Columbia Winery  2015 Merlot  Columbia Valley

I like Merlot from WA State, the climate and soils there are suited to maximizing the nuances this variety is capable of. In my experience the bottles I've tried have been a good value and from certain sites this grape can have more body and power than Cabernet Sauvignon, a good example of this is the Merlot from Chateau Ste Michelle's Cold Creek Vineyard. A warm site with an extended growing season that produces great wines almost every year....

We tried this wine in Montreal at the annual tasting event last year or the year before, good wines made by dedicated people.The winery offers bottlings across several price points, all were solid to very nice wines at fair prices. It was a nice surprise to see this on the shelf in West Leb today...

This opens with notes of dark berries, a hint of very ripe strawberries, a spicy note, and some other nuances in the nose I couldn't quite place but are intriguing. I taste cherry, a mix of black and blueberry flavors, it has a nice mouth feel with fine grained tannins and a lingering berry flavor. Even though it's 3 years old at this time, I think it has the structure to evolve further and would benefit from resting in the cellar for another 12 to 18 months.

I enjoyed this with slow cooked pork ribs from the grill, but it would also pair well with a boneless chuck roast slow cooked in a crockpot with a cup or so of this wine along with onions, carrots, and red potatoes.... an oven roasted chicken dinner also comes to mind.

Available on sale now at the NH Liquor outlets for $12.99 per bottle, a good wine and a nice change of pace from the California or European Merlots you usually find on the shelves...

Cheers!

Ed

STARMONT  2013 Carneros Pinot Noir

I enjoy a good Pinot Noir occasionally, and for my palate (and wallet) my favorite regions are Oregon, Switzerland, and Carneros in CA. These three areas produce world class wines at reasonable prices, and are usually made in the classic style. They're not over extracted, lighter in body, but full of flavor and great with a good range of foods.

Starmont started out as a "second" wine of Merryvale and was more affordable than the main label, (it still is) but has expanded it offerings over the years and now has it's own winery located on part of the historic Stanley Ranch property in Carneros. Starmont offers Chardonnay, Merlot, Rose of Pinot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, there is a limited release selection that has Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Gris, and a couple of single vineyard Pinots.

This Pinot opens with notes of cherry and red/black plum, hints of strawberry, and a slight attractive spicy note in the nose. The palate matches the nose, the spicy note is there also, along with some other flavors I couldn't quite pinpoint but are seductive.... the tannins are fine grained, and finishes with the fruit fading nicely. I kept taking small sips trying to figure it out but wasn't too serious in this endeavor, for the wine is quite pleasant as it continues to open up with time.

I enjoyed this with grilled garlic/herb chicken sausage served on a bed of pasta topped with a 4 cheese red sauce. I think some oven baked stuffed chicken breasts and classic risotto would work also. Grilled pork roast stuffed with plums also sounds good...

Available at some NH Liquor outlets for $14.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section,  or $21.99 at Total wine in Natick(they also have more wines from Starmont) there's also a 15% case discount on Pinot's and Chardonnay's at NH Outlets.... this is a chance to buy a very good Pinot from a special region at a great price, let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Ed