January 31, 2007

2000 Merryvale Profile, Napa Valley, California

My brother's birthday was a few days ago. We don't normally exchange gifts as we are of that age where birthday gifts for your siblings is not top-of-mind, so to speak. Anyway, he sent me a pretty terrific surprise gift for my birthday earlier the same week (the DVD box set of ALL of the Pink Panther Movies... and yes, that's how I roll) and I needed to reciprocate. So I contacted a recommended wine shop in Brooklyn (Red, White, and Bubbly) , where he and his wonderful girlfriend live, and this beautiful bottle was hand delivered on behalf of winecommando as a birthday gift. I asked that they review the wine for us, as we have not tried it, and JL and mattisimo have obliged with what is the FIRST guest wine review on winecommando:

"Having friends and family who know wines is a great asset for novices like us. We've attended our share of tasting events and have wined and dined with those in the know, and through these experiences, we have discovered what flavors and qualities we like, yet we
are usually at the mercy of a good wine shop owner or somelier, or at least a wine list with good descriptions. So it was a wonderful surprise to receive a bottle of Merryvale 'Profile' Red Wine as a birthday gift from the experienced folks at winecommando.

Merryvale Vineyards is located in the lovely town of St. Helena, in Napa Valley. 'Profile' is one of their Prestige wines, "a proprietary red Bordeaux blend." This bottle, from 2000, is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Letting it rest for about half an hour resulted in a nice rich wine with a smooth finish. It tasted of dark berries, a little smokey, and just enough body to remind you of the complexity of the blend. This wine would pair well with heartier meats,like beef or pork, or perhaps rich poultry, like turkey or duck. It was a delicious foray into blended wines. This was also an introduction to a new (to us) California winery, and certainly one to seek out on our next trip to Napa. Merryvale was the first winery built in Napa Valley after the end of Prohibition. This family-owned winery is dedicated to the art of winemaking, and their wines have received much acclaim, both here and abroad. And from a couple of NY novices, the 2000 'Profile' wins our praise."

cost - a birthday gift from the folks at winecommando

(guest) winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

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