Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Meritage – Make Mine A Meritage Wine #3

33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 14% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot from Sonoma County, California.

SRP of $28 and available for as low as $19. Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

“The term Meritage refers to the age-old tradition of blending Bordeaux style red varietals. Dry Creek Vineyard adopted this philosophy long before the term was introduced in 1988. The wine is crafted to be concentrated and flavorful, ready to drink upon release and exquisitely balanced to allow extended cellaring. This vintage includes 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 14% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot.

Founded in 1972 by David Stare, our family winery is dedicated to producing handcrafted, classically styled wines.

14.5% Alcohol”

Today we have the next wine in our Make Mine A Meritage series and it comes from one of the originals. Dry Creek Vineyard was one of the very first to make and sell Meritage wines in California. And if you’re wondering what the term “Meritage” is all about, it comes from the combination of the words “Merit” and “Heritage” and was actually selected as the result of an international contest in the late 80’s. (See something good did come out of the 80’s after all!)

The 2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Meritage begins with a wonderful and complex aroma of blackberry, plum and lovely licorice notes with a burst of menthol, a bit of cedar and vanilla and a good dollop of black pepper. The wine tastes smooth, silky and supple with good balance. Dark fruit, a bit of smoke and toasty oak, licorice and a little molasses lead the way with delicious black pepper lasting all the way through the finish. Speaking of the finish, it is dry and long with a hint of dark chocolate at the very end. So good you might just make the rest of your wine walk the plank!

Wine in the “Make Mine A Meritage” series:

• Lyeth Meritage 2010 – Make Mine A Meritage Wine #1
• Hahn Winery Central Coast Meritage 2010 – This ain’t no second class Bordeaux.
• Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Meritage 2008 – Smooth Drinking Ahead!
• Fox Run Vineyards Meritage 2010 – Proof the Finger Lakes offers a lot more than Riesling.
• Arrowhead Red Meritage 2008 – It’s easy to fall for this Meritage from Niagara.
• Dry Creek Vineyard The Mariner Meritage 2008 – Splice the mainbrace!
• Estancia Reserve Meritage 2009 – Sweet oak and rich fruit wrapped up in a smooth package.
• Kirkland Signature Rutherford Napa Valley Meritage 2011 – A Sure Thing!
• Chateau Ste Michelle Artist Series Meritage 2008 – A Work of Art
• Arrowhead Spring Vineyards Meritage Reserve 2008 – A blackberry patch in a bottle.
• Franciscan Estate Magnificat Napa Valley Meritage 2009 – Magnificent Magnificat.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

Find out more about my rating system and check out the Wine Ranking to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.

Like The Reverse Wine Snob on Facebook!