The 2010 Dr Jebediah Drinkwell’s Meritage is a Trader Joe’s ($6.99) exclusive label made for them by the Central Coast Wine Warehouse (a custom wine producer) from grapes grown in Paso Robles, California. They have been making this wine for several years and the blend from 2010 is 44% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 9% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. The term Meritage indicates that the wine is produced exclusively from the 5 grape varietals that are approved for Bordeaux red wine. One cool thing about the label on the bottle is Dr. Drinkwell’s hair and beard are made with holographic foil that creates interesting effects when hit by light, not the norm for a seven buck bottle of wine. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is black cherry red with a clear halo. The nose is raspberry, Starbucks Venti Mocha, Altoids spice and a grassy note. A medium bodied, fruit forward, bright and shiny wine. Sour cherry, strawberry Twizzlers, along with milk chocolate lead the way. The mid-palate adds curry spice, blackberry, creamy strawberry and pepper, an odd mix, but somehow it works. The tannins are smooth, the acidity is light and the finish is soft but sticks around for a while.
The Dr. Jebediah Drinkwell’s Meritage is not a great wine, but it definitely is a fun wine. A blend of Bordeaux grapes but there is nothing remotely French going on here, big fruit and big spice all in one big happy stew. This is the point where I normally make half hearted food pairing suggestions, so here is all you need to know about choosing wine for dinner: delicious always pairs perfectly with delicious. It doesn’t get anymore complicated than that.
