Here we go again, tasting Merlots from near and far! Merlot lovers, it’s you and me against a 21-year-old road-trip movie. (That’s right–Sideways was released on October 22, 2004. So as of last week, it’s officially old enough to drink.)
While somms and wine writers are working doggedly to bring Merlot back, there are places around the world where Merlot never really left. One of those places is Italy.
Italy loves Merlot. Though still in a distant second place after France, Italy has more Merlot vines than the entire United States.
In the northern regions, as a reliable source of inexpensive everyday wines. In Tuscany, as a blending partner to anemic vats of over-cropped Sangiovese. And in Bolgheri and Campania, as the raw material for titanic, massively extracted, age-worthy Serious Bottles.
The third type of Italian Merlot is what we are tasting today: The legendary Pàtrimo from Feudi di San Gregorio. It’s an imposing presence on the bar, the bottle as heavy as a cudgel and the wine as dark as stage blood.
The 2016 Pàtrimo is an impenetrable ruby hue, with an inky core and a halo of garnet. On the nose, a bucketful of extra-ripe dark berries (black cherry and blackberry) with toasted chestnut. The deeply extracted fruit eventually gives way to subtle herbal/vegetal notes of dried mint, tarragon, and cedar.
The taste is full and ripe, with high alcohol and medium-plus acidity. Weighty tannins walk a fine line between grippiness and siltiness. It’s not overburdened with sweet oak, but the round fruit flavors are clearly outlined with warm spices and toast. A long finish of cherry skins, burnt clove, coffee, and cooked black plum is freshened and enlivened by a splash of fresh cherry juice and a whiff of violets.
This is a full-blast wine. Probably reaching the peak of its maturity–and possibly, to some palates, over-ripe or over-done. But its heaviness rewards patience, tiny sips teasing out layers of freshness. The toasty stewed fruits match perfectly with the chill in the air, evoking comfy memories of a glass of Port by the fire.
The heavy bottle is put away. The evening regulars begin to settle into their barstools. “What are you drinking?”
“Glass of Merlot,” I say, casually enough. But my nonchalance is unconvincing. Everyone at least glances at the remaining two ounces of Pàtrimo that I’m nursing, and somebody orders a $100+ glass of the same.
Maybe it’s the viscosity or the depth of color, maybe it’s the eye-catching glassware. But it’s like this wine has its own aura, its own black-hole level of gravity. It draws attention from across the room in an almost supernatural fashion.
Speaking of spooky, Halloween is tomorrow. With this dense and satiating pour in front of me, an easy metaphor arrives.
Just about everyone has happy memories of eating gobs of candy as a kid at holidays, fingers sticky, wrappers piled up on the floor. I, for one, still have a childish sweet tooth lurking in the back of my jaw. (Just let me at a bag of sour gummy worms and see what happens.)
But most of us also have a memory of a time when we tasted something extraordinarily delicious, and it changed us forever. After that, food cravings were different. Intensity began to take the place of volume. True pleasure became harder to find, perhaps–but appetites became easier to satisfy.
For some adults–at least some of the time–an ounce of good dark chocolate can stand in for an entire Snickers binge. I’m not ready to quit junk wine just yet, but it was a treat to have a nibble of this exceptional Merlot.
Bottle: Feudi di San Gregorio Pàtrimo Campania Rosso IGT (2016)
Variety: Merlot (100%)
ABV: 14%
Suggested retail: $155
My rating: 9.3 (out of 10)
Pour yourself a Merlot and join in! Or, see past #MerlotThursday reviews here.
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own. This week’s Merlot was graciously Coravinned at The Wine Authority (for educational purposes). 😀
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