You Had Me at Merlot

It's time for a Merlot night! After the movie Sideways (20 years ago!) Merlot's reputation (and sales) took a BIG hit. But there is a reason the grape is so popular, done right, it makes great wines, and they go really well with red meat! For this dinner we will have 1 white wine starter, followed by 4 Merlot and Merlot blends.

We will be dining at Bobby Van's on Park. Located on the corner of Park Avenue and 46th Street.

Here is a link to their menu...
Bobby Van's on Park Menu

Just a reminder of our usual rules:

** The cost of this event is $53 and is for the cost of the wines only.

NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. Sorry!

You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a Zero corkage fee. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.

Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $5 service fee.

Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!

The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner):
2021 Littorai Chardonnay Sonoma Coast ($75) - CT 91.9, No reviews that I could find, this is Littorai's entry level Chard. One poster on CT said, "Grapefruit, honey, high acidity. Oak well integrated." Here is what Jeb Dunnuck said about the winery, "Heidi and Ted Lemon operate Littorai from their Gold Ridge Estate in Sebastapol, where they produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from exceptional cool-climate vineyard sites on the Sonoma Coast and in Anderson Valley. Ted is hands down one of Sonoma's most important farmers and winemakers today, and I met with him at the winery this May. Though they farm biodynamically, they prefer to describe their practices in the vineyards as “Generative Farming,” a term intended to include the human relationship to the stewardship and shaping of the land as part of modern nature and integrated farming. In the winery, all the wines undergo spontaneous fermentations, with the reds going through two to three weeks of fermentation, and although Ted is not dogmatic in his approach, each of the wines is raised similarly."

2013 Larkmead Vineyards Firebelle ($140) - CT 92.6, WA 94 points, from Napa Valley, CA, A blend of 76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot.

2015 Roc de Cambes ($50) - CT 92.7, JD 93+, A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. From Bordeaux' Cotes de Bourg.

2013 O'Shaughnessy Merlot Howell Mountain ($75) - CT 93.4, WA 92 Points, "A chunky 100% Merlot, the 2013 offers gorgeous toffee, black cherry and mocha notes as well as some chocolate. It has beautiful density, a plump, corpulent, medium to full-bodied texture, and a luscious finish. This is a sexpot of a Merlot fruit bomb to drink over the next 8-10 years."

2018 Obelisco Estate Merlot ($55) - From one of my favorite AVAs, the Red Mountain of Washington State. No reviews that I could find, but I tried it at the winery and really enjoyed it. Here is what the winery says about WA State Merlot, "Merlot is the hidden gem of Washington winemaking. It is unique in comparison to Merlot from other parts of the world with a bigger, bolder structure and intense concentration. It is also perfectly suited for being grown in the Columbia Valley with our warm days and cool autumn nights." FWIW the 2018 Merlot won a Silver Medal at the Seattle Wine Awards.