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Concha y Toro Frontera Merlot 2009 (It’s love.)
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?
Bay Bridge Merlot (Simple pleasures.)
At $4 per bottle, Bay Bridge Merlot is an extremely affordable wine and a drop in the bucket as far as experimentation is concerned. ABV 13%, cork closure. This could turn out really poorly - a watery merlot comprised of haste and reject grapes. Or, it could turn out to be a drinkable, not-so-bad value red. Let’s find out!
At first sniff this reeked of acidity, but after aerating for an hour, the wine became drinkable for our taste. It was quite pleasant, at that!
The nose hinted at strawberry and a nutty warmth. This merlot had a simple, sweet flavor profile. We would choose Bay Bridge Merlot as an everyday “wine o’clock” wine or even a dinner wine, but something different for weekends or special occasions.
- Aroma - Strawberry, walnut, oak
- Taste - Medium bodied; apple peel, pear, green grapes; very mild tannins
- Aftertaste - This lingered with fruit for a short while; very mild but pleasant
Would you try Bay Bridge Merlot?
