Wines I'm Drinking: 2008 Brutocao Mendocino County Bliss Vineyard Merlot (August 22, 2012)

Moderately deep red with a hint of garnet in it. Showing a little age. Plummy on the nose at first. A little wood. Something subtly floral as well, but not identifiable. Nice acidity, giving a bright first impression. Has a fairly formidable tannic bite and the tannins linger, although they aren't harsh. Some musky, earthy undertones. Fruity on the mid-palate but the fruit falls away fairly quickly to leave the tannins exposed, giving the middle to end of the flavor profile a somewhat austere quality, but a little fruity sweetness comes back on a moderately long finish. I think this will improve with age. Still seems a bit rough around the edges, but, on the whole, nicely balanced and interesting, and with a little time in the glass, the flavors evolved. The tannins softened (allowing the fruit to emerge a bit more), the floral component became more pronounced, and the fruit began to seem more like black cherries than plums. Very attractively priced at my local Grocery Outlet for $6.99 a bottle. Regularly sells for around $24 a bottle.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2009 Château La Verrière Bordeaux Superieur

I picked up this wine recently at my local (santa Rosa, CA) Costco for a modest $8.49 a bottle. I had high hopes for it as it was a gold medal winner (usually not a bad indicator in the case of less widely known Bordeaux wines) and because the 2009 vintage was generally good in Bordeaux. I wasn't disappointed. This is the kind of inexpensive but tasty little Bordeaux that I like to buy by the case and tuck away for future use on occasions that call for something solid but not extravagantly expensive. By the time seven or eight years have passed, they're usually markedly better than when new--and I always kick myself for not having bought more. Brief tasting notes follow.

A youthful-lookng, inky, deep purple-red. Fairly closed on the nose at first, but the initial impression was of an appealing, not unrefined, well-made wine. Initially the nose offered distant hints of roses and leather, but not a lot else. The palate was similarly restrained at first. The wine seemed flavorful but light--although a core of attractive fruitiness was apparent from the outset (this masked somewhat by light, soft tannins). A wine I'd call smooth, well-bred, attractive, and easy, but not without character. It gave the impression of being likely to get better with age, and, with a little time standing in a decanter, the wine started to develop a little more complexity. I began to get cocoa on the palate and there were hints of cherries and almonds on the nose. There was also a slight suggestion of iodine. While this wine may not appeal to palates raised on fatter, fruitier, more alcoholic California wines, it will be appreciated by those who know and love the wines of Bordeaux. I'd give this at least another three to five years in bottle before drinking it again, and I suspect it'll be tasty ten years from now, if well stored. If you drink it early, decant it and give it an hour or so before indulging. Not profound, but well made, tasty Bordeaux. Recommended.

I have no financial connection with any producer or retailer of wine. 

Wines I'm Drinking: More Cheap Merlot from Grocery Outlet

I tasted two more cheap Merlots from Grocery Outlet last night, the 2005 Alamos Merlot from Mendoza in Argentina, and the 2007 Tilia Merlot, also from Mendoza. I recently tasted the 2005 and 2007 Merlots from Chile's Cousiño-Macul. To see the earlier reviews, use the search box above.

The 2007 Tilia Merlot was a deep blackish purple. The nose was rather closed, particularly at first, but it eventually offered hints of oak, something vaguely floral, and citrus scents; there was something that reminded me of the orange-vanilla popsicles I remember from my boyhood--always purchased outside, from a truck, in a hot summer street. On the palate, the wine was tart, light-bodied, and fairly short. It didn't have a lot of grip. There was very little tannin to speak of, just a slightly bitter finish suggestive of citrus rind--blood oranges perhaps. Nothing objectionable, but nothing special either. Fairly priced at $2.99 a bottle (Grocery Outlet offers an additional 10% discount for case purchases, including mixed cases), but this is not one I'd buy again. Probably best with fatty, meaty foods such as spare ribs or barbecue that do well with fairly acidic wines. This normally retails for $8-10 a bottle.

The 2005 Alamos Merlot was a more interesting wine. It was a deep plummy red tinged with brown--showing its age a little bit. It had an earthy, slightly oaky nose, but remained fairly closed. It was considerably more inviting on the palate, offering clean fruit sweetness, light tannins, and good acidity. The flavors were sufficiently concentrated to linger. Despite a somewhat austere, woody finish and light body, the wine came across as fresh and flavorful. Words like "neat" and "compact" kept coming to mind. With a little time, the palate opened out to reveal hints of cherries, plums, and something chocolatey, and ultimately the finish softened a bit too, becoming sweeter and less harsh. Not great wine, and I preferred the 2005 Cousiño-Macul Merlot reviewed elsewhere in these pages, but solid and a very good value at $2.99 a bottle. Sufficiently interesting to warrant having a few bottles around the house for informal occasions. This normally retails for $10-12 a bottle.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2007 Cousiño-Macul Maipo Valley Merlot

I recently reviewed the 2005 Maipo Valley (Chile) Merlot from Cousiño-Macul in these pages, having picked up half a dozen bottles at our local Grocery Outlet. It was such a good value that I went back to buy a case yesterday but was disappointed to find the 2005 gone. I must have bought all there was. The store now has only the 2007. I bought a case anyway, assuming that it was unlikely to be overpriced at $2.99 a bottle, even if it was less interesting than the 2005.

I was right on both counts: It is a less interesting wine, but it's still a bargain.

The 2007 was noticeably thinner and less tinged with orange. It looked like the younger wine that it is. It had some of the herbaceousness of the 2005, but nothing like the pronounced sage scent of its older sibling. The nose was more floral, suggestive of pencil shavings, and altogether more distant. On the palate, the wine was light in body with delicate fruit sweetness and very light tannins. The general impression it gave was one of smoothness but it had no especially endearing characteristics. The mid-palate was a trifle weak, but the wine had fairly good length, with distant, lingering, slightly woody tannins on the finish. With time some cocoa hints developed. No rough edges. This wine is perfectly acceptable for everyday drinking, but it lacks the distinctive characteristics and depth of the 2005. Its somewhat austere, rather European flavor profile may not appeal to wine drinkers used to the up-front fruitiness of California wines. Still, this is a good value at $2.99 and I don't regret buying a case of it. If, however, your Grocery Outlet has the 2005, snap it up.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2005 Cousiño-Macul Maipo Valley Merlot

Grocery Outlet is an interesting place to buy wine. The selection is a bit bizarre--ranging all over the place and including wines that show up nowhere else (around here anyway)--and always changing. Odds and ends. That all makes sense. Grocery Outlet generally picks up leftover lots and older vintages (often a good thing) at deep discounts from wineries and distributors that need to clear storage space for newer products.

The prices can be ridiculous (ridiculously low, that is). I stopped in this morning returning from teaching a printmaking class at my son's school. Grocery Outlet (in Santa Rosa, at 1116 College Avenue, occupying the site of a former Safeway) just happens to be on my way.

My usual strategy is to buy a mix of cheap wines on speculation, try them all quickly, and then go back to stock up on the good values before they disappear. Today I bought 12 bottles, of which six were the 2005 Cousiño-Macul Maipo Valley Merlot (I was pretty confident this would be worth the price). I had intended to buy ten bottles, but the cashier pointed out there was a 10% discount on cases, even mixed cases. I was flabbergasted (I hadn't been aware of the case discount), so I went back for two more bottles. I couldn't help laughing. Not even Trader Joe's gives a 10% case discount on its inexpensive wines, arguing its prices are already heavily discounted, and rightly so--but, I wasn't going to complain.

The wine was a moderately deep garnet red--suggestive of its age. It had a distinctive nose--herbs and leather. After some thought, I was finally able to pin the herbaceous scent down to garden sage. A bit unusual, but the pungency was not at all unpleasant. Tasting the wine, I was immediately impressed. It was surprisingly elegant, with restrained flavors, but a very good balance of delicate, fine-grained tannins; lingering, fruity sweetness (just enough); and delicate acidity. Showing signs of maturity at five years, but still vibrant and fresh. Moderate to good length. With a little time and some air, the bouquet began to gain complexity. The wine became suggestive of black cherries, licorice, and earth. Not great wine, but excellent everyday wine--or better.

So, how much did I pay for it? $2.99 a bottle. Excuse me. It was $2.69 a bottle with the case discount. Needless to say, I'm going back for more. This is likely to become the house wine for the time being (until it's all consumed). Recommended. The 2005 Cousiño-Macul Merlot normally retails for $8.99-$12.99 a bottle--probably about $25 on a restaurant menu.