We opened a bottle of McKellar Ridge 09 Merlot Cabernet Franc. Merlot seemed to cop a backlash following the movie `Sideways` where the central character used to make jokes about this grape variety. Great flic which I`ve watched over and over but never did get the joke made about merlot. Anyhoo, Cab Franc finds its origins in Bordeaux which is interesting given the similar climatic conditions compared with Canberra (continental). Could explain why this wine is very nice.
Good depth of colour with brick around the edges which is due to the few years of age. I get subtle liquorice on the nose with some nice ripe plum. I did get a whiff of vanilla at the outset and der, after looking on the back of the bottle (rooky error) it mentions the time the wine has spent in French Oak. French Oak is not cheap and for around $25 on the shop shelf, good bang for buck.
On the fruit side I got some nice soft spice in the form of light pepper and there is good balance. It stays with you for a while which relates to length. Very nice – time to go tuck in to Elouise`s Beef Stir Fry.
Suits
