Hourglass Blueline Estate Merlot: Vino On Friday

Merlot is back! Actually, it never went away, it only cruel out of favor alongside a lot of vino drinkers. Recently I visited Hourglass Wines inward Napa as well as talked to possessor Jeff Smith nearly Merlot, a vino many people intend is insipid. Was it the dreaded Sideways (the film inward which the atomic number 82 abhors Merlot) affect? Not according to Smith, "Sideways wasn't the problem, it was the punctuation point, at the halt of the problem." And it's true, at the fourth dimension of Sideways, at that spot was a lot of lousy Merlot. 

Lately at that spot are a lot of Merlot producers, fifty-fifty around real practiced ones, trying to marketplace Merlot past times proverb things similar "Merlot for Cab lovers" but Merlot should live on appreciated on its ain merits. If you lot haven't had a actually bully Merlot inward a long time, or ever, here's what Smith says it should gustation like--spicy, aromatic, alongside density, rich as well as vibrant. The holy grail? According to Smith it's richness alongside unloose energy as well as structure. Although oft blended alongside Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon is darker, to a greater extent than tannic. Merlot is an easier drinking vino alongside lots of dark as well as scarlet fruit. Here's an tardily agency to intend nearly Merlot. Think Marilyn Monroe--voluptuous, fleshy as well as soft, sometimes elegant.  

Hourglass acquired the lovely Blueline belongings inward 2006, it's located inward the Northeastern business office of Napa Valley, 2 miles due south of Calistoga as well as has  a mix of alluvial gravel, sand, as well as loam. On the belongings Hourglass grows non only Merlot but Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot as well as Malbec. The 2011 Hourglass Blueline Estate Merlot has spicy as well as lots of fruit but also around chocolate as well as vanilla notes. It's silky as well as lush as well as complex inward a practiced way. It's a pricey vino at $75 but cheaper than a "cult Cab." 

One of the other things I dear nearly Merlot, is how tardily it is to span alongside food, oft much easier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Of course, at that spot is a make of Merlot from lighter styles that span alongside pizza, pasta as well as charcuterie, to riper styles that stand upward up to spicier dishes too.  It's bully to regard a winery similar Hourglass committed to making a actually bully Merlot. I promise other winemakers are inspired to do the same.

Disclaimer: I was a invitee at Hourglass for a someone final result as well as got a hazard to drive the vino as well as regard the winemaker as well as owner. 

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