Tonight a bunch of us tried Merriam Vineyards wines – among others – that various writers + friends brought to Jonathon Alsop’s Boston Wine School for an informal tasting. Teaching two young women how to taste wine, I employed 2 Merriam Vineyards Cabernet Francs. Kind of shocked them by saying “You have to spit. You don’t want to get loopy.†From the looks on their faces, getting loopy was just what they had expected. Once they got over that, they did well, learning to look, sniff, taste and spit. They immediately got the difference between the 2 cab francs, one much fruitier than the other. Good work. I’m sure they were glad when I left them alone after that…
I went on with the 2005 Merriam Vineyards Block 21 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 months in new French oak, 14.5% alcohol. Leather, heat and black fruit aromas turned into caramelized fruit on the tongue, then spicy tannins led to a fruity finish. The 2004 seemed already to be developing its secondary wine characteristics, lightly floral, thin, aged, plum flavors and lighter tannins in the finish.
The 2005 Merriam Vineyards Windacre Russian River Merlot began with florals and blackberry aromas, with a nice structure in the mouth and tannins really integrating giving it definite appeal as a wine to age.
In the meantime, I had also tried the 2005 Merriam Vineyards Sonoma County Red Wine, which really stuck in my mind as a rounded mouthful, very appealing and easy to drink, the kind of wine you could easily serve with dinner and just as easily pour a second glass.
