Wine Review - 2008 Jackson Triggs Black Series Meritage: Like Heritage Not Meritaaaage

Yes, Chris has pronounced this wrong on many an occasion.  It is Meritage not Meritaaaage.  When someone corrects you like, "Isn't it called Meritage?", your reputation as a wine nerd takes a hit in old arse.

Basically all you need to know (other than how to say it) is that Meritage = Bordeaux blend of grapes.  So, Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Cab Franc mainly (or Malbec or Petit Verdot or Carmenère - with no varietal comprising more than 90% of the blend - thank you Wikipedia).  This one is 40% Cab Franc, 36% Cab Sauv, and 24% Merlot.

This is a Niagara Region version from Jackson Triggs so props to the Canadian wine again and from our perspective it is a bit of a gem.  Why you might ask?  Well it is $15 locally.  When we were in the Niagara Region sampling Meritage we routinely had ones that we north of $25 in the glass and this one holds up to that challenge.

In the glass it is a nicely dark red wine with little light getting through when held up to a bulb.  Although it does have a slightly less than thick look in the glass (that's just another way to say thin).

When you smell the wine there is that all too familiar and awesome barnyard smell from Niagara (though not very much).  We also get a mineral or earthy smell with a touch of licorice (which is just a whisper).  Now that you have that mental smell, there is a touch of black pepper and maybe even leather going on.  So bottom line complex (very nice for a $15 wine).

Once you get to the tasting, you get a ripe blackberry fruit flavour with a bunch of leather.  It is tart and tannic and really nice though the thinness does carry through a bit.  No way is it as complex on the tongue but it is a nice drinking wine with a lot nice stuff going on.  We liked it and it is such a good value.

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Dark but slightly thin looking wine.	4.0
Smell (0-5)	List them off barnyard, mineral, earthy, licorice, black pepper, and leather.  That sure seems like a lot.	4.5
Taste (0-10)	Oaky and berry with good tannins but just a touch on the thin side.	7.75
	Total:	16.25 / 20  (81.25%)

A good drinker and Canadian, eh....

Keep on drinking!

Chris & Shannon