F*@k that's Good! Meeker Winemaker's Handprint Merlot

Mike Jones of Jones Liquor is definitely our "go-to guy" for wine recommendations when Pris and I are looking for something for a special occasion.  He's never let us down, and has given us two of the best bottles we've had.  The first was the Tolosa Pinot from the very first post on this blog.  The second was Meeker's Winemaker's Handprint Merlot, which as the title suggests is an incredible wine.  Pris gravitated to this bottle immediately because it looks like an abstract painting, which she prefers, but had to work on me a bit before we ended up purchasing one.  We opened up our first bottle to celebrate the end of our move to Brownsville, and now on our one year anniversary of the start of our move we're on our second bottle.  Thankfully, its every bit as good as I remember.

The Meeker Winemaker's Handprint Merlot is a work of art, literally.  As the name suggests, each bottle contains the handprint of the winemaker in a myriad of colors with a depth of texture.  Its a thing of beauty, and what initially drew Pris' attention.  Even though some wineries use flashy bottles to move inferior wine, Mike Jones highly recommended it for its contents.

The 2005 Handprint Merlot that we opened is bold and bursting with flavor, but incredibly smooth on the palate.  This was another wine we finished in one sitting without realizing it.  There is a rich and complex nose with loads of fruit.  Rich dark fruits flow on the palate and are mixed with toasty oak.  Bold tannins enable a fantastic full aftertaste that seems to linger just long enough to the next sip.

One of the beauties of this wine is that you can pair it with pretty much anything.  Ours was paired with steak seasoned with a java-steak rub from Fredericksburg Farms.  It paired perfectly.  We're actually finishing off the bottle now with a plate of manchego cheese, cheddar cheese, and olives mixed with feta.  Its amazing.

The Meeker Handprint Merlot is only made in select years in small batches.  We got our at Jones Liquor, and it was about $40.  For us, that's a special occasion wine, and it worth every penny.  According to Pris, Feldman's is now carrying Meeker as well.  For more information on Meeker Vineyards you can visit: http://meekerwine.com/