Wine Review - 2010 Baron Philippe De Rothschild Merlot: Well Priced And Tasty Merlot
We spent a lovely after work hour at our local wine bar Obladee where we enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine, a nice Soave Classico and a Vinho Verde on the white side and Malbec and Rioja on the red. The wine bar is a lovely place for an after work drink and with the weather we have been having we were extra lucky. That nice end to the day got us thinking about what wine to have tonight and we decided to have a wine that we were recently provided.
The 2010 Baron Philippe De Rothschild Merlot retails for $14 locally which is a great price point if the wine is any good. We reviewed the Chardonnay not long after we started the blog and were interested in trying another version of their wines and here we are after having been provided both the Merlot and the Pinot Noir (to be reviewed in the coming days).
This wine we would consider to be medium bodied with a medium-dark look in the glass. When held up to light it does allow some light through. It looks like cranberry cocktail with a distinctly bright red colour. It is a nice looking wine.
The nose on this wine is fruity with no sign of oak which we can see was not involved in the wine making process. So, there is a layer of strawberry or raspberry fruit that hits you right away and then the alcohol follows somewhat strongly though not overwhelmingly. We like the nose but it is a tad one dimensional....that is to say all fruit.
The palate is a little more interesting with the berry fruit notes continuing but we do get a distinctly tobacco sensation on the mid-palate. So, it starts with fruit transitions to a cigar tobacco flavour and then finishes somewhat on the tannic/tart side. Not exactly balanced, but really quite interesting for a $14 wine. At each point of the tasting the flavours are easily recognizable and make for a nice drinking wine, especially good with say a cheese plate. This yet another situation where the Quality Price Ration (QPR) works out well.
The 2010 Baron Philippe De Rothschild Merlot retails for $14 locally which is a great price point if the wine is any good. We reviewed the Chardonnay not long after we started the blog and were interested in trying another version of their wines and here we are after having been provided both the Merlot and the Pinot Noir (to be reviewed in the coming days).
This wine we would consider to be medium bodied with a medium-dark look in the glass. When held up to light it does allow some light through. It looks like cranberry cocktail with a distinctly bright red colour. It is a nice looking wine.
The nose on this wine is fruity with no sign of oak which we can see was not involved in the wine making process. So, there is a layer of strawberry or raspberry fruit that hits you right away and then the alcohol follows somewhat strongly though not overwhelmingly. We like the nose but it is a tad one dimensional....that is to say all fruit.
The palate is a little more interesting with the berry fruit notes continuing but we do get a distinctly tobacco sensation on the mid-palate. So, it starts with fruit transitions to a cigar tobacco flavour and then finishes somewhat on the tannic/tart side. Not exactly balanced, but really quite interesting for a $14 wine. At each point of the tasting the flavours are easily recognizable and make for a nice drinking wine, especially good with say a cheese plate. This yet another situation where the Quality Price Ration (QPR) works out well.
| Tasting Notes: | Score: | |
| Sight (0-5) | Medium coloured wine that looks like cranberry cocktail when put up to the light. | 4.0 |
| Smell (0-5) | Fruity nose that is slightly one dimensional. | 3.75 |
| Taste (0-10) | Fruity start with a tobacco mid-point and a tannic finish. Each phase is clearly tasted as you swallow the wine. | 8.0 |
| Total: | 15.75 / 20 (78.75%) |
Keep on tasting!
Chris & Shannon
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