Mother Lode Merlot... reviewed by Kathleen Rake

2007 Rustico Farm & Cellars Motherlode Merlot

Note to self: Do not start writing about wine while the steaks are on the barbeque.

I recently received a bottle ofRustico Farm & Cellars  Motherlode Merlot (~$25) as a sample and tonight I opened it to sip along side our grilled steak, baked potato, and salad.

This 2007 was much closer to garnet than ruby in colour and I could see right through it, much like I can a Pinot Noir. That surprised me. I'm used to Merlot with colour and intensity a good deal darker.

On the nose its perfume struck me right away: violets, plum, sweet spice, smoke, and black olives.

On the palate it was juicy and bright with soft tannins and flavours of ripe black cherries, red plums, and a little bit of sage and a finish that wasn't long, but certainly lingered. Thankfully, the flavours weren't overwhelmed by the whopping 14.8% ABV.

This is a wine I could easily serve to guests or take along to a friend's for dinner. But I wouldn't necessarily save it for a special occasion. It's a drink-me-now kind of wine.

And why the note to self above? Well, my distraction (in the form of writing) meant our steaks ended up over cooked and under flavoured.

Salut!