Tasting- Menage a Trois Lavish Merlot

 Wine: Menage a Trois Lavish Merlot California, 2018

Vinted and Bottled by Folie A Deux Winery ,St.Helena and Lodi , CA

Price: ~$18 (came as part of a variety pack from Costco)

Variety of Grapes in This Wine: Merlot, but also hints of syrah, petit syrah and petit verdot

4) Shop/wine critic/winery review of the wine 

Lavish is a luxurious, over the top expression of Merlot, offering a truly sensual experience. From its deep ruby red color and its alluring blueberry cordial fragrance, Lavish promises to be much more than a typical Merlot. On the palate, ripe blueberries and juicy black plums flirt recklessly with dark cocoa and vanilla notes before being swept up in a chocolaty finish. Our winemakers chose grapes from California’s Central and North Coast appellations, known for producing grapes with rich flavors and aromas. The wine is fermented on French and American oak to round out the flavors and mouthfeel.

5) References of specific flavors, aromas, and grape varietal characteristics taken directly from the Wine Folly text, with page numbers referenced 

I did get hints of blueberries and mocha. The smell was very organic, and fresh earthy tones to it. The primary aromas were the hints of the blueberries and plum , but the secondary aromas were more primarily(pg 28, 31). This wine was more on the dry side with a lower acidity as well since my mouth was not tingling. Furthermore, I tasted oak tannins as I felt the flavor of the wine more in the middle of my tongue, and it was a full bodied wine. The wine had a smooth finish, and it was not too aggressive on the way down. (p.30-35)

6)My Review of this Wine(aka the most important part of this whole thing)

My past experiences with Merlot had left me thinking that it was not my favorite flavor of wine. I was not a huge fan of how not sweet it was and how it seemed to carry a sharper flavor. But this version of the Merlot changed my mind, this merlot had a strong presence and it had a smooth finish. I paired this wine with an avocado toast which in my opinion went really well with it. The description on the bottle indicated notes of blueberry and plum: I noticed the blueberry in the wine but I did not notice the hints of plum. The description also noted that there were notes of mocha in the wine!?!?! Perhaps I did not notice because I had made my avocado toast  spicy and my tongue was burning a little.