Simi Merlot: A Reminder of Why California Knows Its Stuff

As Pris and I continued to work through our wine stash I came across a 2009 Merlot from Simi. Like many of the older items in our wine storage, its acquisition is now lost to antiquity. But I know where it ended up. 

This seven-year-old wine seems to have just hit its sweet spot: old enough to mellow and venture into an unparalleled smoothness that only older wines possess, but not old enough that it's turned. Though it was probably not too far off from the latter.  Rich dark red coloration hinted at the mix of berry to come. Once the bottle was allowed to breath properly, which is very important, aromatic spice is the first thing that hits the nose.  The usual flavors of Merlot are all present: plum, cherry, and blackberry, all followed by a mild tannin finish.

I paired the wine with a simple meal of sautéed shrimp and spinach in a garlic butter sauce over pasta and a salad with homemade vinaigrette. Simi’s Merlot was mild enough to not overpower this mild dinner. The mild tannins cut right through the richness of the garlic butter. This wine could have paired well with anything from fish to steak, though to be fair, I pretty much finished it off sans food and was perfectly content.