2005 Tin Roof Cellars Merlot, North Coast

89
OUT OF100
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VERDICT: "Go for it"
North Coast
Merlot, 13.5% alc.
$7.49
Review by Clinton Stark

Cherry. Bargain.

That’s the two word summary for this Merlot. I’d score higher if it weren’t for just a tad too much cherry. It eases off after about an hour or two of breathing. And you know, maybe it’s what gives this wine character and quality. Especially at this price.

It’s available now at Costco. Just know, you don’t always need to spend $20 or more for a nice drinking red.

On the nose, again, black cherry, and fruit forward. It’s easy to drink and works well on its own or paired with pizza, or pastas mostly. Save the meats for the bolder Cabs or summer Zins.

It’s easy to find great wines $20+, so it’s a nice surprise when you can find a decent value red, which is exactly what this Merlot delivers. Look for it on your next Costco run.

Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear