... and Newton, of course. Unfiltered Merlot 2005 from Napa Valley is made with natural yeasts and is aged in 50% new barrels. It is a massive 15,5% abv and costs a small fortune (for me, anyway, at about 42€). Everything about it seems made to offend me. Yet it wasn't as bad as I expected; it was a good wine made in a style that doesn't appeal enough to me that I would buy it. But if given a glass of this, I wouldn't spit it out.
The first thing that strikes me is that neither the alcohol nor the oak is obvious. The scent is dark and sweet, very ripe, but the oak is lurking in the background. I was also expecting a massive and extracted fruit bomb, but amazingly the fruit tastes quite fresh: it is sweet and very ripe but it isn't raisiny. And most curious of all, the alcohol doesn't come through as anything else than a slight warmth on the finish. The biggest problem I have with the wine is its softness: I would appreciate more acidity and tannins.
Sadly I had this glass without food so I can't say how it would react. My previous experiences with high alcohol wines would suggest that the alcohol will become noticeable if there is even a slight hint of spice in the food, which restricts the use of such wines quite severely.
I have to grudgingly admit that this wasn't bad. But how does such high alcohol stay hidden?
