Hello!

[phazed]

I was just wandering around the internet and I thought I'd pop in to ask a question...

How do you all feel about blended wines? I'm less than a novice when it comes to these things, but having the internet at my fingertips helps!

We're having roasted lamb for thanksgiving dinner so I picked up a couple of red wines...

2002 l'Ecole No.41 Apogee - it's a Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon blend

2002 Derbes Les Pinots - Pinot Meunier 53%, Pinot Noir 47%

Any personal opinions of these would be appreciated.

[Kcwhippet]

I've had the first and it's wonderful. Haven't had the second. You may be interested to know that a lot of the wines that you'd think were made with a single grape variety, are really blends. Depending on where you are, a wine only has to have 75% to about 85% of the grape listed on the bottle. So, if you have a bottle labeled Cabernet Sauvignon, it can also have varying amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc or just about any other grape as long as it adheres to the percentage rule for Cab.

[phazed]

Ah, very cool! Thanks for the info!

[dananne]

To add to KC, the first wine would likely suit your planned dinner better, but in a perfect world you'd have a nice place to store it for a few years. If you decide to go with it, be sure to decant it for awhile before pouring. Agree that it is a lovely wine.

[phazed]

How much time is good to leave something like this out to breathe? I'm not sure how much surface area will be exposed, since I don't know what it's going to go into.

[wdonovan]

Being one who drinks mostly Bordeaux and Champagne, I give a BIIIIG thumbs up to blended wines!

[Innkeeper]

It needs to go into a wide mouthed decanter. If you don't have one, get a bottle of Almaden wine, and cook with or water the flowers with the contents. Use the bottle for a decanter. Decant the wine for at least an hour, and then pour into wide mouthed glasses fifteen minutes before drinking.

[phazed]

Awesome, thanks everybody