Friday afternoon Pris and I headed down to
San Antonio in order for Pris to conduct some museum business and then relax before heading home.
We ended up meeting up with some friends for dinner at J. Alexander's in the Quarry.
While we were waiting for our dining companion we selected a bottle of Elements by Artesa's 2006 Merlot.
Pris had tried wine from Artesa sometime in the past and remembered the name. Like any full bodied red, this wine took a little bit of time to open up.
Thankfully it did by the time our food arrived (steaks again thank you).
This was a very smooth Merlot thanks to its supple tannins.
It boasted slightly more fruit than most Merlots we've tried, which was underlined by strong red currant leanings in both the taste and aroma.
Elements by Artesa's 2006 Merlot was a very good handcrafted wine.
Not really a wine for a special occasion, but a good wine if you happen to be at a restaurant and see it on the wine list.
As it turns out, the Elements line is a selection of handcrafted wines made from grapes from different vineyards.
In this particular bottle stated that 53% came from
Napa County and 47% from
Sonoma County.
The handcrafting of wines with grapes and wines from different vineyards and regions is a movement that has been gaining more mainstream recognition that we'll be touching on more in a later post.
Again, good company, a good wine, and good food all led to a great little evening.
The 2006 Merlot retails for around $20, and the mark-up wasn't that much at J. Alexander's. For more information on the Elements by Artesa line you can find it at: http://www.artesawinery.com/index1.html
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