Weekly Winedown #43 Starve Dog Lane Merlot

Crikey, it feels like barely seven days since last Friday yet here it is again.
Not that I’m complaining, I love a good Friday.

Maybe not quite as much as I did eight years ago…
Some people find it weird that I look forward to the weekend when I don’t work.
After all as a stay a home mum EVERY day is like a weekend AMIRIGHT?!?

Yeah, no.
Not even close.
I love the weekend because it means I can get to slack off a bit on the parenting and I can have grown up conversation any time I want. It’s brilliant!

I am particularly looking forward to this weekend as I’m popping off to Manchester for a blogging conference where I will not only be learning how to take over the world but will also be meeting up with loads of blogging friends and attending a Christmas party too!
What’s not to love?!

Anyway, that’s tomorrow and this is now.

I have chosen this weeks wine on label alone.

Starve Dog Lane Merlot

Not the most attractive of names I know but the label it so pretty. An electric blue wall with a dogs head painted on to it and the name and tagline in a stencil effect.
I’m not selling it am I?
Just look at the picture, it’s eye catching. It’s blue. I chose it.
The label did it’s job very well.

The Blurb

“If you’re hungry for something different, feed your curiosity and follow your nose to Starve Dog Lane and hit your tastebuds with a wine that breaks the rules – in a good way”

“Our top dog winemaker is like a dog with new tricks and likes to shake things up. These cheeky rascals have been crafted with top notch grapes but unconventional methods to make you sit up and beg for more”

“This wine barks with rich red jammy fruit flavours, soft tanins and a strokably smooth finish”.

That’s a LOT of information on the back of a wine bottle. Maybe a little too much for my liking.
Don’t get me wrong, I like a little story but this is all a bit ‘craft beer’ for my liking.
It’s trying to hard.
It’s made me pull my unimpressed face.

All of those words and it only really offers jammy and smooth.
When was the last time YOU were impressed by jammy and smooth? Unless of course it was strawberry jam without bits?

IS THIS HIPSTER WINE?

I digress.

Let’s drink!

The smell is lovely and light with a hint of liquorice. Like autumn in a glass – perfect for this FREEZING September evening.

The first mouthful offers a burst of fruit, it’s a more full bodied Merlot than usual with a soft, almost vanilla finish.
It’s a proper easy drinker. The kind of wine you want to drink in front of a cosy fire, in a log cabin in the snow.

I had gotten myself that irate by the label and all the writing, I was ready to write this off as pretentious guff but it is actually really bloody lovely.
I would definitely stock up when it’s on offer, though given how good it is the full price of £7.50 isn’t a bad price.

This is the wine that winter is made for.

Name – Starve Dog Lane Merlot
Price – £5.99 (usually £7.50)
Colour – Deep purple (not the band).
Smell – light fruit and liquorice.
Taste – Fruity with a touch of vanilla.
Goes well with – Cosy fires and Grandma blankets.
Overall score – a solid 4.5/5

Love it!