2006 DeLoach Vineyards Merlot Private Collection

This was the last bottle of the night, and the first thing I grabbed. This was given to us as a gift, so why not. Nose of dark berry fruits, with hints of oak, eucalyptus, and vanilla. Nothing super inspiring, but not offensive in the least. Hints of spice and earthiness rounded out the nose, with the smallest hint of coffee bean. On the palate, this was very drinkable, and would make for yet another good house wine. I don’t think most people would guess this was merlot in a blind tasting, but the fruit profile was nice.

More dark black and blue berry on the palate, with hints of plum and dark cherries. Nice spice, a good crisp acidity, and subtle tannins made this wine very easy to drink. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this wine, but I could see many guests enjoying this wine. This once again proves that there is nothing in the least wrong with drinking merlot. Not inspiring in the least, and I wouldn’t run out to purchase this wine, but I would indeed drink it again. 83 points. Cheers!