DOUGLAS HILL MERLOT - 2000

The Bronco Wine Company is one of the largest wine producers in the country. The company is best known for "Two Buck Chuck," the famous Charles Shaw wine that is sold for $2 a bottle at Trader Joe's stores. So it should come as no surprise that this California Merlot from Napa, of all places, is bargain-priced at a mere $9 a bottle.

TASTING NOTES:

Silky smooth with red fruit aromas and syrupy flavors of strawberry and raspberry. A simple wine with 12.5% alcohol that is both light in color and body.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
Really nice fruit concentration, but it almost looks, smells and tastes like Pinot Noir, which isn't really what I look for in a Merlot. The wine is thin and seems to be missing the "heart" and richness that I crave from Merlot. There is almost too much red berry for my liking, although its pricing is so attractive that it makes it a worthwhile purchase.