A No Go On this Merlot – Badger Mountain NSA Organic Merlot ‘07

Oct 1 2009

You are about to read something that has never before been written on PalateBomb.com: a non-positive wine review.

Why “non-positive” review? Why not “bad?” Well, in the words of a good friend (to me): You’re not allowed to say a wine sucks. You can say you don’t enjoy it, but not that it’s bad.

Sure, there are people out there who know enough about wine to say that three-letter word with some authority, but we don’t like those people here.

Moving along…

I picked up this wine, an ’07 NSA Organic Merlot from Badger Mountain,  from The Wine Gods at Palate Bomb (what I’m going to call them until they tell me to stop or I can think of something better). I was attracted to it because I like merlot and, frankly, I’m a good little yuppy. We yuppies LOVE anything organic (the wine is stamped USDA organic).

After letting the bottle sit in my wine fridge for about a week, I knew The Wine Gods were getting restless for the review so I popped – er – unscrewed the cap (which I am PRO screw – but that article is coming soon). It’s my bad, I over-chilled it a little and being a little impatient poured. The only thing I could honestly smell (kick me here) was bread. I know, here we go again. I gave it a few minutes and the smell (thank God) went away. Still, I couldn’t exactly place what I was smelling. The nose was pretty unique. Not bad or good, but definitely interesting.

Initially, the the wine hit my tongue like a stereotypical merlot. It came on strong like barfly near closing time, and I did enjoy that (the wine that is). But there was a lingering taste – it was fruity but horrendously bitter. Like drinking unripened berries. I didn’t care for this, and since the finish is what stays with you the longest, it didn’t exactly urge me to pick up my glass again. (Note: According to the winery’s web site, the tasting notes include sweet cherry (didn’t see that), raspberry, caramel,  spice, and marionberry as well as oak.)

A couple minutes and a few drinks later my palate began warming up to the wine. The finish wasn’t as mouth-puckering, but there was still an odd fruit (I’m thinking it was the marionberry) that I could not fully accept as likable.

Luckily, by this time, the side effects of being on a diet (having an empty stomach) and the wine kicked in and I was already “feeling it.” Mission accomplished. Wait? Oh, that’s right, mission No. 1 was to write a review. Mission No. 2…

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this wine. It’s a good price (around $15 online), but honestly there’s a lot of other wines for that price (or less) that I like a lot more.  I did, however, like the fact it was made from organically grown grapes and I would definitely be interested in tasting more wines from Badger Mountain’s NSA (no sulfites added) collection.

Wine: 2007 NSA Badger Mountain Merlot
From: Badger Mountain (Kennewick, WA)
Where Found: Gift from the Wine Gods at Palate Bomb (but you may find it for $15 or less in stores and online)
Paired With: Nada (this wine was flying solo tonight)

Banfi Centine (Super Tuscan)

Jul 22 2009

This week I’m taking you to Italy*, where I had a Banfi Centine (Super Tuscan). This red blend consists of a 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet and 50% Sangiovese. This deep, dark red blend opened up with a sharp scent and the proximity to my nostrils resulted from a very full pour. The first notes included spice that developed into berry. The clean, tangy finish surprised me, as this blend had a medium body that set an expectation of an earthier finish.

The Merlot blends well with the Cabernet, balancing a level of sweet with a level of spicy. Add the Sangiovese and the depth of fruit and spice attempted to distract my tastebuds throughout the meal. As the volume of the wine decreased in my glass, so did my ability to evaluate it further.

An drank the Banfi Centine (Super Tuscan) ($9.00/glass) at Sorriso in Washington, D.C. She paired the wine with Pizza Prosciutto. She decided to take it easy this time around, especially since she went a bit crazy on the food last time around.

For taste, color, scent, experience and complexity, An gives the Banfi Centine (Super Tuscan) a 2.5 of 5.

*I didn’t actually go to Italy. I went to a family run Italian restaurant in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington D.C. The waitress selected the wine for me. I recommend selecting your own wine.