Review: 2003 Ty Caton Merlot
Sideways made Merlot unpopular, and it’s still fashionable to bash the grape and the wine it makes. And you know what? The bashers have a point. Merlot is one of the least interesting wines around. It’s the red wine equivalent of chenin blanc. And in fact, I have more chenin in my wine cellar than merlot.
I bought Ty Caton’s 2003 Merlot as part of a wine.woot and figured I’d break it out with a simple pasta and marinara dinner.
I’m unimpressed. The nose is pleasant if expected, but on the first sip I was instantly besieged with dust, chalk, and sawdust flavors. That’s not a terrible thing in a wine, but it shouldn’t dominate the flavor profile. After opening up the wine reveals its berry core, predominantly blueberry, and an oaky backbone. I didn’t quite catch the vanilla finish the producer promises, though I’d have liked to.
Even Caton’s Merlot isn’t all Merlot: It’s 18.5% Cabernet and 0.5% Malbec. Curious, but probably a good decision considering where this wine might otherwise have ended up.
B / $27 / tycaton.com
2003 Ty Caton Merlot
$27
About Post Author
