2006 Eagles Trace Napa Valley Merlot

So tonight I just got back home from visiting my uncle just south of Chicago and now it's time to relax as I begin to cook my Sunday dinner.  And to accompany my cooking exploits I've decided to open a bottle of 2006 Eagles Trace Napa Valley Merlot. As you know by now, I am an ardent fan Merlot and Napa produces some very nice ones. 

This wine is a lovely bright ruby in the glass with great clarity. The nose is a lovely combination of black currant, dark chocolate and ripe plum.  The taste is wonderfully complex with blackberry, wild herbs, and oak swirling around a base of delicate minerality. The tannins are well integrated creating a wonderfully opulent mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a great example of a lovely Merlot at a wonderful value as I bought a 4-pack vertical of the 2006 and 2007 vintages from Wines Till Sold Out for just $90!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine as I make one of my favorite winter dishes, seafood Newburg, with fresh clams, mussels, shrimp and bay scallops in a rich sherry cream sauce served over flaky pastry puffs.  The complex flavors of this wine really provide a nice counterbalance to the richness of the dish.  So yummy!!!