LaZarre Wines
2010 Merlot
Merlot •Halter Ranch Vineyard
California: Paso Robles
Mission Briefing
Waiting for Merlot
At long last, we are so proud to welcome back to our shores one of our longest-standing favorites, LaZarre Wines. Adam LaZarre was one of the first friends that Agent Red made when Red was but a fledgling Wine Spy. This friendship has endured and our Operatives have been the real beneficiaries, with Agent Red gaining early access to Adam’s fantastic wines.
Today’s 2010 LaZarre Merlot hails from the Halter Ranch Vineyard, a westside Paso vineyard site that is considered to be the California equivalent of French Premier Cru.
This wine is very well-structured and it delivers a powerful yet elegant drinking experience that reminded many on our tasting panel, stylistically, of a big Napa Valley Cabernet.
Very highly recommended, today’s limited production treat is an expressive Merlot that packs a wallop.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Very deep and slightly inky with hues that remind us of dark cherry juice. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Bold and big with aromas of smoky cherry, sweet cedar, dried tobacco leaf, cassis, hard leather, blackberry compote and chocolate covered cherry. |
| Taste: | Big black cherry, leather, tobacco, spice and blackberry present all across the palate. These flavors are followed by stewed stone fruit, black pepper and dark chocolate. |
| Finish: | Very long, with great structure. Dark fruit flavors gradually give way to earth and spice. Long after fruit and spice fade, a hint of jasmine black tea persists. |
| Pairing: | Enjoy this bold, extracted wine with a fatty bleu cheese bacon burger! |