Posts Tagged ‘garamvari’

Trader Joe’s – St. Donatus Balatonboglari Merlot – 2015 – Wine Review

11/19/2016

Hungary, Merlot, semi sweet, St. Donatus, Garamvari, balatonboglariNovember 18, 2016

This one is different.  Read on.

There’s very little aroma when first uncorked.  On first pour, the wine is ruby-red and much lighter than a typical red wine.  The first sip reveals a mild semi-sweet fruity wine as the bottle claims.  There’s nothing intricate in the taste and at the same time nothing bad in the taste.

This wine is all about your expectations.  If you’re looking for something to savor and spend the night discussing the intricacies of Merlots and where this stands in that continuum, this wine is not for you.  If you’re looking for something to have at home with dinner, or just want something to sip, relax with, and not have to in any way think about what’s in the glass, this will serve that purpose.  With some mild red-sauced pasta, the wine worked well.

The key difference here, if you haven’t picked up on it, is the word semi-sweet.  This is a style of wine not usually found on the shelves outside of Hungary where this wine is made.  The sweetness of the wine is noticeable but not sickeningly sweet like some really horrible wines.  This is a nice good quality wine with a different flavor profile.  Price $5.99