Wine of the week #29: Merlot (Red/Chile)

Hi all,

Continuing on the top grapes, I have hunted down the Pub's favourite: Chilean Merlots. Four wines under £10, from £3.99 to £8.99 tasted blinded. And the winner is:

It is

A dry red wine made from Merlot grapes in Chile.

Expect

Appearance: deep ruby, sparse thick legs.

Nose: blackberries, black fruits, pepper and spices.

Palate: very fruit driven with red fruits (red currants, raspberries) with some sweet spices and hints of pepper too, medium bodied, warm pleasant alcohol, slight acidity imbalance and relatively long finish with some tannins but relatively fine-grained.

Score: 11/20 (not taking into account price)

You'll like it if you like: red plums, smooth-textured wines, easy drinking wines, relatively low structure and tannins, Beaujolais, young Tempranillo, standard Bordeaux.

Have it with

Almost anything? Merlot is one of the most versatile grape so try it 

I would recommend some bacon-wrapped chicken or a roasted pork belly. 

Where to find it & scores

1) Laithwaites - The Patriots - £6.99 - See above. 11/20

2) Tesco - Frontera - £6.99 - More complexity (fruits & layers of tobacco) but shorter finish and slightly sticky tannins. 10/20

3) Waitrose - Montgras - £8.99 - Beautiful bottle, smooth wine but slightly sticky tannins and shorter finish. 9/20

4) Tesco - Chilean Merlot - £3.99 - Confected fruit on the nose, easy to drink but bland. 5/20

Did you know?

> DNA research has proven to be the progeny of cabernet franc and another still unknown grape variety.

> Merlot is a black grape that is relatively easy to grow: it ripens easily and produce high yields.

> Merlot can be found in moderate climates (e.g. Bordeaux, Italy) where it tends to produce red fruit driven medium-bodied wines and in hot climates (Chile, South Africa, California) where the black fruit and alcohol dominates.

> In Saint Emilion and Pomerol wines, Merlot is the dominant grape variety, which gives its generally smoother and fruitier flavours.

> There is a white merlot variety which is not a mutation of the black merlot and is still grown in very low quantity in Bordeaux.

Whatever wine you drink this weekend, enjoy your wine!

:@lex

Wine of the week #28 - Unoaked Chardonnay (White/New World)

Hi all,

After the Shiraz challenge, I've gone for the Chardonnay blind tasting challenge! I randomly selected 4 unoaked Chardonnays under £10 from Chile, Argentina and Australia. The best of the 4 is here below!

It is

A dry white wine made from Chardonnay grapes in the Central Valley in Chile.

Expect

Appearance: a very pale lemon with sparse legs.

Nose: subtle nuances of apple, butter and pears with some toastiness. Slightly reminiscent of mid-range white Burgundys. 

Palate: light wine with relatively thin texture and alcohol (12.5%). Medium-strong flavours of apple, pears & cream/butter with a lime zest finish. Very good balance between acidity and fruit.

Score: 12/20

Easy, crisp & fruity white with creamy apples & pears flavours and a zippy lime zest finish. Great simple quaff.

You'll like it if you like: half price Chablis, apple crumble, pears, cream, light dry wines, seafood.

Have it with:

Chicken pasta in creamy sauce or a Creamy Garlic Penne.

White fish in creamy sauce like this Grilled white fish in lemon & basil cream sauce.

Find it or others:

1) Laithwaites - Don Cayetano - £6.99 - See above.

2) Waitrose - Santa Julia - £5.30 (on offer) - Argentinian fruity Chardonnay with lovely apple & pears flavours. 12/20

3) Laithwaites - Long Terrace - £5.99 - Very decent mid-week Aussie Chardonnay. Well balanced. 11/20.

4) Talking Wines - Emiliana - £6.50 - Creamy apples & pears but lack of balance and slightly sour finish. 9/20.

Did you know?

> Chardonnay still was the Number One varietal in the UK with 8.1% market share of still light wines in 2010 (Nielsen).

> Chardonnay's homeland is in Burgundy where it makes some of the finest whites in the world: Chablis, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and numerous other prestigious fine white wines. 

> Chardonnay is a grape variety that ripens in a wide range of climates, is hardy and relatively easy to grow high yields of.

> Chardonnay is also quite versatile in the winery: it responds well to oak (fermentation and ageing), can be aged on its lees (fermentation by products), is ideal for sparkling wine and blends readily with a variety of white and red grapes.

> Forget the Footballer's wife and give Chardonnay another chance this week!

As always, any feedback welcome!

Enjoy your wine!

:@lex