Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Estancia Meritage Alexander Valley 1999

A cabernet/merlot blend. A modest nose that is, unfortunately, reminiscent of cherry-flavored cough syrup. Tannic and acidic on the palate, with notes of red cherries and mocha java. I wonder if they acidified it, although I don’t think they used citric acid the way some cheapskates do (the lemon flavor usually gives it away in reds). Not bad for a mid-week wine, albeit a bit pricey for that purpose (MSRP $30, although I paid a lot less), but not one I would buy again. On the other hand, the other bottle in the cellar will get drunk rather than just going into the stock pot. And, I should note, the good wife liked it better than I did. My main problem with this wine is that it’s not really ready to drink, but I’m also not sure it will age that well. Grade: C-