A Spectacular Sterling Merlot

Pris and I have been on a bit of a comfort food kick since Thanksgiving.  Maybe it was all the turkey, gravy, and stuffing. Sunday was pot roast, and last night was meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Both great cool weather comfort foods, and both were recommended with juicy Merlot.  We did not have a Merlot with the pot roast, so we decided to try to rectify the pairing this time around.  To go with the meatloaf Pris selected a 2007 Sterling Vineyards Vintner's Collection Merlot.

This particular Sterling Merlot was big and juicy.  Ripe fruits greet you on the nose.  Cherry and ripe berries mingle are balance with a subtle oak foundation.  When this Merlot hits the palate it all smooth big fruit.  I don't like the term "jammy" because it makes me think of something really sweet, but if there's such a thing as semi-sweet "jamminess" this qualifies.  Loads of cherry and red berry dominate the palate and continue throughout.  Soft tannins create a mellow finish with just a touch of bite towards the very end. 

This was an exceptional wine for the price.  It paired exceedingly well with the savory and somewhat sweet flavors of the meatloaf.  I added some spice to the meatloaf by putting in some jalapenos and adding sriracha sauce to the ketchup topping.  These spicy accents were perfect with the sweeter fruit in the wine.  This Merlot is exceptionally smooth and goes down very easily.  While we paired it with comfort classics, it great to drink all on its own.

We bought the 2007 Sterling Vineyards Vintner's Collection Merlot at H.E.B. for $16.99.  We bought it a while back and cellared it for a bit, so I don't know if you can still find the same vintage there, but based on this wine and some of the reviews of prior vintages I'd say its worth keeping on hand.  For more information on Sterling Vineyard and its wines you can visit:  http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/