Sunday, March 19, 2023

Tasting - "Sterling Merlot"





Name of the Wine: Sterling Merlot
Grapes in the Wine: Merlot
Country of Origin: United States
Region of Origin: California (Napa)
Vintage Year: 2017
Price: $8 per 5 oz glass, $26.95 per bottle

Review of the Wine: From the Vintage Cellar, "aromas of blackberries and blueberries and hints of hot stone. Chocolate, too. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Delicious red. Drink or hold."

Wine Folly: Page 131: Merlot
Merlot's flavors include cherry, plum, chocolate, herbs, and vanilla. This one tasted like cherry pie filling, or maybe like blackberry jam. I almost tasted vanilla, but more of a vanilla extract flavor as opposed to the smell of vanilla. I didn't really taste any herbs, but if I focused hard enough I could almost detect a slight rosemary scent.

My Review: I enjoyed this wine's flavor profile and appreciated that it was fruity without tasting overly sweet. I didn't quite like it at first, but once I was used to the taste (it was the heaviest of the wines I tried during this week's wine tasting) I began to notice the more subtle flavors in its full complex taste. It was full-bodied and it felt crowded in my mouth at first, but since I enjoyed the finish and the slight dessert flavor, I enjoyed the second sip even more. I think this wine would taste best with a hard cheese like asiago.

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