Fantinel Merlot 2007
Friuli, Italy ($10)
Chances are if you see me drinking merlot it’s from one of two places…Long Island or Friuli. Sounds snobby doesn’t it? It just might but be only because I think the merlot should be grown where it’ll just have enough heat to ripen.
I’ve had some memorable Friulian merlots in the past that bring bright red fruit and that rusticity that I find so appetizing in Italian reds. If you’re looking for reds from the region you’re not going an easy time finding them. When I was in NYC, I struggled finding them, let alone where I live now…in God’s country.
So whenever I find a merlot, cabernet franc or even a red blend from Friuli, I am tempted to bring it home. When I saw this bottle of Fantinel Merlot on sale for $10, I had to give it a go. The wine is actually called “Celebrate Life” because a dollar of every sale goes towards charity. I won’t bore you with the details but it has something to do with micro-algae.
With nothing but some red cherry, thyme and vanilla aromas this wasn’t the wine I was expecting. No tar, no forest, no shrooms, no leather…it just didn’t show any complexity. A medium-thin body and light tannins made me think this wine belongs in a carafe rather than a bottle.
In my limited experience making wine, I’d say that this one suffered from over-cropping of grapes. Not a bad wine though as it wasn’t flawed but I just wouldn’t want this one to be someone’s first merlot from Friuli.
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