Novice Wine Blog

Name:	Toasted Head Merlot
Rating:	3 Stars
Winery:	R. H. Phillips
Vintage:	2005
Varietal:	Merlot
Country:	United States
Region:	California: North coast
Retail Price:	13.99 USD
Alcohol:	13.5%

Name:	Fat Bastard Merlot
Rating:	3 Stars
Winery:	The Fat Bastard Wine Company
Vintage:	2005
Varietal:	Merlot
Country:	France
Region:	Languedoc
Retail Price:	10.00 USD
Alcohol:	13%

Last night Lucinda and I prepared sliced steak and mushrooms with warm potato salad. It was a good dinner, and we washed it down with a bottle of 2005 Fat Bastard Merlot.

The wine is extremely full bodied. It is also how it obtained its name Fat Bastard.

The next day after sleeping in past noon due to the late night before, Thierry thought he would have Guy try an experimental wine he had in a few barrels in the back of the cellar. “Dis is a experiment wine we left it on de lees. We try it no?” “Sure Thierry, you know how hard it is to get me to try a new wine.” Both friends had no idea that leaving the wine in barrel on the lees (yeast cells) would result is such a dramatic difference from the wine they tried the day before. It had a wonderful color and rich, round palate. Both men stood and stared at each other for what seemed like five minutes until Thierry exclaimed “now zat iz what you call eh phet bast-ard” Guy laughed with a belly laugh you could clearly hear in the neighboring town. He had used the expression Fat bastard often to describe things that were great but hearing it in a French accent made it so much funnier.

The wine had a great bouquet and taste, but I found it to be a bit tannic for my taste. I believe the 2005 will be much better in about a year or two.

We paid around $15 for the wine (not a lot of options for competitive shopping here in Madisonville KY). Lucinda really liked the wine and I just found it to be ok. It is inexpensive, has a good flavor, great color, good bouquet, but should probably age just a little bit more.

Lucinda gives it a 3.5 and I would have to hover closer to 3 and since I am the one writing this review, we will go with 3.

Name:	Clos du Bois Merlot
Rating:	4 Stars
Winery:	Clos du Bois
Vintage:	2004
Varietal:	90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% other
Country:	United States
Region:	California: Sonoma County
Retail Price:	15.99 USD
Alcohol:	13.5%

I was sitting on the front porch of my houseboat this past Friday evening and Lucinda and I opened a bottle of Clos du Bois Merlot. It had been a particularly frustrating day and we were ready to see it come to an end. We opened this bottle and poured our first glass. The first thing we noticed was the color of the wine. It was a deep ruby red and it even "looked" silky as we poured it into our glasses. The bouquet of the wine was rather inviting and seemed to beckon to us to drink it. I cant say that I detected any currants or vanilla or black cherries, but it just smelled good.The look of the wine was not deceiving. It tasted as silky as it poured.The wine had a strong finish, or should I say a long finish as the flavor sat on the back of my throat and tongue. With each sip I could feel the stress of the day washing away. We did not drink this wine with any meal, yet I would recommend it as a great pairing with just about anything, even a great big juicy grilled burger. Now, for the rating part. I would have to definitely give this a 4 Star rating.