Gumdale Merlot
Gumdale Merlot is a very interesting Merlot. The single best word to describe this wine is fresh. I once sampled a wine as it was being bottled and this wine reminded me of that experience.
What I love about Australia wines is that they seemed to be made exclusively for a good time.
This wine has a hint of liquorice to it. It seems to add to the overall experience.
Overall I would give this one a 4/5.
Northwest Collection Merlot
Northwest Collection Merlot is a very dark red wine. It doesn’t seem to have any tannins. It isn’t dry and doesn’t have any bitterness. It isn’t a great wine for drinking. I would suggest one glass max on this wine. It tends to end with a bit of a headache otherwise.
I would not serve this one to dinner guests.
Overall I give this a 3/5.
Buffalo Merlot
Buffalo is a California wine. It is dangerously drinkable. It has a hint of dryness to it. There isn’t anything distinctive. There aren’t any outstanding flavors. It is just easy to drink.
Personally I can only drink 2 glasses of this wine before entering the danger zone.
Overall I give this one a 4/5 because of how drinkable it is, but not a 5 because it doesn’t make my mouth sing.
19 Crimes Red Wine
There is something about an Australian wine. They make it for drinking and that is what you should do.
I smelled the cork and was rather confused. It had an array of smells that I like, but are always accompanied by tannins. I hate tannins.
I poured this wine with hope and fear. Hope won. There are so many flavors in this wine, but none of them are bad. It doesn’t leave me needing more, but I sure do want a little more.
This is a highly enjoyable wine.
I would definitely serve this wine at a dinner party.
I give this one a 4.5/5.
The Little Penguin Merlot might be one of my new favorite wines. It is just simply delightful to drink.
I do not know what it is about Australian wines, but they now how to make a wine right down under. This particular wine is a South Eastern Australian wine.
The cover is adorable. I wouldn’t normally buy a wine based on the cover, but this one needed to be tried.
Here is the craziest part, this wine is cheap. I mean scrounge for change in your car kind of cheap. I paid $6 for this bottle of wine.
If you are looking for an inexpensive bottle of very delicious, drinkable wine The Little Penguin Merlot is for you.
I give this wine a 5/5 for the price to taste ratio alone.
Mallee Point Merlot
Mallee Point Merlot is an Australia wine which gives me hope right off the bat. Australians like to drink and seem to have a good sense for drink ability over whatever passes for proper wine in other areas.
You can smell the berries in this wine as you pour it. It is very inviting.
The initial tastes include oak and cherry. This wine clearly has a lot of tannins which I normal try to avoid like the plague. For some reason it doesn’t seem to matter in this wine. They probably process it differently in Australia to allow the tannins without the ill effects.
Even with the tannins this wine is surprisingly smooth. As I drank this wine I thought it maybe a headache waiting to happen, but it will be a delicious ride. To my surprise I did not suffer a headache the next day as I would have if this were an American wine with that many tannins.
If you really enjoy the taste of tannins, but do not like the after affect I would highly recommend this particular wine. They just seem to do it right in Australia.
I give this one a 4/5 overall. It verges on a 5.
Alexander Valley Vineyard Merlot
This wine was estate grown and bottled which generally means they tried harder to get it right. In this case they nailed it. This particular vintage is the 2013.
The wine has the perfect smell when you open the bottle. It isn’t inviting and at the same time it is exactly what you would hope for when smelling a wine.
The taste is smooth and not sweet or bitter. It is just an excellent wine.
I cannot find any downside to this wine. I would definitely serve it at a dinner party. It is very drinkable and not offensive in any way
I give this wine a 5/5.
Third Wheel is a red blend from California.
This California red is a rather simple wine. The bottle has foil and a proper cork. The initial smell is pleasant. It doesn’t have any harsh tones, but also doesn’t give a falsely inviting scent either. It is just pleasing.
The initial taste is smooth. It isn’t smooth due to a lack of flavor like some wines. The flavors are just subtle and none are overwhelming. There is nothing harsh or bitter about the wine. It is simply a good wine.
The blending of this wine is perfect for its purpose. It is meant to be a table wine that you can drink with any meal and serve to any guest.
I enjoyed this wine with fruit. It pairs nicely with black berries, raspberries, and strawberries. It was best with the strawberries.
Pairing this wine with crackers and cheese was not as good. It still worked, but I was not as thrilled. I think perhaps it was the choice of cheese. I was using gouda. I think it would have gone better with a cheddar or some other more flavorful cheese.
Overall I would definitely suggest this wine for dinner guests. It should please any pallet and not be offensive in anyway. In fact at $10 a bottle this is the type of wine that you can have at anytime. It also makes a good bottle to take to a dinner party. Keep one of these on hand for any last minute needs.
I give this wine a 5/5 on the Linda scale.
I really enjoyed this wine and had not ill effects from it.
Beringer Merlot – winery site
Beringer’s Merlot is a perfectly fine Merlot. Like all Beringer products it a simple go to wine. There is nothing unusual about it. No strange or exciting flavors, but no horrid flavors either.
If you do not know what to get this one is worthy of serving to your guests.
I give this one a 4/5.
A3 Merlot
Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone that is the A3 red blend. This is a California blend designed for Anyone to drink Anytime and Anywhere.
Needless to say I liked this particular wine. It isn”t offensive in anyway. It is just a very drinkable wine. It doesn’t have the dryness of merlots or the oddness of pinot noir. It isn’t super sweet. It just is good.
Should you serve this to guests, yes. Any guest should enjoy this wine. It will not overly impress that guest, but anyone else will enjoy it.
I will give this one a 4/5. A high 4 out of 5.
