Delle Venezie Rosso - Nicole
2007 Cupcake Vineyards - Danielle & John
2007 Hansom - Jennie & Phil
2008 Fetzer Vineyards - Katie & Brett
2008 Bodega Navarro Correas - Danielle & Anthony
2008 Yellow Tail Reserve - Jodi & Tim
Merlot
Merlot is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird (Turdus merula), probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.
Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Merlot is one of the primary grapes in Bordeaux wine where it is the most widely planted grape. Merlot is also one of the most popular red wine varietals in many markets. This flexibility has helped to make it one of the world's most planted grape varieties. As of 2004, Merlot was estimated to be the third most grown variety at 260,000 hectares (640,000 acres) globally, with an increasing trend. This put Merlot just behind Cabernet Sauvignon's 262,000 hectares (650,000 acres).
The Results
WINNER: 2007 Hansom Wines - 122.5 points out of 170
Producer: Hansom Wines
Vineyard: Hansom Wines
Country/State/Region: Healdsburg, California
Price: $18.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Full
Nose: Chocolate, Prune, Plum, Cinnamon, Blackberry
Taste: Brown Sugar, Blackberry, Raisin, Prune, Plum
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 8, 7, 5, 9, 7, 8, 8, 10, 7, 8, 8, 7.5, 10, 2, 6, 5, 6
2006 Franciscan - 119 points out of 170
Producer: Franciscan
Vineyard: Franciscan
Country/State/Region: Oakville, California
Price: $16.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Blueberry, Vanilla, Oak, Blackberry, Raspberry, Cherry
Taste: Oak, Pepper, Vanilla, Blueberry, Cherry, Raspberry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7, 7, 5, 8, 6, 7, 7.5, 9, 6, 7, 9, 10, 8, 7, 8.5, 4, 3
2008 Fetzer Vineyards - 117 points out of 170
Producer: Fetzer Vineyards
Vineyard: Fetzer Vineyards
Country/State/Region: Hopland, California
Price: $10.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Light
Nose: Vanilla, Cherry, Plum, Strawberry
Taste: Spice, Cherry, Earth, Strawberry, Blackberry
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 5, 7, 8, 7, 9, 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 6.5, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6
2008 Bodega Navarro Correas - 107.5 points out of 170
Producer: Bodega Navarro Correas
Vineyard: Bodega Navarro Correas
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Herbal
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Light
Nose: Rose, Cherry, Strawberry, Plum
Taste: Plum, Prune, Blackberry
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 9, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7.5, 7.5, 7, 4, 5, 0, 5, 9, 4, 7.5, 6, 5
Producer: Casella Wines
Vineyard: Casella Wines
Country/State/Region: Yenda, Australia
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Full
Nose: Blueberry, Raisin, Raspberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, Smoke
Taste: Oak, Raspberry, Cedar, All Spice, Coffee
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7.5, 8, 7, 9, 5, 4, 5, 3, 3, 7, 10, 7, 7, 5, 5, 5, 6
2006 St. Francis Winery - 85 points out of 170
Producer: St. Francis Winery
Vineyard: St. Francis Winery
Country/State/Region: Santa Rosa, California
Price: $23.99
Aroma: Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Blackberry, Blueberry, Vanilla, Rose
Taste: Raspberry, Coffee, Smoke, Olive
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 6, 6, 6, 8, 3, 4, 5, 8, 5, 4, 4, 4.5, 4, 3, 5.5, 4, 5
2007 Briseo Reserva - 84 points out of 170
Producer: CVSCS
Vineyard: CVSCS
Country/State/Region: La Consulta, Mendoza
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Oak, Herbal
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Blackberry, Raspberry, Grass, Blueberry
Taste: Blackberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Cedar, Pepper
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 6, 6.5, 6.5, 7.5, 6.5, 7, 6, 4, 5, 5, 0, 3, 9, 5, 4, 2, 1
2007 Blackstone Winery - 82.5 points out of 170
Producer: Blackstone Winery
Vineyard: Blackstone Winery
Country/State/Region: Woodbridge, California
Price: $12.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Cinnamon, Pepper, Vanilla, Hazelnut
Taste: Cedar, Smoke, Earth, Pepper, Coffee, Grass, Vegetables
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 2, 2, 2, 8, 8, 6, 7, 3, 3, 5.5, 7, 5
2007 Clic Delle Venezie Rosso - 77 points out of 170
Producer: Ronco Dei Tassi di Coser Fabio & Co.
Vineyard: Ronco Dei Tassi di Coser Fabio & Co.
Country/State/Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Price: $13.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Blackberry, Raspberry
Taste: Pepper, Prune, Mold
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 3, 5, 7, 7.5, 1, 6, 7, 6.5, 2, 3, 0, 9, 4, 2, 5, 4, 5
2007 Cupcake Vineyards - 58 points out of 170
Producer: Cupcake Vineyards
Vineyard: Cupcake Vineyards
Country/State/Region: Livermore, California
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Rose, Pepper, Raspberry
Taste: Rose, Pepper, Strawberry, Black Cherry, Mocha
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 6, 6, 3, 3, 6, 3, 3, 2, 2, 8, 1, 3, 1, 1, 2, 4, 4
NICOLE!!! What is the deal with no recap and no pictures of me again (the one where you only see my hat doesn't count)? I think you are spending way too much time on your other 7 blogs...lol...jk!
ReplyDeletei LOVE the last picture of DC lol... hilarious!
ReplyDeleteEvan - I hate doing the recaps. You are an author on this blog as well and you can do it. You remember more anyway, and when I DO write them, you change them. So - go for it.
ReplyDeleteI totally took that picture of DC with my mad picture taking skills. Joe ain't got nothin' on me!
WHY IS THERE STILL NO RECAP!!! Nic, you are redic. I can't do everything. The blog is your thing. But for the sake of the 4 readers we have (Me, You, Jess and Tara), I will write this one, BUT ITS THE ONE AND ONLY TIME!!!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I found Merlot night to be a bit lacking on the wine side of things, but I am not a Merlot fan. It was certainly better than Cab Franc night though. However I really enjoyed the festive halloween candy platter provided by our hosts (Derek and Joe). They also supplied a variety of delicious berries which complemented the wine nicely. We welcomed Danielle and John to their first wine night. John was very essential to the evening, as he provided us all with constant updates on baseball's ALCS Game 6 and eventually was the barer of bad news, informing us all that our beloved New York Yankees sucked the big one and would not be baseball's 2010 World Series Champs. Beyond that, Phil and Jennie took home their first win with Hansom Merlot, just barely beating Jess and I out for what would have been our 4th win. They will hold Montepulciano night at their hours on November 19. Funny incident that proceeded the night's events...While I was completing the wine sheets a few days later, I realized that I had gotten a bit too tipsy and forgot to write down which bottles matched-up with with score sheet. This, of course, got me very upset and resulted in me texting everyone to see if they remembered in what place their bottles finished. It was a nightmare for me, but I got it done. I'm sure you are all saying what a terrible story that was...WHATEVER!!! THIS IS NICOLE'S JOB FROM NOW ON!!!
I love the photos and details
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very great tasting wine. This is a great opportunity for wine club members to have a taste of the latest wine each month.
ReplyDelete