Barefoot Merlot

Last night I tried a bottle of Merlot by Barefoot Cellars. It was a gift from a friend who came over the other night for dinner. This review in no way reflects on the quality of the friendship, only on the quality of the wine.

Barefoot Merlot (unspecified vintage--scary) is a medium transparent ruby-purple in the glass with modest glycerine and no sign of aging. On the nose the wine smells strongly of black currents and hand soap with just a touch of asphalt. In the mouth the wine was fairly tannic with modest alcohol and a reasonable balance of acids and sugars. It tasted of black fruit, leather, spice and perhaps a hint of cold mix asphalt. The finish was uneventful and of medium length, ending with an aftertaste of sun-bleached wood. Overall, I found this wine to be undrinkable. It would probably go fine with a Carl's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger and Curly Fries.

How it won a gold medal is beyond me. All the other wines in its class must be terrible.

And the winner is...

Apparently I am the non-student winner of the Harmony Contest for my short story The Sound of Wolves Might be Dogs Barking. I haven't been notified by anyone. The prize money is supposed to be $500, and my story will be published in their journal. I'm now officially a published author. Cool!

Thanks to all of you who helped me with this story. If anyone would like to read the finished story, let me know and I'll send you a copy.

Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard 2005

I'm happy to say that the 2005 vintage of this excellent wine is just that--excellent. Wonderful dusty cherries and clove on the nose give way to sour cherry, oak, vanilla and warm spices with very little tannin and delicious acidity. Not overdone, medium body with modest alcohol.

The winemaker is a woman, and she clearly knows how to make a wine that would go well with just about any type of food. The 2004 was great and this one might be better. You can find this wine for around $19 a bottle retail, and while most wines in this price range are not worth the money, this one is. An elegant, well-made and very versatile Pinot. I'd buy a case if I had $230 to spare.

Cheers!