2002 Rosemount Orange Vineyard Merlot
Good Morning Gentle Readers,
Big Storm blew through here like a freight train early this morning and got rid of the last vestiges of that stale marine layer that often plagues So Cal like a clammy blanket filled with pollens and irritants. Not much rain though and we're at record low levels.
Just now there's a Golden Eagle framed in my office window, floating on the stiff breeze, wings as still as if stopped dead with the high speed shutter on Jim's Nikon. I'm like a dog in the back of a moving pick up truck, desperate to get out there and stick my nose into the wind. Instead, I'm sticking my nose to the grindstone. Bah.
The '02 Rosemount is Aussie by birth. Although I would not describe the wine as having Big Fruit, It is a pretty decent medium bodied Merlot with an earthy feel and a taste of black fruit and light oak. There is also a bit of astringency at first and decanting may help with that (although TWC did not decant it). You should be able to find it for around $10.00 US and at that price it is a relative bargain.
The grapes are grown in New South Wales at an elevation that permits a cooler and longer growing season and that may account for the relative smoothness once you get past the fumey beginning.
Enjoy this wine with the usual suspects. Your better half, a slow cooked pot roast, fresh green beans seasoned with a little butter and bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and crusty French bread.
As Ever,
The Wine Commonsewer
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