Tasting Notes: Merlots and Merlot-Based Blends

I don't have the exact date for this tasting, but I think it was Nov. 6. I've skipped over the blind tasting, because my notes are designed to help me identify the wines, not describe them. They're less detailed and more idiosyncratic than my normal notes, and they wouldn't make for good reading--assuming any of my notes ever do.

(Yes, I've posted my blind tasting notes in the past, but this time I really focused on identifying the wines and not on taking descriptive notes. Maybe that's why I landed Stimmels' first ever perfect score! Does this mean you can trust my palate? No, probably not--at least, not beyond my ability to tell a gossamer pinot noir from an oozing shiraz, and maybe a level or two in between. If anything, it just means I'm a decent test taker.)

Anyway, on to the Merlot notes:

1. Chateau Haut Surget Lalande de Pomerol 2003
Simple, decent, medium-bodied red, with aromas and flavors of plum, cranberry, and leathery earth. Moderate tannins.

2. Chateau Fleur Cardinale 2003
A touch tart, a touch tannic, this red would work well with a fatty dish like prime rib or even a richly-sauced salmon filet. Dark and earthy, with blackberry, spice, and tobacco flavors, and a nice crescendo of vanilla on the finish.

3. Dunham Cellars Trutina 2005
Definitely a new-world merlot, this red from Washington state is full-bodied and sweetly ripe--at first. An enticing nose of blackberry, black earth, spicy tar, and violets gives way to similar flavors, laced with orange-spiced dark chocolate and a finish suggestive of citrus essence. There is some undesirable tartness on the mid-palate, though. Like it. Don't love it.

4. Kathryn Kennedy Lateral 2003
There's a flavor in wines that I have trouble putting into words, so I just call it "Napa," since it's present in so many Napa wines. The closest I can come to describing it is to call it a cross between herbaceousness and earthiness--with maybe some aromatic spice thrown in. Anyway, this exceptionally smooth, medium-full-bodied merlot has "Napa" in spades, not to mention some deliciously rich cassis, spice, and eucalyptus notes. Very good.

5. Flora Springs Napa Valley Merlot 2002
This merlot, at six years old, seems to have begun its descent. The fruit is beginning to taste just a touch raisiny, but there are still some very nice pepper and spice notes. Don't wait to drink this one--maybe with a nice lamb tagine, for which the raisin-y note could in fact be an asset.