Lipgloss & Wine

Sometimes, a strange thing happens when you shell out a 10 for a bottle of red - get change back - then head home to uncork, not expecting much. What you might expect is for said red to fall flat just like the other dime-a-dozen value reds you’ve tried. So, it’s a splendid surprise when you happen to fall in love at first sip (before aeration, even). It’s clear that this 2009 Frontera merlot from Concha y Toro is not like the others. The bottle was around $9 with an ABV of 12.5%.

We got blackberry and plum on the nose with tobacco and a hint of light roast coffee. The mouthfeel was particularly smooth and round. On the palate, cinnamon candies, black cherry, plum, and caramel were detected. The finish was smooth as well, lingering with the taste of berry cola. There was little acidity and soft tannins overall.

• Aroma: Blackberry, plum, tobacco, coffee
• Taste: Black cherry, cinnamon, plum, caramel; round, smooth
• Aftertaste: Black cherry, caramel; lingers

We’d buy this by the case, so it gets our hearty stamp of approval. We do love Chilean wines.

Which is your favorite merlot under $10?

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