As I mentioned yesterday, I haven't been drinking much wine (or alcohol of any kind, to be honest) lately after the whole "getting sick and feeling like crap" weekend I had recently during Pebble Beach Food and Wine. My body has just been trying to re-energize itself, and wine just hasn't been on the menu towards full recovery.
However, there was a wine I tried during Pebble Beach Food and Wine which I would love to share with all of you. One of the booths I was looking forward to the most was Duckhorn Vineyards out of Napa Valley, and the reason for that was because of their 2007 Merlot. However, this wasn't the first time I'd tried Duckhorn. I recently sampled some with my sister and her fiance when I went to their house for dinner.
And let's just say: it's fabulous.
pictured: fabulousness
The 2007 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot ($50) is 89% Merlot blended with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Now, the old Beth would've scoffed at the fact that it wasn't 100% Merlot ... however, the new Beth applauds when wines succeed in blending, so as to make a better tasting product. So, applauds commence! It does clock in at 14.5% alcohol, which isn't unusual for California reds ... but still, I'm not the biggest fan of high alcohol content myself.
The nose had notes of cherry, particularly red cherry. It was bright, fresh and refreshing on the nose ... not quite a eucalyptus or grassy smell, but rather like a wooded forest after a fresh rainfall. There were also notes of dark chocolate, which smelled delicious.
The mouth of the wine was medium-bodied, and was slightly tannic without drying out the palate considerably. It again showed the bright red cherry, and lots of it. There were also notes of nutmeg, dark chocolate and ... oddly enough ... a tinge of cilantro. I think it had to do with the spices on the wine, as well as the freshness on the nose. The wine finished with some white pepper.
Overall, this wine clocked in at nothing short of delicious. I was looking forward to tasting it again at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival and was not disappointed. I also tried one of their Pinot Noirs that was very good ... I'll try and seek it out so that I can share it with all of you in the future.
On another note, the original provider of this wine, Dave (my sister's fiance) is celebrating his birthday soon, so Happy Birthday Dave!!!
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