WINE CLASS NOTES 3/13/13-Merlot

Wines

CHATEAU GUILLOU ST. EMILION

Color:  Garnet

Nose:  Great nose that really opened up as the evening progressed. Hints of vanilla, oak, and a bit of smokiness with herbal notes present.

Mouth:  The mouth had a nice balance, and we had high expectations that this wine would pair well with food.

Price:  $19.99 (Regular price:  $22.99) Wine Merchant

Conclusion:  As the wine opened up throughout the evening the herbal notes definitely became evident. It was a lovely wine with dinner; definitely a more refined wine than a California Merlot blend. 

Pairings

Grand Cru Gruyere -This was a nice pairing; brought out the nuttiness in the cheese.

Madrigal Baby Swiss - It was okay, but no one was in love with this match.

Lasagna - This pairing was okay, but no wow factor.

Tuscan Pizza - We enjoyed this pairing a lot. The pizza and wine definitely complimented each other and the finish on the wine was strengthened.

Kit Kat - Lisa and Mary Jo enjoyed this pairing, not so much for Beth.

IL FAUNO TOSCANO 2007

Color:    Brick red                                                                                                                              

Nose:  Blackberries, blueberries, cassis, and a hint of pepper on the nose.

Mouth: An elegant mouth with a lovely finish. A nicely balanced wine. Another we can't wait to try with the food.

Price:  $21.99 World Market

Conclusion:  A very balanced and elegant wine with a bit of spice and a wonderful finish. A hit will all three of us!

Pairings

Grand Cru Gruyere - This pairing was okay, but we thought the cheese took something away from the finish of the wine.

Madrigal Baby Swiss - This was definitely not a match. The two opposed each other.

Lasagna - This was excellent, the spice in the wine was enhanced with this match. We definitely recommend this pairing. 

Tuscan Pizza - We enjoyed this pairing , but it lacked the "wow" factor.

Kit Kat - Nice pairing.

DECOY MERLOT 2010

Color:  Ruby 

Nose:  A bit of cherry cola on the nose with notes of cranberry and spice.

Mouth:  Nice spice on the finish. Very easy to approach this wine.
Price:  $17.00 Wine Merchant 

Conclusion:  A very approachable wine that we felt is a great value for the price. It was enjoyable with the meal and alone.

Pairings:

Grand Cru Gruyere - We enjoyed this pairing but was not spectacular.

Madrigal Baby Swiss - Overall the three of us were not thrilled with this cheese alone or with the wines. If we had to chose, this was the best match.

Lasagna - Another great match for the lasagna.

Tuscan Pizza - The pizza and the Decoy was a perfect pairing. This would make a perfect wine and pizza night.

Kit Kat - Enjoyable.

FINAL THOUGHTS

BETH:  Mary Jo put together a great class. It had been awhile since I have had a Merlot so it was nice to revisit the grape. Comparing wines from California, France, and Italy was a great way to experience the sometime maligned grape. As it turns out, all of the wines were winners for me this evening. I would feel comfortable recommending any of them. If I had to choose a favorite of the evening it would be the Italian, Il Fauno Toscana. It was so nicely balanced and was my favorite overall pairing with the foods. However, pairing the Tuscan pizza with the Decoy Merlot was out of this world. The cheeses for the night were probably my least favorite. For the most part they seemed to have a difficult time standing up to the wines, but we don't learn if we don't try new things! As for the Kit Kat, I thought that Mary Jo was crazy when she placed those on the table, but I found I enjoyed the match with the Italian and Decoy. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not trading in my dark chocolate for the Kit Kat any time soon.  In the end, it was another great night exploring my love of wine with my good friends.

LISA: It's been a while since I've had Merlot!  Merlot and I do go back quite some time. It was one of the first dry reds I advanced to from the old days of White Zinfandel's (LOL).  Fond memories! Tonight was a delight though.  It was fun comparing three wines from threes countries.  I enjoyed them all, but I may have to lean toward the Decoy.  As for the pairings, the cheeses were not winners.  Amazingly the Kit Kat was darn good-who'd of thought. The lasagna was best with Il Fauno Toscano and Decoy and the pizza was a favorite of mine with the Decoy.  Overall, I think I need to bring back some Merlot's to my wine cellar.  However, I like it best as a blend with other wines such as Cabernet's, Zinfandel's and Syrah's.  It was a great night of memories once again!

MARY JO:  It was so wonderful to enjoy merlots during this class!  Merlot was the first red varietal I enjoyed when I started drinking reds.  This grape does not get the credit it deserves!  Unfortunately for this class, the Madrigal baby swiss was not a hit.  However, the Grand Cru Gruyere was excellent with the Chateau Guillou St. Emilion, as was the Kit Kat!  I found the Tuscan pizza strengthened the finish.  The Il Fauno Toscano was really good with the lasagna, it brought out a wonderful spiciness!  Finally, how can you go wrong with a Decoy!  This wine was great with the lasagna and Tuscan pizza, and excellent with the Kit Kat!  All in all, a wonderful class with three great wines and three great friends!!!  I won't wait so long before I seek out a merlot again!