Skip to main content

Bolen Family Estates Merlot 2007

     I am a long-time Merlot lover who was never swayed by Sideways' wine snob, Miles. I watched a Cork'd Video where Gary Vaynerchuk interviewed Eric Bolen about his new Merlot, "the World's Best Merlot". If you are a fan of Gary, you know he is very enthusiastic and, usually, guests can't keep up with his level of exuberance. 

     The owner of Bolen Family Estates managed to do this and really sell his 100% varietal Merlot at the same time. He mentions that his winemaker is Tom Rinaldi of Duckhorn Merlot fame, the quality source of his grapes in the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley and the entire family's passion for the project. After attempting to seek it out here in Houston to no avail, I decided to order a bottle and see for myself. 

     In the glass, the wine was a deep ruby color with pronounced aromas of red fruit-primarily ripe plums, with nutmeg and touches of oak. Rich flavors mirrored the aromas and were balanced with medium acidity and smooth tannins with high alcohol (15.2% abv). An exceptional wine.

     I am certain that Miles never had Bolen or he would not have hated Merlot. Truly yummy!  

Labels:

Comments

  1. mark greenMarch 16, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    agree 100%
    It is one of the best merot I have had. The flavors burst out for the average drinker who I am sure would never experience anything quite like it. At least I had not and the case I bought has been well received by the other social drinkers in our circle. At 60 bucks a pop though, it is not an average pour.

    cheers though!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eric BolenApril 15, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    Thanks for the great review. I appreciate you helping me get the word out about great Merlot. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for reading Wine Life - Houston.

Popular posts from this blog

An Immersive Introduction into the World of Asolo Prosecco

Dinner Views at Osteria Alla Baracca. I was very excited to visit the Asolo DOCG Prosecco region at the end of May on a press trip as it is an Italian area that I have not previously traveled through. Asolo is located in the Province of Treviso at the foot of Monte Grappa in the high hills to the west of the Piave River with views of the Dolomites. The grapes are grown in 17 communes surrounding the town of Asolo. The days were very warm while I was there but I needed a sweater or light jacket on most evenings due to the diurnal swing that makes it a great area for grape growing. Wines from the Master Class Tasting. Asolo was elevated to the DOCG level in 2009. The majority of the Prosecco that I have found in Houston is Prosecco DOC which is mostly from very large producers. Asolo was separated from this category and the region was given this higher status because there are terroir elements that make it distinctive in the world of Prosecco. The Sant'Anna Vineyard. Many of the vin
Post a Comment
Read more

Lunch at Cépage paired with Paso Robles Sparkling Wine

Cépage is the elegant new restaurant inside of the recently refurbished Paris Valley Road Estate & Winery Tasting Room. Cépage opened in 2022 and currently serves lunch and weekend brunch. Paris Valley Estate is a fairly new brand that is named after the two lane road in Monterey County where the owners, the Stoller family, planted their first vineyard over 20 years ago. The new name inspired them to renovate the former Arciero Winery in the opulent style of French Grand Cru domaines they had previously visited, explained winemaker, Doug Hidinger. I was visiting on a rainy day so I did not get to tour the grounds or take many outside pictures, unfortunately. The table was set and ready upon arrival. Hidinger was at lunch to present both the Paris Valley Road Sparkling Wine 2019 and the Sextant Edna Valley Sparkling Wine 2012 from a sister property of Paris Valley Road. Owner/Winemaker of Vino Vargas , Pedro Vargas, was also there to present his three sparkling wines. All of these
Post a Comment
Read more

Tasting Tin City - Paso Robles

Located in a small industrial warehouse district, 3 miles south of downtown Paso Robles, is an easily walkable zone of contemporary industrial-style tin buildings called Tin City which is home to an innovative beverage scene. Tin City has several small-production wineries such as Anarchy Wine Co., Benom, Cordant Winery, and Giornata along with somewhat larger producers like Field Recordings . It is not unusual to be greeted by the winemakers in these modern tasting rooms and find them ready to share both their wines and their stories with their guests. Superfly Zinfandel blended with Cabernet and Petite Sirah At Anarchy Wine Co , expect to find a wide range of wines which includes a Bordeaux-Style Blend, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, a Red Rhône-Style Blend, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel all deliciously served with a rebel yell in a rock and roll environment. Les Deux Freres means The Two Brothers and is unique
Post a Comment
Read more