Trim Vine
Country: Italy
Grape Varietal: Merlot
Much like Day 3, Day 9’s featured wine, Trim Vine, is a Merlot. Yet the similarities end there as like it says on the bottle, Trim Vine’s an Italian Merlot, not a French one. As such the opening palate trades body for fruit with fresh flavors of tart cherry and blackberry and a vibrant acidity with makes you, per aroundtheworldinwines.com, “Drool a little bit and head to the cheese drawer”. Yet as intense as the sensation was, it didn’t last long, particularly in my first glass. The tannins, while well integrated at first, began to take over quickly past the opening flavors and by the time I approached the finish, the tannins dominated the palate. They weren’t obnoxious, but I felt they smothered the vibrant fruitiness a little bit. This makes me think this wine could use a little aging, to break down those tannins and make the wine more lush. Merlots can age quite well, and many an Italian Merlot have been enjoyable after 12 years of aging in a bottle.
That said, as is Trim Vine is a decent Merlot, with the cherry and blackberry flavors being a delight that even though is muted at the end still makes me yearn for yet one more glass. I paired this with some barbecued pork belly, rice and veggies and it was a treat for the senses.
Ed's Wineglass Adventures 