Quick Sip: Folie à Deux 2008 Napa Valley Merlot

Hello Friends,

Today’s “Quick Sip”, the Folie à Deux 2008 Napa Valley Merlot, is the latest release for the Oakville wine producer. Folie à Deux, a French term meaning “shared fantasies”, reflects the producer’s goal of making enjoyable wines that in the producer’s words, “deliver a delightful shared experience.” Many of you are probably familiar with Folie à Deux’s second label, the hugely popular, provocatively named, and attractively priced (under $10) Ménage à Trois wine blends. In addition to Merlot, Folie à Deux produces a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. With the exception of the Cabernet Sauvignon ($24), the remaining Folie à Deux varietal wines are priced under $20, which is an attractive price point for wine-buying consumers. Enough of my typing, let’s uncork the Merlot and share a fantasy!

Folie à Deux 2008 Napa Valley Merlot

In the glass, the Folie à Deux 2008 Napa Valley Merlot displays a clear rim surrounding an attractive clear garnet color. The swirl and sniff boasts fragrant scents of sweet cherry and ripe plum laced with baking spices. The palate is soft and supple with red fruit flavors extending to the mid-palate and spice nuances on the medium length finish. I enjoyed this wine with grilled chicken and mixed veggies and it paired nicely – complementing, not overwhelming the dish. The Folie à Deux 2008 Napa Valley Merlot retails for $18, has a real cork enclosure, and clocks in at 14.5% ABV – though sips as if it were a bit lower ABV. For under $20, this is a good midweek wine to consider that sips well on its own, but also pairs well with a wide variety of dishes.

** Local Twist **From a sippers perspective, Merlot does pretty good here in Virginia; generally producing soft, bright wines that pair well with a wide variety of foods. In my humble opinion, Merlot would probably be a more prominent varietal if it were not such an important blending variety - especially for the state's Bordeaux-style blends. Like Cabernet Franc, Merlot is a work-horse variety that is important and one of the top wine grapes in acreage today. Disclosure: A sample was provided to www.myvinespot.com for review. Have a question about this post, friends? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com, and as always, Happy Sipping! Stay tuned friends ...More to come!

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