June 12, 2017

Fat Bastard Merlot

Wine started out as a hobby.  I made a decision several years ago to learn more about wine and better appreciate the flavors.  I started by booking a wine tasting with Jodi, of Wine Shops at Home.  (Which is a really fun way to get introduced to wines.)

Since that first tasting (when I only would taste sweet, white wines), I’ve grown a lot and learned to appreciate more flavors.

Fat Bastard is a French wine (Old World for those of you who follow my Facebook page).  Yay for me because I love French wines, and I’m slightly ashamed to admit, I love Merlot.  I know it isn’t very trendy, but what can I say?  That’s my palate. 

The aromas on this wine go on for days.  Raspberry.  Plum.  Cedar.  Yep, I said cedar.  It’s a woody smell, but not quite an oak.  This is more cedar.  A deep, complex nose, like you’d expect from a Old World wine. 

You should be able to smell “place” on Old World wines.  Smell the dirt and the location the grapes came from.  This is a great example.

I tried to like this wine, I really did.  But it’s not good.  There’s too much tannin, not enough fruits, and it’s too dry.  I let it sit a day to see if air would help, but then any hint of fruit is completely gone.  I couldn’t finish the bottle.  I almost never throw out a bottle of wine.

For $10, this one isn’t worth it.  Don’t ruin your view of French wines with this one.

Wine started out as a hobby for me and seems to have taken over my dining room.  My wine rack is full, bottles are stacked around it, and I’ve even improvised a cardboard stacking system to keep the bottles on their sides. 

What hobby has taken over your house?