As I mentioned last night, Mark S. is trying to get us into the Porter House off of 35E and Little Canada Rd. Hope to know later today whether we can go there.
Greeting,
Anyone know where we're going this week? Last I knew is was
Merlot somewhere, but I don't think the where had been determined.
(Erte was an option, but we were going to try someplace new.)
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine@wineloverspage.com> -----
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 10:25:24 -0400 (EDT)
To: jellings@me.umn.edu
Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: More Merlot
From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine@wineloverspage.com>
THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Friday, June 9, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE
* MORE MERLOT Continuing our inquiry into whether the bad rap on Merlot
is justified.
* MACROSTIE 2002 "KELTIE BROOK" NORTH COAST MERLOT ($14) Well-made,
nothing complex, but balance and acidity make it a table wine than your
average Merlot.
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MORE MERLOT
Continuing the discussion I started on Monday about our Wine Tasting 101
topic on Merlot this month, I realize that the memorable insult in
Sideways had such an impact that I almost feel a need to apologize when
I post a Merlot tasting report.
Almost, but not quite.
After all, a big part of being an open-minded wine enthusiast is to
question the conventional wisdom and, when confronted with a wine rule
or custom, check it out. While some wine rules ("don't sip good wine
from a coffee mug") make more sense than others ("don't drink red wine
with fish"), experience remains the best teacher. An appropriate
skepticism about the things you're told can pay dividends ... in wine as
in life.
So, putting the character Miles's snarky comment about Merlot out of my
head, I opened a relatively modest California Merlot the other night,
basing my choice on a trustworthy wine merchant's advice ... and enjoyed
a pleasant surprise. The 2002 "Keltie Brook" Merlot from California's
North Coast (a catch-all appellation for fruit from Napa, Sonoma,
Mendocino and Lake counties) might not qualify as a sought-after "cult"
item, but this second label from the MacRostie winery in Napa, made from
purchased fruit, boasts balance and a good acidic structure that lifts
it well above the soft, plushy "chocolate-covered-cherry" character that
makes mass-market Merlot popular with everyone but wine geeks.
________________________________________________________________________
MACROSTIE 2002 "KELTIE BROOK" NORTH COAST MERLOT ($14)
Dark blackish-purple, garnet edge. Plums and cherries, pleasant fresh
fruit on the nose and palate, nicely balanced by snappy acidity. Well-
made, nothing complex, but balance and acidity make it a much better
table wine than your average Merlot. (June 7, 2006)
FOOD MATCH: Just about any pork, veal or poultry dish would do; it was
fine with pork country-style spareribs scented with fennel seed in a
pilaf-style dish with orzo.
VALUE: Not at all unreasonable at $14, which was a dollar below the
winery price.
WHEN TO DRINK: Not really meant for aging, but it's not going anywhere
in a year or two on the wine rack.
WEB LINK:
The winery Website features information on all the MacRostie wines
including the Keltie Brook line, and offers online sales where the law
permits.
http://www.macrostiewinery.com/FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Compare prices and locate vendors for Keltie Brook Merlot on Wine-
Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Keltie%2bMerlot/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP________________________________________________________________________
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE:
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Discussion Group, you can click directly to it at
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?p=10599#10599To browse and participate in the overall Merlot discussions in Wine
Tasting 101, start with this forum topic, and feel free to post a reply
at any point in the "thread."
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=1484Today's article is cross-posted in our Netscape WineLovers Community,
where we also welcome comments and questions.
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Friday, June 9, 2006
Copyright 2006 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
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* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings@me.umn.edu *
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