DelFosse Vineyards 2005 Meritage
Aaaaaah. That was my first thought when I tasted DelFosse’s Meritage, which is so smooth it’s like slipping into a hot tub after a long day at work.
The 2005 DelFosse Meritage is another favorite of our DelFosse-devotee friends Angela and Gene, who insisted we pour the wine using an aerator attachment that swishes the wine around for you , saving you the potential mess of swishing the wine all over yourself. Adding air to the wine right before you drink it wakes up the flavors. And these flavors were wide awake and purring! The Meritage had a peppery, berry smell with a strong dose of tannins. But on my palate, there was none of the bite that I associate with tannins – just rich, smooth flavor.
“Meritage” actually describes a specific type of wine blend. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines blended from traditional Bordeaux (France) varietals. Meritage is an invented word combining "merit" and "heritage." A lofty goal, but wines like the DelFosse Meritage really deliver! A red Meritage wine must be a blend of two or more of these grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenere. One variety of grape can’t make up more than 90 percent of the blend. (I’ve never heard of those last three grapes before, so I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of them in Virginia blends.)
Lingo tip: According to The Meritage Association’s Web site, Meritage is pronounced like "heritage," but most wineries I’ve visited pronounce it like “triage.”
DelFosse’s 2005 Meritage is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 28% Petit Verdot, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 18 months in French oak – and it’s 100% delicious!
DelFosse says their 2005 Meritage is a wine you should buy and hold: “This wine will age nicely for 5-10 years.” But with such great flavor, I’d have a hard time passing it up when I open my wine fridge. Price: $25/bottle. Buy a bottle and let me know what you think!
And as always, “Think globally. Drink locally.”
-- Dawn
Want to know more about DelFosse wines? Visit www.delfossewine.com.
Comments
Looking forward to trying this at the Mt. Vernon Wine Festival in a few weeks!
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