Blackstone '97 Merlot

[hotwine]

Enjoyed this one last night with grilled sirloins & veggies. We're not big merlot fans, usually finding them too big and furry for our taste; but this one had good forward fruit, subdued tannins and only a moderate oakiness. We had been talked into trying it by a waiter at a restaurant a few weeks ago, and liked it enough to lay down a few bottles in the cellar. At $9.99, it's a bargain.
The super-lean steaks were from a grass-fed yearling Charolais steer, and cut only an inch thick. I dusted 'em with a dry rub and grilled 'em over an oak fire. The veggies included sliced zucchini, mushrooms and onions, drizzled liberally with olive oil, and grilled over the dying coals, so they were still crunchy.
Simple fare, but delightful, and the merlot was right on target.

[Bucko]

Sounds like pretty good simple fare to me. I've heard other say good things about the Blackstone, especially for the price.

Bucko

[hotwine]

You bet, Bucko. And Blackstone's website (blackstone-winery.com) says they'll ship directly to you in WA (but not to me in TX).

What to have with the leftovers, since that was my last Blackstone, and there's a good 15 oz of sirloin left..... Looks like it will be Duboeuf's Milenage - only 30% merlot there, with 60% cab. sauv. & 10% syrah.

[Bucko]

Let's hope that the TX shipping issue will be a thing of the past, soon.

Bucko

[hotwine]

Amen, Bucko.

The Milenage was OK with the leftovers, but somehow lacking in backbone. It's young yet, only a '98, so maybe it will improve with a year in the cellar. We hope.

[Innkeeper]

The Milenage bottles are pretty too. Mrs Innkeeper won't throw any of them out, despite the fact that the colors don't go with anything.

[hotwine]

The Milenage bottles are pretty. Mrs. Hotwine allowed me to put the first one on a shelf in the breakfast room, joining an empty LaFite and Yquem; the rest have been tossed in the recycling bin. And so far, the recycling dieties have accepted them, although they are anything but clear glass.
I'm going to try real hard to leave the full case of Milenage alone for the next year, and see if it will develop further. I think it could have used more merlot in the recipe; that might have given it the structure it seems to lack.