As many of you have seen on my website, I have a new assortment of Yarden "Library" selections that are available. One of them that I recently tried was the 2000 Merlot. Wines from cooler climate areas, like the high elevation Golan Heights in Israel, tend to have more concentrated flavors since the grapes are smaller, and have a higher skin-to-pulp ratio. This makes the wine deeper and darker, and sometimes more age-worthy. This wine is certainly at it's peak right now, with those dark flavors becoming a little lighter, and revealing some spicy complexity that comes with age. This is definately a treat to enjoy with baked chicken, lamb stew, or other spiced meats. Definately needs some time to breathe, so be patient and this wine will deliver!
2000 Yarden Merlot, Golan Heights: Almost a cross between ruby and garnet, this wine is a little cloudy from the sediment in the bottle. The wine opened with some pretty strong aromas of strawberry jam, but also had a weird curry smell that was a little intense. But, I was patient and waited a good hour or so before trying it again. After all, it's been in that bottle for 8 years, and needs some room to open up. Later on, the stink was gone, and the wine was tasting great! More strawberry flavors, a little chocolate, and a tolerable amount of eastern spice. This wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, and went really well with Baked Chicken in Apricot Sauce.
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