“This lady reviews more cheap house wines than anyone I know.” That’s how I was introduced by a friend to a small group of wine folks earlier this week.
While it was meant as a playful jest, it’s certainly true. Especially on #MerlotThursday, when Merlot’s ease of use propels it to the top of the by-the-glass list.
Today’s accessible (we won’t call it cheap) wine comes from Sonoma County. It’s the entry-level Merlot from St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, who also produce reserve and single-vineyard Merlots from Sonoma fruit. Founder Joe Martin was the first grower to plant Merlot in Sonoma Valley, when he established the vineyard in 1971 with 60 acres of the variety.
Tonight’s Merlot is deep ruby with a thin magenta rim. Very aromatic with black cherry, black plum, cassis, and baking spices (vanilla, nutmeg, and clove). Notes of cured meat, balsamic must, and dried pantry herbs hint at a warm-climate Merlot on its way to maturity.
The palate adds some compoted red fruit–but overall, the flavors are far more subdued than the nose. This is a wine that’s more texture-driven than fruit-bomb-y. Fine-textured but drying tannins sneak in on a wave of bone-dry, 14.8%-alcohol not-your-granny’s-Merlot. There’s some sparseness to the finish, which ends with blackberry leaf, dry cedar, dusty black pepper, and unsweetened cocoa.
The combination of cassis, leafiness, and some tannic grip made me think at first that there must be some Cabernet in this blend–but I checked the receipts and it’s all Merlot, baby.
This Sonoma Merlot sits proudly on North Italia‘s heavily Italian wine list, and it works. St. Francis brings some Old World vibes to the table in the form of restrained fruit and food-friendly structure.
The 25% new French oak is evident on the nose, but never risks intruding on the wine’s underlying savoriness. I enjoyed this Merlot with fried calamari and grilled artichokes with aioli.
Bottle: St. Francis Sonoma County Merlot (2021) – California
Variety: Merlot (100%)
ABV: 14.8%
Suggested retail: $22
My rating: 8.8 (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! See past #MerlotThursday reviews.
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