I’m glad it’s finally Friday:)  I hope the evening is treating everyone good so far…

 I tried a Merlot made by Duck Pond Cellars the other day, and it was a fantastic bottle of wine.  Duck Pond Cellars is located in Dundee, Oregon, but the winery sources  grapes from both Oregon and Washington.  The grapes used to make this 2009 Merlot came from the Desert Wind Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA.  This Merlot has a nice dark ruby red color to it, and on the nose an aroma of black cherry with hints of toasty oak and smoke.  It is structured nicely on the palate with a good balance of acids and tannins, and finishes nicely with a flavor of black cherry and a perfect compliment of oak.  The alcohol at 14.5% sounds high, but balances out nicely in the wine.  At $8 this is a Merlot you won’t be disappointed with.

Another Washington State Merlot I thought was quite good is Hogue Genesis.  I tried the 2006 recently, and it was a very impressive wine.  This wine had a clear cherry red color to it, and also had a nice fragrance of black cherry on the nose.  The first sip on the palate had a nice balance of tannins and acids, with the right amount of toasty oak, and leaves you with a nice elegant finish.  At $14, this was a great buy.  Covey Run also makes a nice Columbia Valley Merlot.  This winery is consistently churning out good value wines, and their 2007 Merlot I tried is no exception.  This had a clear ruby red color with a pleasant nose of raspberry and other light red fruits.  On the palate light tannin and acids with a nice smooth fruity finish.  This is a great value at $6 retail.     

 Other exciting stuff….

The SF Gate has an excellent list of 2010 German Reislings to recommend.

Shelly Boettcher of the Calgary Herald recommends some red wines for when it’s cold at night.

That’s all for now, have a great night!

Cheers,

Seth