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| ~ Red Pepper Spread & Crusty Bread for the Merlot ~ |
Once bitten twice shy is a good rule that someone coined. It’s a rule I likely should have heeded. But alas, my lust infatuation with Italian Merlot is well documented and I’ve not had many that failed to impress me. Chalk today’s review up to the other cliche – “there’s a first time for everything”.
Recently I toted the 2009 La Lecciaia Merlot to a casual Trattoria. The wholesome down to earth food would make an appealing backdrop for a rustic red. The food rose to the challenge, but it was the wine that fell flat.
In the glass, the Merlot is a nice violet color, but already displays some signs of ruby bricking. The aroma was very pleasant. There’s a floral note that is very pretty and accents the bright berry notes that are the mainstay of the nose. There’s a slight herbaceous note that unfortunately, detracts.
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| ~ Orecchiete with Sausage & Broccoli Rabe in Pink Sauce ~ |
On the palate, the wine is somewhat monolithic and uninteresting. The ripeness of the 2009 vintage is not evident here as the somewhat hollow midpalate is filled with underripe bell pepper tones. The brightness to the berry fruit associated with the nose of the wine simply hasn’t migrated in terms of flavor. Herbs and tones of bitter olive are present along with the light weight of the berry fruit, but in this sense the bitterness appears stemmy and astringent. This was a complete misfire and simply something readers should avoid. 80 points. About $15.
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| ~ The 2009 Merlot from La Lecciaia ~ |
E vero!
Too bad, John. What was the back up bottle…? 🙂 I have only tasted one wine from La Lecciaia – the 2003 Brunello – http://barolista.blogspot.se/2013/03/in-search-of-brunello-di-montalcinos.html – that was good but nothing spectacular.
/Joakim
I tasted their 2007 not long ago and wrote that up here too – as you say, nothing great. Normally, I bring two bottles of wine with me when I'm toting to a BYO restaurant just in case the first bottle is bad/corked. I didn't do that this time. Live and learn.
John: "monolithic. . . The brightness to the berry fruit associated with the nose of the wine simply hasn't migrated in terms of flavor.": I love the "word-smithing", and whose knows, this wine may have failed just so we can have a gimps of your genius:-)
Your #1 fan!
Ha ha. You're funny D. Thanks.