Oh no–#MerlotThursday snuck up on me again. Fortunately, I have this bottle that a friend gifted me last night: A Kosher Merlot from South Africa. Happy Passover to those who observe it!
This medium-bodied, lightly oaked Merlot is fresh and red-fruited with some earthy character. Red cherries, black plum, and spiced cranberry yield to deeper aromas of garden soil, dried beef, and light cedar. High alcohol and herbal notes of mint and tarragon add aromatic lift.
The palate is less complex, with cherry compote, dried cherries, cranberry, and a bit of cedar or camphor. It’s juicy and berry-forward with smooth tannins and understated spice. Completely dry with medium-plus acidity, it was a pleasant wine to pair with a casual Mediterranean lunch.
A project of Backsberg Family Wines, the Sydney Back Kosher label celebrates the Lithuanian Jewish heritage of the winery’s founders. The grapes come from South Africa’s Coastal Region, near Cape Town. There, cooling breezes from the Antarctic help retain Merlot’s freshness, while dark and rich soils allow the fruit to ripen easily.
Coastal South African Merlot is not a style that I’m very familiar with, so I was happy to try this bottle (for educational purposes, of course). In a blind tasting, I probably would have called it as Valpolicella: Red cherry-fruit character, gentle tannins, minimal oak use, and earthy/herbal undertones. In the Merlot-verse, it’s closest to some young-vine Washington Merlots (Goose Gap and Red Mountain AVAs) that I’ve tasted recently. It’s light, bright, and easy to enjoy with a variety of savory dishes.
A short fermentation (5 to 6 days) is followed by 12 months of maturation in French oak barrels. This wine is mevushal and Kosher for Passover.
Bottle: Sydney Back Kosher Merlot (2022) – South Africa
Variety: Merlot
ABV: 14%
Suggested retail: $19.99
My rating: 8.7 (out of 10)
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.
On Thursdays, we Merlot! You can view archived #MerlotThursday reviews here.
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