2010 Lyeth Meritage

My husband and I, like many wine drinkers, are big fans of Bordeaux. At their best they show power and finesse, complexity and subtlety, but unfortunately at a pretty hefty price tag.

Enter Meritage wines.

Meritage (rhymes with heritage) wines are those that use the traditional Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, etc) but not made in France. In general, you won’t really get the old world flavor profiles out of Meritage wines, but as a new world counterpart, they can offer similar fruit and complexity. Primarily from California, they can cost a pretty penny too, but compared to Bordeaux, there are many that can be found in the affordable range.

Tonight’s wine, for less that $20, was exactly that. Young and purple, there were currants, dark fruit, chocolate and a touch of green tobacco on the nose. There were ample tannins and the wine needed decanting to really open up, but it was still quite tasty. It was never fully integrated though, which makes me think this is a wine that might get better with another year or two in the bottle.  Definitely one to keep my eye out for in the future.