Welcome to the start of our journey to Valentine’s Day, where we’ll be digging into some wines to make the night special, without breaking the bank!
Throughout history, many a smooth talker has been a ladies man. In the beginning there was Casanova, a trailblazer for folks like JFK, Hugh Heffner, and Russell Brand. While Charles Smith might not be in this group, he’s a heck of a winemaker responsible not only for Charles Smith Wines, but also the K Vintners and others. While K makes wines that frequently chart well into the 90s with Wine Spectator, his Charles Smith wines tend to be good value with good ratings as well. Merlot tends to be a bit of a softer spoken, smoother talker than Cabernet Sauvignon, so does Charles Smith’s The Velvet Devil Merlot pull off a prince charming, or is it more of Lothario?
Sight: A moderate purple with flecks of red. The edges are young and hot pink.
Smell: Elements of green peppers and herbs come out,before being backed up by fresh plums, jammy raspberries, and syrupy blackberries. Subtle touches of toasty smoke join in.
Sip: Smooth and slightly oaky to start, it moves only moderately bright, lazing around smoothly with a velvety texture. The green elements are still present, but more subdued, and fade as the wine opens up. Blackberries, plums, and raspberries are all primary drivers with hints of smoke as back up.
Savor: The ending maintains the smoothness from the body, and gets a touch tannic. It keeps the dark fruit elements of plums and blackberries, and fades slowly.
The Velvet Devil Merlot is a tale of two wines. When I opened the bottle, the green elements were pronounced and aggressive, but they softened over the next few hours the wine was opened. This could imply that it’s not quite ready to drink yet, or that you’ll need some patience after you open the bottle. That said, once The Velvet Devil Merlot relaxes it really has some great character, and delivers a great drinking experience.
Verdict: Smooth, Moderate, Black Fruit, Oak
Price: $12
Washington
Available at Wine.Com