Recommendation: Not recommended
Winery/Producer: Buffalo Grove Wine Cellars, Santa Rosa, California
Grape Variety: Merlot
Geographic Origin: California
Vintage: 2010
Price: $6.99
Purchased From: 1st bottle – Total Wine, Northridge, California.
2nd bottle (April 27, 2013) – Total Wine; Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Paired With: 1st pairing – Meatloaf with tangy ketchup-mustard-brown sugar glaze; baked potatoes loaded with cheese and sour cream; carrots. Chocolate chip cookies.
2nd pairing – Chicken mole tacos.
Tasting:
He said: 1st tasting – Dark purple color. Very slight fruity and alcohol bouquet. Mild (weak), dry berry taste with only a short/medium finish. Balance of tannins is good. Just an okay Merlot at this price.
2nd tasting – Very light fruit bouquet. Light berry taste with a short, dry finish. Fair at best and quite strong acid in the finish. It’s bitter and there is a terrible balance between the tannins and the fruit. At $6.99 it’s only so-so, and would not recommend buying it…there are lots of other inexpensive Merlot that are better.
She said: 1st tasting – Slight fruity bouquet. Medium body; little flavor, semi-sweet; medium finish. Not bad but undistinguished.
2nd tasting – No detectable bouquet; little flavor with medium tannins and strong acidity; medium body, dry, and with a non-description finish. The best thing I can say about it is there were no bad flavors or harshness as some cheap Merlots do.
Comments: These two tastings of the same brand and vintage were from one bottle purchased in California and one purchased in North Carolina. Although neither bottle was good, the one from California had a MUCH better balance and did not have the strong acidity in the finish.