Shorty got Merlot, low, low, low

As ridiculous as it sounds, I was actually stressing this week about choosing a wine to review. With limitless options, I was finding it difficult to narrow it down to one. What’s more, with several social commitments – craft night with Emily and Courtney, drinks with Meredith and Kat’s 30^th birthday dinner – I wasn’t sure when I was going to have time to enjoy even just one glass, you know, for the sake of the blog (wink).

So you can imagine how giddy I was when Emily showed up to craft night with seven cases of wine and champagne. Now even though the wine was purchased for her upcoming wedding, she had one rogue bottle of red to spare – so we went for it. I couldn’t believe my luck, I mean crafting and wine? A fan of efficiency, I was stoked about the opportunity to “feed two birds with one hand” as my co-workers at Save The Bay would say. And it gets better, Brian (Courtney’s hubbie/good friend of mine) was there with his fancy new camera, so he took some nice photos of the wine and our meal.

We opened up a 2004 Mosaic Merlot from Graton, CA – yet another completely new wine to me. I normally wouldn’t go for a Merlot; and no, it’s not because Paul Giamatti dissed it in Sideways. I basically just stopped drinking Merlot in college, when I figured out that I liked wines with a bit more fruit. It’s just not my favorite. But who am I to turn down free wine, especially when in the company of friends?

Based on looks alone, my expectations of the wine were good. With dark color and nice legs, it looked appealing in the glass. The nose was savory and earthy, almost salty – like black olives. I did get a hint of spice and maybe even a whiff or two of berries, but mostly I got bacon. And since I like bacon, I was intrigued.

My first sip was tart and tannic. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t spectacular. It didn’t knock my socks off. As I continued to sip, I tasted pepper and cured meats and earthiness. The mouth-feel was light, which I appreciated – I normally don’t like heavy wines, especially when I’m eating a light meal. But with each sip, I just kept getting “sour.” It had a lingering tannic finish, but it wasn’t particularly complex.

My overall impression of the wine was just eh. It was okay – not terrible, but not terrific. It definitely didn’t hold a candle to the delicious spinach quiche and salad lovingly prepared by Brian and Courtney, and it wasn’t really a wine I would drink alone. I asked the others what they thought of it and the opinions were pretty similar. Brian and Courtney thought it was good, but they didn’t rave about it. Emily said it was okay, but not as good as a different Merlot she had recently and loved. She "wouldn't buy it again."

In short, no one was jumping over the moon for the wine. It was fine as an accompaniment to dinner and DIY interchangeable cake platter making, but this was one mosaic where the pieces just didn’t seem to fit.

Amy Award: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $18ish
Best bet: With a greasy pizza or a craft night with friends