As I was pondering what wines to try next for review, it occurred to me that we almost never drink Merlot. I am not exactly sure why. We are certainly not the wine snob in Sideways who would not touch the stuff. True, there is a lot of wimpy, forgettable Merlot out there. However, like any varietal you kiss enough frogs and you are bound to come across a prince or two. Anyway I decided to rectify the situation and find some decent, value Merlots.
Our first contestant is the 2007 Jekel Merlot. This is NOT Cabernet Lite! It definitely has some guts. In the glass it is a deep, clear garnet. The nose is pretty complex, but I mostly get sweet pipe tobacco and black plum. It is medium body in the mouth with flavors of plum and blackberry. The tannins are perhaps a bit more than I generally seek out, but they are quite smooth and do not distract you from everything else going on with this wine. The barrel aging here expresses itself with more of a cedary, spicy note than oak. The wine will definitely benefit from some air.
If you like your Merlot with a bit of oomph, the 2007 Jekel Merlot is a good value at $13.
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