merlot Archives : Me, Annie Bee.

Weekly Winedown #43 Starve Dog Lane Merlot

Anna — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 18:34:45 +0000

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!

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Weekly Winedown #42 Head Honcho Merlot

Anna — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:22:15 +0000

Well, it’s been a while but the winedown is back! For now at least. Can you believe it has been 62 whole days since my last weekly winedown? SIXTY TWO DAYS. God didn’t even flood Noah for that long. That’s one epic break. The worst thing about it is, not only have you missed out on my wine-y goodness, but in that whole time I have nothing to tell you. Or rather I have a lot but not enough time! We’ve been to a wedding in the Czech Republic – Czech beer is amazing. We drove from Czech to the South of France via Austria, Italy and Germany. It took days but was beautiful. I have turned 40 which is actually exactly the same as 39 except I fell over and thought I’d broken my ankle. We had our amazing wedding reception a whole five months after the big day. It’s been a fun packed 62 days yet nothing really to tell you about. ANYWAY. Let’s crack on. This week wine is a Chilean Merlot, usually a firm favourite. Head Honcho Merlot was chosen for me by my mum and in familial fashion, she chose it for it’s label which is the exact same reason I’d have chosen it! Head Honcho Merlot Label Look at it. Just look at it. It’s bloody beautiful – very Alice in Wonderland. There’s a cat in a top hat and smoking jacket, he has human hands and is writing with a quill. There’s a flamingo with a vulture on his back. An ostrich just taking a look at what’s going on and a heron looking at a kingfisher while a snake sits watching. What is not to love? Head Honcho Merlot blurb “Screaming with plums and black cherries. Drink it with a pulled pork roll” Ahhhh pulled pork roll, that Chilean classic. It’s quite a bossy label but you know what? I like it. It’s a jammy nose with a slight hint of clove. I don’t mean jammy like the bad ‘wine term’ jammy. I mean it smells like jam. The taste is round and full, rather pleasant. Certainly a hit of cherries and tart plums with a softly spice finished. This may not be the most highbrow wine but it is an easy drinker. Name – Head Honcho Merlot Price – £6.50 Colour – Deep red Smell – Jam and cloves Taste – Cherries and plums with a hint of spice Goes well with – A catch up with friends and idle chit chat. Overall score – 3.5/5 – an easy drinker.

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Weekly Winedown #25 Anakena Birdman Merlot

Anna — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:32:21 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. Ennui with a splash of disinterest, a dollop of crisis in confidence and a huge helping of accidentally caring what other people thought has led to me being in a peculiar place this week. A week where I wondered why I was bothering with this blogging lark at all. It has felt long and arduous and has been accompanied by a huge, constant headache. Moan, moan. It’s all passed now though. I pulled my big girls pants on, remembered how bloody funny I am and gave my head a shake. Once again I can count the amount of fucks I give on no hands. Order is restored. To celebrate this epiphany let’s say buenas noches to our wine, Anakena Birdman Merlot from Chile. Down from £7.49 to £4.99 at Ocado. The 19 Crimes red blend last week was so close to perfect. In fact, I am unsure as to why I didn’t give it a 5/5. I may have to revisit it soon just to test. Unfortunately, it means this wine has to aim really high this week. The Label The label is black with gold font and a gold, Polynesian style bird (or birdman?). It is to the point with minimal faff. Despite being a bit like a box of Black Magic, it’s not entirely awful. I do love the image too. The Blurb “This range of wines comes from the award-winning Anakena winery, which is nestled in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Every Spring the Easter Island sea bird (Manutara) lays its precious egg in coastal cliffs. The Birdman legend tells the story of how the men from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) would show their worth by swimming the long distance to the islet of Motu Nui in search of an egg. The first islander to bring it back safely was given the title of ‘Tangata Manu’, the Birdman. We pay homage to the spirit of the Birdman in our latest range of wines. A fruit driven wine bursting with raspberry aromas and blueberry flavours. Anakena Merlot has a smooth texture and pleasing finish” That’s a whole lot of information right there. A very informative tale yet revealing very little about the wine. Raspberry and blueberry sound like a fresh mix. Chilean wines normally have a bit of depth to them, I am hoping that is the case with this one, it’s sounding a bit thin…. The Verdict The colour is a dark ruby red, perfect to look at. The ‘nose’ (yeah I did that) is soft red fruit and quite light. The two contradict one another, I’m not sure I like the confusion. The initial taste is tart raspberries and redcurrants and slightly acidic. It kind of gets better over time, but I don’t know if that’s my taste buds getting used to it or giving up. It’s not entirely awful or unpalatable, but I don’t think I’d choose this again. Ever. It’s not how I like a Merlot to be, it pitches itself as smooth but I’d be inclined to disagree. Get thee behind me Birdman! Name – Anakena Birdman Merlot. Price – £4.99 Colour – Dark ruby red. Smell – Light & fruity. Taste – Sharp and thin. Goes well with – Cheese, I imagine it suits cheese. Overall score – 2.5/5 painfully average.

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Weekly Winedown #17 Casillero del Diablo Merlot

Anna — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 19:42:40 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. Can you believe we’ve been at this for 17 weeks now? Seventeen whole weeks and you STILL keep coming back. What is wrong with you?? I jest – you are clearly readers of taste. Last week I abandoned you once again to hang about in London for a while. Pretending I was one of those hipster types. Unfortunately I wasn’t quite beardy enough to pull off ‘hipster’, I did do ‘verging on middle age cool’ though. Ok, I did verging on middle age. Rory had bought me tickets for The Play that Goes Wrong at The Duchess Theatre. It was AH-MAY-ZING. I honestly cannot recommend it enough. It was clever and hilarious. I laughed so much harder than a woman who’s had two children ever should. After that we found a Sam Smiths pub “Perfect” we thought, “cheap beer in the heart of London” *insert guffaws here*. Seriously, £8 for two drinks. I know that’s not loads by any stretch of the imagination but given we’d have paid about £4 for those very same drinks here, it was galling. Clearly they charge the petrol to transport it from Yorkshire. The congestion charge too! We also played darts, we wanted to look like locals. Turns out I’m terrible at darts. The rest of the time there I was poorly so I managed to ruin our lovely little break. Order is restored now, we have just completed the final week of the school holidays and it is Friday once again. I have chosen an old favourite for this weeks winedown, Casillero del Diablo Merlot from Chile. You can usually get this wine anywhere for under £8 a bottle Casillero del Diablo or Cellars of the Devil, was my favourite wine brand before I started with this Weekly Winedown of mine. I thought it would be interesting to revisit it and see where it stands now that I’ve tasted and enjoyed a variety of wines. Were we on a break or is it actually over? The label When I started drinking wine, my prerequisite was a nice label and around £6 a bottle. This was my go to wine. I love the label, it’s simple and the name has a kind of dark brooding vibe. Not so much in English. Sticking to black, red and white on a good quality paper it’s hardly offensive. The addition of the little Diablo logo on the bottle neck just makes it look all mysterious. Yes, I’m a marketers dream. Do it right and I’m sucked in. In fact bad adverts and bad labels are my pet peeves. I digress, this is an attractive label. The blurb “A smooth, medium-bodied Merlot that perfectly combines plum and red berry flavours with smoky, cedar wood aromas…Ideal to match with pasta, risotto and lightly spiced red meat dishes.” Ah risotto, that classic Chilean dish… Smooth is always a good start. I like smooth though I do prefer full bodied. Plum and berries could point to either rich or tart. One is preferable but neither unbearable. I really hope that the smoky, woody aroma carries over into the taste a little. Casillero del Diablo has won LOTS of awards, it was also my favourite wine for a long while, I even tried to decant a glass back into the bottle in a pub once – that’s another tale. It has a lot to live up to! The aroma was really good. A mix of berries and oak. It bought back many memories, like a hug from an old friend. Moreso because it had this strange undertone of weed. It was subtle but a bit odd. To taste it was certainly smooth, a mellow drink. It started with berries and had a chocolatey surround. The after taste lingered with chocolate and spice. I remember why I loved this wine so much. I don’t think it’s my favourite anymore, but to be honest I can’t afford my favourites unless they’re on special offer. It seems I have an expensive palate! This is a pleasant way to end the summer holidays and begin my woes of the return to school. More importantly the woe of Seth starting preschool. It’s all in the video below – watch it yeah? YEAH! Name – Casillero del Diablo Price – £6 Colour – Intense red/purple Smell – Berries, oak and weed? Taste – Autumn berries, chocolate with a spicy undertone. Goes well with – Nostalgia and life. Overall score – 4/5 – We were on a break.

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Weekly Winedown #15 Bioletti’s Block Merlot

Anna — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 20:04:34 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. It’s STILL the school holidays! They’re really dragging it out aren’t they? I am just the WORST parent during the holidays – to be honest they may find me questionable most of the time. I wholeheartedly blame my inability to drive, the thought of getting them both on the bus gives me shivers. This week Aoife went to school holiday club twice. I felt both guilt and relief Guilt that she’d feel I was palming her off, I wasn’t – it was her idea. Relief that she wouldn’t be climbing the walls and she’d get to see her friends without doing the whole ‘playdate’ thing. #slackparenting All she had ever heard about holiday club was wonderful, amazing things – bouncy castles, playing in the park, fun times. Unfortunately it pissed down the two days she was there. They stayed inside, coloured in and watched films. She could have done that here for free. She enjoyed it though. The rest of the week mostly involved a lengthy dentist trip. Seth shouting at the rain to stop. The rain not stopping. Playing out in it anyway. Seriously, I need to learn how to drive. They must be SO bored of me, I certainly am. You probably are too. Tough. Let’s hit the wine, the pain will subside. This week is a bit risky. For reasons unknown, I was feeling a bit ballsy when I completed my online shop. I decided to step completely outside my comfort zone and chose a wine from USA. WHY?? Well largely because it was £5.99 instead of £11.99 is why. So let’s say ‘Howdy’ to Bioletti’s Block Merlot. French or South American Merlot is normally quite a ‘full’ wine. Previous experience has told me that’s not usually the case with American Merlot or American wine in general. It’s usually a bit sweeter. I don’t know what possessed me. I think I bought it hoping that the fact it’s meant to be nearly £12 a bottle implied a better taste…. The label Nice and simple in black, white and red-my palette of choice. It offers the maker, the name and vineyards with birds in flight. It is entirely unoffensive. Unless you’re a farmer (which I am not) and the birds have trashed your crops (which they have not). So yes, it’s harmless enough and even the mixed fonts don’t bother me as much as previous labels have. The blurb... “Rich scarlet in colour, this Merlot is full of juicy plum and jammy red fruit flavours, with subtle notes of vanilla on the finish and spicy undertones. A perfect accompaniment to a hearty beef Wellington or lamb casserole.” ‘Plum’, ‘vanilla’, ‘spicy’. It’s definitely saying all the right words but is it like that weird guy on MySpace? You know, the one who likes all the same bands as you and all the same films then turns out to be some weirdo just looking to marry you, get a visa and fleece you for all your money? Oh I miss you MySpace, I might log back into my old account and see how it’s doing! Back to wine! The aroma is blackberries and… I can’t get the and, it’s a really familiar smell. I want to say aniseed but it isn’t. It’s a good smell. A positive start! And so to taste… Well blow me away and call me Dave. It’s good. Not just good. Really actually rather very good! I’m not so much getting plums but definite blackberry or maybe blackcurrant. The vanilla is absolutely there with a spicy after thought. It’s not too sweet at all, if a taste could be sophisticated then this taste is. It’s a soft wine, not a bitter edge in sight (taste). This expensive wine is good wine! I’d buy it in bulk for sure. But only at 50% off, I’m not minted. I’m not going to declare myself a fan of American wine now but I am going to acknowledge it’s the best thing they’ve done, certainly in the last couple of years. And I’m not talking wine – youknowwhati’msayingright!? Name – Bioletti’s Block Merlot Price – £5.99 (should be £11.99) Colour – Sexy scarlet Smell – Blackberries and … Taste – Vanilla, spice and soft. Goes well with – Me, generally Overall score – 4.5/5 So there we go. I reckon it’s about time I got a wine cellar. Salut x

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Weekly Winedown #2 Brancott Estate Classic Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot 2012

Anna — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 19:48:24 +0000

Welcome to my new feature, The Weekly Winedown where each week I selflessly drink wine for you and give you a little review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. When I was younger, like up to my 20s, I always thought people drinking wine would usually have ‘guests’ round and be indulging in intellectual conversation and maybe even a tasty meal yet here I am in a pair of leggings (that may or may not be old maternity leggings) an oversized t-shirt and misshapen cardigan. Wine isn’t glamourous and intellectual, it’s inclusive! So here we are, week two and this week I will be swigging tasting another red, Brancott Estate Classic Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2012. £10.49* from Ocado. I don’t know how the 2012 one differs from any of the subsequent years, you’d think if they thought they were on to a good thing they’d just follow the same recipe? Unless they haven’t got it quite right just yet and they’re still practicing? WHO KNOWS? The Blurb “This wine is the perfect accompaniment to succulent lamb or beef based dishes or as a pairing with mature cheese. Rich berry and dark fruit characters combine with subtle cedar and spicy oak complexity. Premium red wine from Marlbourgh, New Zealand – Perfect for dinner parties or everyday Intense flavours of plum and cassis fruit with underlying coffee, chocolate and leather. Fresh fruit flavours combine with savoury tannin and oak characters to provide a long warm finish and persistent fruit notes.“ I normally wouldn’t choose this wine for two reasons 1) I don’t normally like New Zealand reds 2) I don’t like the label. I like a nice label, this looks a bit £3.99. But for you, dear reader, I’m removing all wine boundaries. FOR YOU. I’m never entirely sure what to expect when a wine claims to have a spicy bouquet or palate. In my head spicy either means curry or Christmas spices. As much as I love a good curry I don’t want my wine to smell of it. As for Christmas? I’d be over the moon if my wine smelt of Christmas! The wine is really dark red, you know the colour they drink on a film or TV show and you just HAVE to have some red wine now. That colour red. The whiff is a bit like swimming pools, I tried again, it smells like bitter fruit and swimming pools, strangely not as unpleasant as that sounds. The taste is very thick, like almost chewy. I can’t get the coffee or the chocolate (or the good tastes as I like to call them) but I can get the cassis, totally tangy and I would suggest the leather is more on top than underlying. I am over the moon that this is the first time I’ve ever drank a wine and tasted a fruit that I’m meant to taste. C’mon cassis! The suggestion that it goes well with lamb, beef or mature cheese is probably a good one. It would go really well with a nice meal. However, I will be enjoying it with a Berlin Doner from I am Doner which will contain lamb and halloumi so I’m part way there. Besides, it says in the rules up there Perfect for dinner parties or everyday, today is everyday! Incidentally, any one reading this in Leeds should REALLY try a kebab from I am Doner, they’re immense. Not a dirty kebab but one you can eat with pride when sober. Slow cooked meats, cheese and pickled veg. One could almost argue they’re healthy. This evening the wine is complimenting feelings of happiness because Seth’s behaviour has improved a lot this week, thankfulness because life is just pretty good right now and joy because it’s a long weekend. It would definitely go nicely with an episode of Pretty Little Liars but I don’t think Rory is up for that. Name – Brancott Estate Classic Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2012 Price – £10.49 (or £7 at Sainsbury’s) Colour – Burgandy. Smell – Like fruity swimming pools Taste – Super sexy, tangy fruits and deep flavours. Gives that warm chest thing like Aftershock. Goes well with – A happy day and a posh kebab. Overall score – 4/5 – I’d definitely get this again but only at 50% off. I’m a SAHM, not rich! So that’s this weeks wine, I took a risk with the unpleasant label and the less favoured country of origin and was pleasantly surprised. Just shows you can’t judge a wine by it’s label. I still will though. *I know I put a sub £8 rule in place but it was 50% off so strictly speaking it comes in at well under £8. I am still undecided as to whether I’ve broken my own rules here, what do you think? Saying that, Sainsbury’s are selling it for £7 so technically you could go and buy it for under £8.

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