Merlot – JOHN LORI'EH

We paired this with a Chicken Parmesan, heavy on the cheese and a Cesar salad. J.Lohr has always been a go to wine, both this and the Cabernet. The Chardonnay is also excellent.

The Merlot is a very smooth, dry wine and very soft on the palate. It has major oak, vanilla and chocolate notes. You can pretty much pair it with anything.

You have likely noticed that we are big on California wines, and with good reason. They are usually fairly light, yet bold with strong berry and vanilla hints prevalent. They are reasonably priced, this one in the mid 20’s. I would recommend this wine for any type of occasion, even (especially?) just having a glass. We rate it 4.1 of 5 stars.

PS: For some reason The BC price was 16 cents lower than the average on Vivino. SHHSHH, don’t let them know.

Chateau St. Michelle Merlot

Chateau Ste Michelle is an American winery, situated in Washington state. The wines from this area are becoming quite well-known and are carving out a name for themselves. The vineyards have been in existence since the repeal of prohibition.

The wine we are reviewing is a 2011 Merlot, purchased at the Real Canadian Liquor Store here in Calgary, and is reasonably price at below $20.00. We paired it with a Montreal spice chicken breast and sweet potato, all off the barbecue, and it was excellent.

To be truthful, I consider this purchase to be a steal and highly recommend it to our friends and readers. Typical of Merlot, it was light and flavorful, with minimal earthiness. A very good pair to the spiced breasts. There are hints of black cherry and some definite spiciness There are many fruit flavors and it has a good finish. In addition to pairing with food, it is very suitable for plain old every day sipping.

For more information on the winery, I have added a few links for you..