02/2002. Bought in auction, Mar-99 for $70.
While I am not a big fan of Merlot, I am always willing to try an interesting wine. I acquired this well known Italian Merlot (from the Lazio area near Rome) some three years ago and decided to try it tonight with delicious Friday night dinner at home: Green pea soup with dumplings, pasta with shrimps in cream and garlic sauce and cherries compote.
COLOR: Very dark purple, thin clearing around the rim.
NOSE: Rich and extremely pleasant nose. The Merlot fruity-flowery scents are finely balanced by bouquet of raw meat, leather and wood tones. The nose is mature and open enough to allow full enjoyment.
TASTE: Very tasty with pure and refined flavors rather than the exaggerated 'hotish' fruitiness I find many Merlot suffer from. Concentrated but in no way jammy. Really fine winyness with good acidity and soft integrated tannins. A pleasure to drink.
LENGTH: Medium long smooth aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-full bodied wine with fine texture. Rich and focused, this wine is superbly balanced and completely ready.
OVERALL: Superb. A really nice surprise from an unknown (for me that is) wine region and from a grape I don't particularly like.

MARK: 18.5/20.

BUY MORE? Yes.

Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.