TONIGHT'S WINE: 2007 CHARLES SMITH HOLY COW MERLOT
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J: Coffee on the nose. Coffee beans.
K: I got a lot of alcohol on the nose--which is probably why I ungracefully choked while taking a big whiff. We don't usually drink straight Merlot. I like Cab-Merlot blends quite a bit, but seldom Merlot on its own.
J: Some berries also. I hate to be nonspecific, but it's just a simple berry nose.
K: And a little tiny titch of Hershey's chocolate.
FIRST SIP
J: I can pin down my berry now--blueberries.
K: Agreed.
J: The blueberry flavors turn into a subtle tinge of strawberry on the finish. Is this typical for a Merlot since we don't drink it?
K: The finish is short. This wine is entirely blueberries for me, like that killer French Minervois. Merlot is a grape with berry-driven flavors, like a less intense Cabernet. So the blueberry is par for the course.
J: I always knew Merlot was lighter than a Cab, but I suppose I never paid that much attention to it outside of a blending grape. This is a good wine for someone who likes red, but wants something less full-bodied and tannic than a Cab.
K: I cannot get over how much I like it! The texture is soft, it is absolutely easy to drink. But the best part is this Charles Smith guy. Completely interesting. He spent fourteen or fifteen years living in Denmark managing rock bands. He has this wild, curly hair and a wild personality.
J: The label is funny. They're all austere and black and white. They definately stand out amongst other bottles. He's very creative when it comes to branding--we read he named it for the cow crossing signs you randomly see in the countryside. Why he'd associate cow signs and Merlot is probably another story.
J: I agree that this wine is really velvety smooth. We are killing this wine pretty quickly. One blogger we read remarked that he didn't initially like this wine, but after four or five days it grew on him, and he decided it was all right. Which, to me, is a cardinal sin to let a bottle sit around for a few days.
K: It's way too easy to finish a bottle of wine, in my opinion. A bottle is technically four glasses, if you do proper pours.
J: Yeah...I don't do proper pours.
K: Have you ever drunk wine straight from the bottle?
J: Wine, no--sparklers or Champagne, yes.
K: That's very gangster of you. I have several times after tastings and the store is closed and we're "finishing" bottles.
K: Charles Smith is associated with K Vintners (remember us talking about the Bitch Grenache?) and the Magnificent House Wine Co. All instant gratification wines--or as he calls it--The Modernist Project. The idea is that most people like to drink their wine right away, instead of setting it back to age for years in a cellar. So he wanted to make easy, but tasty wines you can drink now.
J: I know this is going to sound weird, but I think this wine would go well with a roasted turkey. Usually at our Thanksgiving tastings we offer Pinot Noirs or Beaujolais Nouveau--but I think this would be a nice pair.
K: I could see that with dark meat. I think the supple texture would compliment fresh salsa. Or caprese salad. With farmer's market basil and those little, fresh mozzarella balls we have? I think they're called ciliegine. Can't pronounce it, but they're good.
J: All in all, I think we picked out a good table wine. Surprisingly, this one retails for approx. $13 which is very affordable for a wine to take to a BBQ or one to have on hand when it's just you and your sweetie. I would recommend this to anyone, and I'm happy to report that I will now try more merlots.
J & K: Happy Summer everyone!
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