The Barefoot Merlot is a non-vintage wine sourced from vineyards in various parts of California. Barefoot is one of the value priced brands from E & J Gallo (the largest family owned winery in the US). This is not one of those wines that has a great back story. This is mass-produced, well-priced wine, in the $5 to $8 range, that you can find anywhere in America. The tasting notes for this Merlot mention oak barrel flavors, some chocolate, and a little spice, but don’t give too many details about the wine production. The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is deep dark plum red. The nose is black cherries, bright, ripe fruit, caramel apple, and a little oak spice, with a touch of chocolate. This is a medium-bodied wine smooth, with a bit more structure than you would expect from an inexpensive wine. It tastes of black cherry, plum, black pepper and a hint of toasty vanilla. The mid-palate adds tart cranberry and a touch of soft Altoids spice. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is soft and easy. The finish mirrors the body of the wine and hangs around for awhile before fading.
The Barefoot Merlot is a solid Merlot, good fruit flavors, a bit of depth, and the oak adds some nice touches. This is a wine that casual wine drinkers can easily understand, but it is not “dumbed-down”, it tastes like Merlot. The Barefoot Merlot is a no issues, tasty Tuesday night wine, happily pair it with burgers and pizza. Inexpensive wine has never tasted better and Barefoot Merlot is an excellent example of that trend.
this bottle was received as a sample
