Australia: Botham, Merrill, Willis Cabernet Sauvignon (3.5)
It just tasted like a strange wooden mess.
I though it was a bit strange so I duly opened another bottle straight away from my mixed case of cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay Tesco by the whole Botham Merrill Willis thing.
The second one was slighly better but not that much better.
They really must have been going for the wood chips in the barrel kind of taste as it is like there are railway sleeper and possibly MDF in there.
Don't get me wrong. I am no Jancis Robinson but this is woody!
Woody in the sense of being too much. With chardonnays, I like the 'smooth' woody affliction of oak, but this is like they ground up some roadside tree, chucked it into the wine and then drained it through a metal sieve.
The attraction of this wine was the "Merrill" part of the name. Not the Ian Botham or Bob Willis part of it. although I have to admit I was caught by the whole marketing ploy of Tesco in terms of the name and the extra points they gave to get rid of the stuff! Buyer beware!
Geoff Merrill Chardonnay is to die for. It is golden, rich and oppulent. Well, I only had a bottle or two beforehand but have now got six bottle case. I will test later and let you know.
This is bearable. Well for the next half bottle at least then I will leave and dish it out tomorrow to unsuspecting people at the end of the night.
Thinking about it, is this what they do with the stumps and the Ashes!
Even this Yorkshire Man dishes the dirt of what he thinks of the wine.
