Merlot, Glen Ellen House
Wine Wednesday!
Glen Ellen House~ Concannon~Glen Ellen Reserve
Merlot 2011, California
The label reads “Medium bodied Merlot with fruit flavors of cherry and plum”
When I take a whiff of this Merlot I smell raspberries. The kind waiting to be eaten all up. This is a surprise because it is not a fruit wine. It is a Merlot grape. Merlot’s, I typically find to smell deeply of barrel aged grapes, they smell strong and daring not always so inviting. Next I take a sip and my taste buds do a little jig for at first there is the Merlot I know and love that robust “I’m wine, like me or leave me,” taste. Then it is followed by a happy finish. It’s sweet!? I have never had a sweet Merlot before. There is a cherry flavor just as the label descriptions says, a dark cherry. This would go perfectly with dark chocolate.
This is not a blend, but I recommend it to those who tend to like red wine blends. If you like sweet wines I encourage you to try this, however it is not a super sweet wine. It could be more classified as a semi-sweet wine. If you are a Merlot lover, sip with caution. It is not anything like a typical Merlot. Concannon’s Glen Ellen Reserve I found to be delightful and easy to drink and will likely purchase it again.