Maddalena Vineyard Merlot, Paso Robles, 2002Feb 15 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Young, fresh, a little oak-spicy & vanillin sweet... but well made and a good bargain at under $10 per bottle.
Maddalena is a wine brand of Riboli Wines (San Antonio Winery) -- one of the 30 largest wineries in North America. Riboli produces over 1/2 million cases of wine per year. Most wine drinkers are familiar with their flagship brand -- San Antonio -- but Riboli also has a few boutique brands in its portfolio that most may not be familiar with: San Simeon, Maddalena, Santo Stefano, La Quinta, and Aliento Del Sol. It's somewhat of a strange situation, but the flagship San Antonio brand is slowly retiring to become something of a "fighting" or "bargain" brand for the Riboli family of wines now that the 4th generation of Riboli winemakers (headed by Anthony Riboli, M.S. in Viticulture from U.C. Davis in 1998) have joined the company. Indeed: I remember a time when wines from San Antonio were probably regarded as being a cut just below other wines from 1970/80's bulk producers such as E&J Gallo or Sebastiani. Anyway, all that history aside, my dinner wine this evening was the... Maddalena Vineyard Merlot, Paso Robles, 2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Some fantastic wines are coming out of Paso Robles. For those who may be unfamiliar with this part of California, the Paso Robles appellation is in California's Central Coast, midway between Santa Ynez Valley to the south (Santa Maria/Santa Barbara--the area now highly popularized in the recent movie Sideways), and Monterey County to the north. I first tried this Merlot after dining at the San Antonio Winery (the "Maddalena Restaurant") in Los Angeles sometime last August (2004). The 2001 release was a Gold Medal winner in its class at both the Los Angeles and Orange County Fairs (Southern California). This 2002 release is, in my opinion, every bit as good. I buy a bottle just about every month. My wife is not quite as enthusiastic a drinker as I am, and for years she only drank the basest of wines: cheap White Zinfandels (because they had a pretty color) or mediocre bulk whites (didn't matter what varietal... even a "Mountain Chablis" would fit the bill). Three years ago, she finally got turned on by red wines, and, curiously enough, it was a Merlot (a Fetzer !!) that caught her attention. Ever since then, I buy Merlots especially for her. I find most Merlot wines to be fruity and very approachable (soft and supple). It's not my favorite varietal, but it is versatile, widely available, and fairly inexpensive. Many Merlot (Merlot Noir) wines can be consumed early because they contain more moderate amounts of tannins than Cabernet Sauvignons. Plus, there is additional advantage to this type of wine: price. Merlot wines, as a class, are usually more affordable than Cabernets. Merlot is the principle red grape variety in France’s Bordeaux (in terms of planting; it is famously represented by Pomerol's Château Pétrus), and is very popular in California. Merlot wines are made from the Merlot grape (duh!), which is larger and thinner skinned than the Cabernet grape. About 30 years ago, wineries in California were experimenting with Merlot grapes to add texture and additional complexity to their Cabernet wines. With time, Merlot has become one of the more popular California varietals. It is a type of wine that needs less "attention" and care during the aging process, which makes it a great choice for consumers who don't have the time or facilities to cellar wine until proper maturation is achieved. Now, as to Maddalena's 2002 Merlot... Alcohol: 13.5% by volume according to bottle label, 13.9% according to winemaker's technical notes. Appearance: Dark ruby red color; visually appealling. Young and fresh. Production: Fruit harvested from the Central Coast of San Luis Obispo County (Paso Robles). Barrel aged 14-16 months in a combination of 30-35% New American Oak. Aroma: Rich, chunky cherry and black-berry fruit and spicy oak vanillin. Direct and somewhat simple, yet still attractive. Flavor: Rich, jammy flavor with a sweet vanillin tip. Medium-to-full bodied with toasted oak tones that are tempered by very fresh and vibrant fruit: cherry, black currants, and cassis. Smooth mouthfeel, silky tannins, medium-long finish with some pronounced cherry-vanilla flavors that are softened by a sweet plum. Easy to drink, and would work well with desserts like cheesecake or fruit tarts. Price and Availability: Retails for $9.95/bottle at the winery, but I've been purchasing at Trader Joe's in Ontario, California, for $8.99 plus tax. Fairly easy to find at most Southern California Trader Joe's locations, and available in quantity at either the Los Angeles (Lamar Street) or City of Ontario (Milliken Avenue) wine tasting locations. Under 2,500 cases produced. Recommendations: This is San Antonio's "Winemaker's Pick for Winter" wine. Serve with most any variety of meat (beef, lamb, duck or pork) or pasta. I had mine with a lightly spiced meal of Zatarain's Tomato-Shrimp Jambalaya. *** If there's a Merlot that I like better... for about the same price or less... it would be Columbia Crest's Grand Estates Merlot... which I have been buying at Costco for about $6.99/bottle (plus tax). It (the Columbia Crest) is my "house" Merlot and--to date--my best recommendation in this price class. It is easier to find, plus Columbia Crest is one dynamite producer. *** Verdict: Appearance: 4/5 Aroma: 17/20 Flavor/Body: 34½/40 Finish: 8/10 Overall Quality: 21½/25 ------------------------------ My Score: 85 -- 4 stars. The wine maker's website is located here: http://www.sanantoniowinery.com/  |
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