Meritage… Take 2!

A month ago I opened up a bottle I was saving for a while now, the 2004 Meritage from Sprucewood Shores, and it ended up being corked. I am pleased to say Gord Mitchell, the Owner of Sprucewood Shores dug into the last case they had in their wine library to replace it for me. I hesitated to open the replacement bottle fearing lightning would strike twice, but alas the wine was good. Very good actually. The wine opened up with big blueberry aromas and just a hint of cedar. The tannins were remarkably mature with a solid acidic backbone. The wine is not what I expect from a Meritage as far as weight goes, it is a little light lending itself more to be enjoyed with a very meaty fish (such a s blue marlin with a blueberry butter) or a dish like chicken in a cream sauce, but very tasty indeed. This is a very well made wine. The use of oak is restrained and even the tannins are on the light side of balanced. The pleasant acidic backbone of the wine will definitely keep this wine alive for a few more years to come.

I wish I had opened up its younger brother, the 2005 Meritage to compare side by side. Instead I will rely on my notes and memory to compare the two. The 2005 is a very pretty wine with more cherry aromas than blueberry. On the palate the 2005 shows a hint of anise not found in the 2004. Both wines showed similar cedar flavors and as they opened both wines developed the stereotypical peppery ness of the LENS terroir (although the 2004 is more black pepper-ish and more pleasant than the 2005’s spicy white pepper… give it another year and I am sure it will balance out nicely like the 2004). If I had them both in my cellar at this time I think I would drink the 2004 and see what the 2005 develops like over the next year or so.