2004 Finca El Portillo Merlot - $9.00

June 03, 2006

Background: I was born in Cordoba, Argentina, so I'm always excited to try a wine from my home country. This wine is from Uco Valley, near Mendoza, Argentina. Most of Mendoza is in a rain shadow caused by the Andes mountains. The land is mostly desert, but about 700 years ago the Inca and Huarpe Indians diverted mountain-fed rivers and dug canals to turn the land into an oasis. The weather is hot during the day, but cool during the night. Perfect for growing grapes.

My Tasting Notes: Darker and heavier than most merlots. The nose was soft with hints of damp, overripe berries. Soft berry flavor with light tannins. Very easy to drink. I usually don't care for merlots because of what I sense to be a metallic flavor. This is the first time I have tried a merlot from anywhere other than California, so I'm hoping it's just California merlots I don't like. Overall, another good buy from Finca El Portillo. 

The Meal: Don't laugh now, but I had this wine with some Boar's Head beef franks and potato chips. I know, hot dogs and chips. But hey, who says you can't have wine with game-day food. I generally find that soft, fruity wines do well with hamburgers and hot dogs, so this merlot worked out great.

My Score: 85

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