Travel Pete's Journal: Basements, Kids & Mental Health

Wine Tasting notes: San Felipe's New Mexico Merlot

San Felipe New Mexico Merlot 2001. BilFish Rating: 100 out of 100. (it's what we compare all wines to).

This is our absolute favorite wine, discovered on our honeymoon in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico a few years back.

We've been back a couple more times, and the last time we stocked up on 2 cases of the Merlot. Buying it in the Spring means we get the somewhat raw version just available for the season. This time, we've held onto it for the past two years and it has really matured wonderfully, just standing on its head in a box in the corner of the basement.

It's a darker, garnet red. It has a simple, fruity-wood nose to it. There's a sharpness to the aroma which seems to hint that it could lay down another year or two -- if only we could wait that long!

Luckily, we'll finally be heading back to Santa Fe this summer to visit Max's Grandpa Bob and Grandma Peggy. We'll get a chance to visit the winery and stock up. Actually, their vineyards are all up in northern New Mexico and they buy a few grapes from Colorado, as it turns out.

The taste is a soft, yet full, oak-smoke flavor, really rich without being overpowering. Absolutely fantastic. I believe I can notice the richness of plum overtones, but that could just be reading the label...

Posted by BilFish at April 23, 2004 08:21 AM