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Wine Recommendation
St. Clair Vineyards
2006 Merlot Reserve(New Mexico)
In the late 1970s when he was 11 years old, sixth generation family winemaker Florent Lescombes emigrated to the U.S. from the Burgundy region of France. Today, he directs winemaking for 40 Lescombes family wines under four labels, one of which is St. Clair.
In the high desert outside Lordsburg, New Mexico, the Lescombes family has 140 acres of vineyards with the ideal climate and soil profile to grow and ripen red varieties such as Merlot. In this rendition with aromatic blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry and dark plums, similar flavors are well-mirrored on the palate. Complemented by chocolate, coffee and smoky notes, a solid fruit core holds well into the finish.
Aged cheeses, grilled or roast lamb, game such as venison or a standing rib beef roast will be well paired with this stylish, velvety Merlot.
Reviewed March 7, 2008 by Eleanor & Ray Heald.
Other reviewed wines from St. Clair Vineyards
The Wine
Winery: St. Clair Vineyards |
The Reviewer
Eleanor & Ray Heald
The Healds have been writing about wine since 1978 and have focused on appellation significance in many of their world beat writings. They value recognizing site personality (terroir) within an appellation's wines. They praise balance and elegance in wines styled to pair well with food and eschew over-extraction, high alcohol and heavy-handed oak. “Delicious” is their favorite descriptor for a great, well-made wine. |