Tim’s Wine Market Orlando

Looking for a Great Merlot???

I love finding wines that taste like they’re SUPPOSED to taste!  So many Merlots from California just don’t taste like Merlot.  The 2011 Neyers Conn Valley Merlot, however, does!

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting at Tim’s Wine Market in Orlando where Barbara and Bruce Neyers, the owners of Neyers Vineyards in Napa, presented some of their wines.

They do a great Chardonnay, some great Cabs and one of the best Zinfandels I’ve had in a very long time.  My favorite of the night, however, was probably the Merlot.

Made with Merlot grapes from their own certified organic vineyards surrounding their home, the Neyers and their talented winemaker Tadeo Borchardt have produced a wonderful Merlot.

The ruby colored wine has aromas of cherry, black raspberry and some chocolate shavings.  The palate is beautifully balanced with layers of the raspberry, cherry, along with some plum and licorice.  Blended with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has a lovely velvety finish and is more reminiscent of a Pomerol than a California Merlot. 

At 13.8% alcohol, this isn’t one of those huge Napa Merlots that have forgotten what they are meant to be.  It’s a lovely wine that I could drink every night of the week.  Coming in at about $30, this wine is definitely worth its price.

To learn more about Neyers Vineyards, or to purchase some of their wines, go to there website here:  http://www.neyersvineyards.com

Romorantin???

My husband and I opened a very interesting wine last night, a 2007 Domaine des Huards Cour-Cheverny.  We purchased this bottle at a Loire Valley wine tasting at Tim’s Wine Market in Orlando a couple of years ago.

I thought that this would be a fun wine to feature on my blog because it is made of the very rare Romorantin grape.  This white grape has grown in the Loire Valley since the 16th century.  It makes wine that is crisp and minerally, with good acidity.  DNA profiling has determined it to be the offspring of the varietals Pinot Meunier and Gouais Blanc.

The Cour-Cheverny appellation is situated within the larger Cheverny appellation, which is the most important zone in the middle Loire.  It was promoted to full Appellation Controlee status in 1993.  The wines made from Romorantin make up it’s own appellation (Cour-Cheverny) which is only about 48 hectare.

The 2007 Domaine des Huards Cour-Cheverny is deep golden in color.  On the nose we smelled pear, mango, citrus (including lemon and a hint of orange) and some almond.  The palate provided great acidity and minerality, along with the pear, lemon, green apple and a touch of mushroom.

The odds of you having a bottle of this in your cellar are slim, but if you do, drink it up!  It’s not going to last much longer.

 

 

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