Happy Wine Wednesday! I admit it's been a while since my last post, but I've been so busy between work and the play I was in at our local civic theatre, but the last performance was a Sunday matinee and now I am officially done with work for the year, so expect more than a few postings between now and early January! Tonight, I've opened a perennial favorite Merlot, the 2019 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Valley Merlot. This wine is a blend of Merlot (77%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Malbec (8%) sourced from the Seven Hills, Waliser, Pepper Bridge and Octave Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. So, let's see how this wine is shaping up!
The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, somewhat lighter than the more boisterous Cabernets, but just as you'd expect from a nice Merlot. A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry with an overlay of baking spice, cocoa powder and just a hint of green cedar. At your first sip, you're greeted with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and currant that transition easily to some warm spice notes, intermingled with some earthy minerality. The tannins are supple and velvety, providing for a wonderfully smooth, dry finish that already has me reaching for another sip.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's always a wonderfully build Merlot. This wine would pair well with a range of hearty, comfort dishes so prominent in the winter months, from braised short ribs to Yankee pot roast, wild mushroom risotto to truffle mac and cheese. Tonight though, I am enjoying this wine with a tomahawk ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare, along with some oven roasted baby potatoes with rosemary and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts. Cheers!
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