Friday, April 07, 2006

Hogue Merlot 2005 wine review by (PB)

This was another one of Gaiter and Brecher’s wines listed from their review of Merlot’s under $20. It is a Columbia Valley (Washington State) wine and has a fruity bouquet but is simple with a yeasty backbone and the nose is full of cherries and steel.

The palate is coated with baked bread, it is nicely made and well balanced with nice tannins and a finish that is again pretty straight forward. My first writing said “This is a typical Hogue wine—solid but not remarkable.” I remember thinking, “This seems odd to be a Gaiter/Brecher selection; it seems so ordinary. Silly me!

With some breathing the wine opens up to a nice foundation of chocolate and berries with a solidly made structure. It is a little chewy but more interesting than I first thought with a decent finish of fruit that lingers a bit. All in all I liked it and at $11, it is a decent value. But at this price point, it doesn’t come close to the previously reviewed Coppolla Merlot for $14. Raise a glass!

3 comments:

  1. Ten years ago, when I was just of legal age and began to purchase wine, Hogue was one of my favorites. Affordable, but not cheap. Drinkable but not overly sweet or gimmicky. And I still pick up a bottle from time to time these days--particularly since they've moved to screwcaps. Their Late Harvest White Riesling is a phenomenal wine by any measure.

    One of these days I'll write a little guide along the lines of "So You're Ready to Graduate From White Zinfandel and Yellowtail". I think that Hogue, Bogle, and Columbia Crest would feature prominently in such a guide--reasonable prices, wide availability, and really not bad wines.

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  2. Anonymous5:09 PM

    Thanks for your comments; you are right on re: Bogle, Hogue, and especially Columbia Crest. I would probably add Sebastianti, and Beaulieu as well. Raise a glass! (PB)

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  3. Anonymous3:42 PM

    My husband and I enjoy crisp white dessert wines. While at our local liquor store, the clerk suggested that we try something new.

    Reluctantly – I brought home a bottle of the Hogue late harvest white Riesling.

    Oh my goodness – What a treat!!!

    It’s a fabulous clean crisp wine that delicately sweet on the pallet while bursting with intense flavor.

    You can taste the peach and apricot with every sip. A lovely sweet wine that does not overpower your taste buds.

    We highly recommend it.

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