A rarity in UK supermarkets - a brilliant wine from California.
This is no California bubble-gum bomb - stylistically it represents the Bordeaux end of the spectrum. Lovely dark-incensey blackcurrant nose with redcurrant and blackcurrant fruits on the palate. On fruit and aroma this could be straight out of Bordeaux (despite the fact this is a merlot my first thought was 'Pauillac blackcurrant, but in a Pamela Anderson style') but it has a creaminess and roundness on the palate which place it firmly in the south west coast of the US of A.
Lovely acidity, perfect balance, beautiful finish, 13.5% alcohol. I'm drinking it solo, but this one can work with food. I'm impressed. The wine improves with air, and the nose becomes fantastic after an hour or two... this has real class.
Update 2010-02-13: Reduced to clear - now £7.99. Fabuloso.
J Lohr Merlot Paso Robles 2006. 8-8.5/10. Waitrose £9.99
Update 2010-09-05 had a sample last night that was heady and alcoholic, same wine same vintage. Downgraded to 6.5-7/10 on that experience.
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This is a winner....much better than the J Lohr cabernet I drink whilst out in the States, and much more 'Bordelaise' shall we say...
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