...but not Merrr-loww
I gathered together five or six Merlots last night for a bit of comparative tasting. I won't name names (yet), but it reminded me that this is not my favourite grape.
I know that Merlot bashing is now a popular sport ever since the film Sideways, and in truth I have had some fantastic Merlots in the past, but in general terms Merlot is a really difficult grape to make good wine from. People talk about Pinot Noir being fussy. I reckon Merlot is even fussier.
We have a full house at the moment: Fiona's brother and his family are visiting from Geneva, and Fiona's sister and her family are visiting from Devon. It's fun, even if it does stretch our accommodation facilities a little. We hit London yesterday, and had some fun.
We began with the Science Museum and the spy exhibition (which the kids liked) and the Spongebob simulator (which the kids liked, but I'm not sure what the science connection was), then went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch (which the kids liked), before catching the Simpsons movie (which is fantastic). We had planned to do more, but it's amazing how time flies, and how tiring a Saturday in London can be - it was unbelievably busy in town.
posted by Jamie @ 8:29 AM
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Yes, perhaps Merlot, more than Chardonnay, can help us understand terroir. Buying a Merlot means buying a wine that is so friendly and unobstusive that it has nothing to say. Dead boring! But buying Saint-Émilion means that with the fleshy suppleness of the the fruit and the good structure, a dialogue is possible. There certainly is interest.
Regardless, Merlot is not found at the top of my list of red varieties.
That's a nice way to put it. 'A dialogue is possible'.
I grow Merlot near St Emilion and with Christian Veyry my winemaker we have no problem making wine.
If you have never had the chance to make wine why not try it and you should change your mind - I hope!
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