Terra Savia Sanel Valley Vineyards Mendocino County Merlot 2005 8.9 James Meléndez

Terra Savia Sanel Valley Vineyards Mendocino County Merlot 2005 8.9 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This bottle of wine was full of surprises. First, I met the wine maker late last year and I really liked himJim Milone and his view of wine and wine making. I enjoyed the suite of wines that I tasted. I was in Bi-Rite Market this weekend and I saw this bottle at $7.99on a lower shelf as if it deserved so little attention.

I was a bit skepticalmaybe it was $7.99 for a great reason. I came home opened it up immediately and expecting just an average wine as best. And my first sip was this is a good wine but then I gave it time to open up.

This Merlot is markedly different than much hotter wine regionslike Napa Valley. This Merlot does not start and end with a fruit bombinstead the Mendocino climateand it can vary in this region but overall a cool night is usually in store during grape growing time. This wine exhibits notes of roasted blackberry-blueberry, richly herbaceous, and subtle yet evocative spice notes of cardamom and ground clove.

At $7.99 a bottle it is a profound deal. Perhaps the only reason a $7.99 bottle is that it is a 2005 vintagedont let that scare youit is a very nice wine. Im going back for more.

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