2012 AJ Lepp Reserve Merlot – Winery Only (http://www.peninsularidge.com) – $19.95 – This has become a perennial favorite of mine and definitely did not disappoint. Very smooth and loaded with ripe flavours of Raspberry and Cherry. The finish has hints of Mocha and Dark Chocolate and is very smooth. This is everything you would expect from a well put together Merlot. This is drinking great right now and doesn’t need much time in a cellar.
2012 Rosewood Select Series Merlot – Winery Only (www.rosewoodwine.com) – $22.00 – This wine is loaded with perfectly ripe Raspberry, Cherry and Strawberry with a nice smooth finish. The wine finishes with what is almost a violet bloom that fills your whole mouth. This will definitely age and improve over the next few years. In fact it’s criminal that this wine is priced at only twenty two dollars and it easily out performs its price.
2012 Chateau des Charmes – Vintages 453431 – $29.95 – I LOVE this Merlot! Be warned you need to decant this for quite some time before digging into the bottle. Lots of very ripe fruit. Cherry, Strawberry and Raspberry with a beautifully smooth finish (after decanting). The real challenge is going to be keeping this one in the cellar because this is going to age for at least 5 to 15 years.
