by Ethan Johnson
November 8, 2008

Thanks to the magic of half-bottles, I seized the opportunity to try an unfamiliar wine for half price. I can't get excited about spending over $20 for wine of any sort, in the current economy, but $11? I'll find a way. If memory serves me correctly, this is the first offering of this varietal that I have reviewed here. Let's get on with it, then:

Producer (Vineyard): Rutherford Hill
Varietal (Grape type): Merlot
Vintage (Year): 2002
Country: USA (California)
Color: Red
Cost: Expensive ($23 USD)

(Disclaimer: This wine is one of many sold by my place of employment. This review is written independently, and is/was not subject to review by my employer.)

Swirl and Sniff: The color is a dirty red, for lack of a better word. Scent-wise, I was bowled over by AL-CO-HOL, and managed to find a wisp of plums in there after much effort. Over time, the alcohol vapors wafted away.

Taste: Very thin, with plums. Watery on the edges. As the wine sat and aerated in the glass, it got more tannic and "grippy", yet smooth. Forgettable but not harsh finish, despite the heavy alcohol fumes early on. The "body" of the wine became more "round" over time. I don't quite know how else to explain this.

Pairing: I drank this with slow-cooked chicken in mushroom sauce with rice. I am happy to report that the wine played well with others. Didn't matter what combination of food I used: Rice only, chicken with some sauce, mushrooms only, or everything at once. Nicely played.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

• Buy three or more bottles for regular enjoyment
• Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
• Ask for when dining out or at a party
• Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
• Politely decline and never drink again, ever

This rating cries out for a little further explanation as to what it all means. This is not "negative", in that I would, under certain conditions appreciate another go at this. I really cannot justify roughly $25 USD for any wine, and certainly not a "smooth jazz" Merlot such as this one. But as it is cool to trash Merlot these days, I have to defend this a bit and say it certainly defied the bad press that Merlot often attracts - usually attributed to the movie Sideways, which upon further examination is worse than making decisions solely on one critical review. Based on this selection, I'm interested to try another Merlot. But one closer to my preferred price range.

This might be a wine to decant first, if you're into that sort of thing. In my unscientific opinion, an hour should do the trick. If you don't decant, drink it slowly, and let the wine aerate in the glass.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)