Type: Dry Red
Made with: Merlot
Plays well with: Stroganoff, pasta in cream sauces, nuts
See what happens when you’re helpful? While at the Family Winemakers Association event in Pasadena a couple months back, we were chatting with PGA golfer turned winemaker Kris Moe at his winery’s table as the event shut down. So we offered to help him carrying his boxes and display out to his car and he gave us the merlot as a thank you.
The wine needed twenty minutes to open up before serving. The dark ruby color had a combination of earth, blackberry and a hint of French oak on the nose. The first taste highlighted a streak of acidity in the mid-palate. The mouthfeel was a medium in terms of weightiness. Tannins were slightly drying at the back of the mouth. A return after another half-hour also revealed some blueberry in the nose as well.
This was a great food wine to accompany a stroganoff. Acids cut through the fat of the sour cream and the flavors of the wine held up very well. This is a wine better suited for food than by itself. Alcohol was a manageable fourteen and a half percent.
You can find 19th Hole Wines at the website, www.19thholewine.com.