Tasting Notes: 2002 Beaucanon Estate Merlot
I promise not to make any references to that movie...uh, what's it called? Upside down? Leftways? Rightways? I can't remember, but I am not drinking any F*&$%ing PINOT!!!
The bottle we had last week of 2002 Beaucanon Estate Merlot made me completely forget about Paul Giamani's (aka Miles) winey ass (can you say 'suck it up, princess?'). I will call this Nappa Valley Merlot what it is....A Pinot killer.
If more Merlots were this good the Sideways effect would be upside down. The 2002 Beaucanon Estate Merlot is a big boy, yet refined & elegant. Maybe it is the wineries roots that are deeply rooted in Bordeaux that buck the style of typical Merlots that give the grape a bad name. Ya know the ones...the one dimensional, fruit driven, crowd pleaser's.
The wineries genesis began when Jacques de Coninck came from Bordeaux to search for prime vineyards, convinced that the New World held the promise of great wines. I think he struck gold with his estate on the historic Longwood Ranch in the Rutherford American Viticultural Area in Napa Valley.
The nose of this Merlot leaps out of the glass & dope slaps you....it is so intense you can almost see it. It is full of fruit, mostly blackberry, black plum & some dried fruit. There is also a touch of herbs & evergreen. Very alluring. The palate represents the same. It is voluptuous yet brawny. The tannins are chalky had me craving a nice bloody fillet. The minty finish went one for minutes.
This is really a delicious Merlot. If the producers of Sideways had a bottle of this before shooting the movie, I am sure the famous catch phrase from the movie would have been "I am NOT drinking any F&*^$@G PINOT!!!"
Ooops, I broke my promise.
The bottle we had last week of 2002 Beaucanon Estate Merlot made me completely forget about Paul Giamani's (aka Miles) winey ass (can you say 'suck it up, princess?'). I will call this Nappa Valley Merlot what it is....A Pinot killer.
If more Merlots were this good the Sideways effect would be upside down. The 2002 Beaucanon Estate Merlot is a big boy, yet refined & elegant. Maybe it is the wineries roots that are deeply rooted in Bordeaux that buck the style of typical Merlots that give the grape a bad name. Ya know the ones...the one dimensional, fruit driven, crowd pleaser's.
The wineries genesis began when Jacques de Coninck came from Bordeaux to search for prime vineyards, convinced that the New World held the promise of great wines. I think he struck gold with his estate on the historic Longwood Ranch in the Rutherford American Viticultural Area in Napa Valley.
The nose of this Merlot leaps out of the glass & dope slaps you....it is so intense you can almost see it. It is full of fruit, mostly blackberry, black plum & some dried fruit. There is also a touch of herbs & evergreen. Very alluring. The palate represents the same. It is voluptuous yet brawny. The tannins are chalky had me craving a nice bloody fillet. The minty finish went one for minutes.
This is really a delicious Merlot. If the producers of Sideways had a bottle of this before shooting the movie, I am sure the famous catch phrase from the movie would have been "I am NOT drinking any F&*^$@G PINOT!!!"
Ooops, I broke my promise.
posted by Collin @ 5:57 PM
1 Comments:
At 11:40 AM,
Marcus said…
I thought there was going to be a S***ways sequel before we got another wine review out of you. Glad you're not so busy too keep em coming. No one writes them like you...
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