Hart & McGarry 2008 Merlot - Review

I decided to review another follow-on vintage wine and this would be the wine listed above. I had previously reviewed the 2005 vintage of this wine, and I raved about the high value for the price that the 2005 vintage was.

The wine is listed as a Napa Valley Merlot but the winemaker's address is Manteca, CA--which isn't in the Napa Valley.

The 2008 vintage has a nice light berry with a hint of plum nose. I found it to be very young, but it improved significantly as it sat in the glass over an hour. The color is light and a bit thin and the wine has a taste which needs time to mature, but I am concerned that there may not be enough structure to provide a basis for improvement with time. The wine does have a finish with lingers a bit and yearns for another sip.

A very easy drinking wine, but not particularly interesting nor complex. Very light tannins. The wine should be good with light foods and summery fares, maybe even burgers and hot dogs--it you want to impress your neighbors.

Recommendation: An easy drinking wine, with similarities to a pinot noir for people who like light wines. At about $15 per bottle, is it probably at or above the optimal price point, but given a few more months in the bottle it may turn out to be a wine which rivals the 2005 vintage, which I enjoyed very much.