Bin 405 Grand Valley Merlot

Interesting. Quite oxidized but still bursting with flavor. Pipe tobacco, old leather, lots of spice. Almost no fruit but notes of butterscotch, vanilla, and crispy toast. Clove and spice.

I struggled with the winery. While the higher end bins seem to be standing the test of time and taste great, it’s a radical approach to the wine making process. Many would consider the art and beauty of wine to stem from the earth and the land itself. Tasting and exploring wine is tasting and exploring the earth, the glass of liquid being the medium which we can experience.

This wine is manufactured using scientific methods and adulterating chemical processes. In theory, this wine could be from anywhere and anytime, an ode to the ego of the winemaker rather than a hymn to earth, soil, rain, and wind.

I would speak to the comparison of music created by a live orchestra of talented musicians to a synthesizer keyboard played by a single performer. The analogy still falls short, though.

I don’t want to be the snob or the conservative critic - I generally like experimentation and new approaches - but even as a food scientist I just question the validity of wine made in styles that are less an homage to their place and more of a lab experiment for the creator.

Wonderful chocolate nose with the look of sherry. Extremely smooth drinking, so don't be fooled by the amber color.