2014 Anvil Walla Walla Merlot

Good Sunday afternoon!  I know it's been a remarkably long time since I've posted, but I am going to make up for it over the next couple weeks.  You see, I took a bit of a vacation to go out to Walla Walla for the 2018 Reveal auction and had a wonderful few days enjoying the wine, food and wonderful friends in my favorite wine-making area, so I promise at least three posts on that trip, with plenty of photos!  But for tonight, I've just decided to relax with a nice bottle of 2014 Anvil Merlot, a 100% Merlot from the Minnick Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  I tasted this in the Forgeron tasting room last weekend, so I couldn't wait to get home where my wine club shipment was waiting for me.  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a lovely deep indigo with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Merlot.  The nose is a generous helping of blackberry and black cherry overlaid with hints of mint and earthy mineral notes.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit that envelopes your palate, washing it with rich notes of cassis, that gradually reveals layers of wonderful minerality and black pepper spice.  This finish is velvety smooth and very dry, with well integrated tannins that make this wine a joy to sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it has to rank near the top of my favorite examples of Merlot.  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dishes, from steaks and chops, to prime rib, to your favorite pasta dish, but tonight of course I'm enjoying this with steak.  Tonight it's a rare prime filet mignon with grilled leeks and brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!