2005 Tin Roof Merlot

A month and a half since our last post?!? Well, no wonder no one reads. Tonight while the misses is down in Valdez I made a grocery run to Costco. Unfortunately, I made a swing through the wine department on a typically low will-power evening and happened to find several new wines I'm quite interested in trying. There was a Argentina Malbec and a French Rhone import that I picked up. Then, on my way out, they had a massive display of 2005 Tin Roof Merlot... probably 40 cases of it. I had heard somewhere about this sub-$10 bottle of Merlot receiving a 90 point Wine Enthusiast rating. At Costco their selling it for $8 a bottle... an absolutely amazing price especially considering we're in Alaska. So, I had to pick up a bottle of that and crack it open to see what all the fuss is about.

2005 Tin Roof Merlot
I wouldn't call this a memory-making wine, but there is really nothing wrong with it. It comes across very subtle and smooth. The mid-palate shows the most complexity, but the finish is a bit weak, in my opinion. After a few sips I seemed to be able to nurse some lingering tangy fruits, but it all fades pretty quickly.

90 points Wine Enthusiast?... I'm not on the same boat. I'd probably rate it 85. A quick note about ratings - I think they're interesting but I'd like to develop enough knowledge to understand who gave the rating, since then I could start to determine if they share a similar slant as me. It's like a friend who you know likes the same style wine... if they tell you about a great wine, you'll go try it. But someone that you konw prefers a different style, you may regard their recomendations a bit differently.

Alright, enough for tonight... I have a glass of wine to drink and an open house to prepare for. If you come, I'll pour you a glass of Tin Roof under my roof.