2014 Bordigioni Merlot

Happy Saturday!  I am back!  The past couple months have been a bit off on my wine blogging as I've been involved in a production of the Music Man at Elkhart Civic Theatre, and last weekend we did four performances and now my evenings are back to being my own.  So, you can expect at least a modest increase in my posts.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2014 Bordigioni Sonoma Valley Merlot which I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is primarily Merlot, with about 5% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in.  It's been a very hot day of yard work, so I am looking forward to some relaxation tonight!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the class, with a bit lighter body than you might expect from a Merlot.  The nose is quite fruity, with prominent aromas of blackberry, cherry and currant, with a hint of leather.  The taste is similarly fruit forward, with a rush of blackberry and currant that envelops your palate before transitioning to some notes of white pepper spice and a reprise of red currant.  The finish is quite refined, with well integrated tannins supporting the velvety smooth and very dry finish that lingers for several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, the looks can be deceiving with the lighter body, but this wine certainly delivers all I would expect from a nice Merlot.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from summer barbecue, burgers and brats to pasta, steaks and chops.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of a rare grilled prime sirloin steak topped with bleu cheese and grilled garlic scapes with some oven roasted Brussels sprouts with artisan bacon and a loaded baked potato.  Cheers!