2016 Forgeron Cellars Imaginarium Red Wine

Well, it's been raining since lunch time, so I've been doing a lot of indoor chores today with hopes of getting out to do yard work tomorrow.  In the meantime, I've decided to open a bottle of wine that I've been looking forward to trying for a while, the 2016 Forgeron Cellars Imaginarium Red wine, the first in their Artist series (and you can see from the label, the artwork is very impressive!).  This wine (which will be a future wine club selection for my peeps) is a blend of Merlot (65%), Syrah (15%), Grenache (15%) and Malbec (5%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see how the wine compares to the art!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass with nice clarity, classic with the heavy hand of Merlot in the blend.  The nose is a somewhat subdued affair, with a bit of smoke, cassis, cocoa and a hint of floral notes over the top.  The taste is a rush of ripe red berries, cherry, raspberry and currant that transitions to some interesting mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated, supporting a velvety smooth and dry finish with a reprise of Bordeaux-esque funk at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a remarkably consistent and interesting, but approachable and all at a price that could easily make this an everyday wine (if not for the limited production of just 503 cases!).  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from lamb to beef stew to braised beef ribs.  Tonight I am taking a completely different approach and enjoying this wine with a classic moules frites!  Cheers!