Robert Mondavi Private Selection Meritage – An All American French Blend And A Bulk Buy!

42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot from the Central Coast of California.

SRP of $11 and available for as low as $8. Sample received courtesy Folsom & Associates for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“In 1962 Robert Mondavi made his first trip to Europe, touring some of the great wine-producing regions in France. It was this trip that compelled him to produce California wines that rival the world’s best. In honor of his enduring passion for excellence and innovation, we offer Robert Mondavi Private Selection Meritage, a stylish Bordeaux-inspired blend.

13.5% Alcohol”

Meritage (pronounced like heritage) is basically a Bordeaux blend that’s not from Bordeaux. The French don’t appreciate anyone outside of France using the term Bordeaux, so a new term was created for wines (primarily from California) that meet the traditional Bordeaux standards. Last summer we reviewed the previous vintage of the Private Selection Meritage and enjoyed it quite a bit. In fact, we liked it so much we even gave it a spot on our recent 10 Great Red Blends Under $10list. Given this I was eager to try this new vintage especially when I saw that this year’s wine included about twice as much Malbec as last year.

The 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Meritage begins with an an inviting aroma of black cherry, plum and some sweet candy notes. Tasting the wine shows a nice mix of flavors — black cherry, blackberry and a good dose of cola along with well integrated tannins. It ends with a really wonderful long, spicy and dry finish. At $8 this is a fabulous wine to have on hand as it will pair well with lots of different foods. My favorite wine in the Private Selection line and even better than the previous vintage, which means this one gets a bulk buy!

Other Robert Mondavi Private Selection wine reviewed:
2009 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Meritage
2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir
2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay
2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Grigio

Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor!
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.