The Royal Tannin Bombs

Pencils down – the results are in!  The official Royal Tannin Bomb Tier I Merlot tasting is in the books.

The contenders were:

• Duckhorn Vineyards, 2004 Napa Valley Estate Grown Merlot, 14.5% $85
• Leonetti Cellars, 2006 Columbia Valley Merlot, 14.3% $80
• Luna Vineyards, 2004 Napa Valley Merlot, 15.3% $30
• Newton, 2002 Unfiltered Napa Valley Merlot, 14.3% $46
• Podalirio, 2004 Toscana Merlot, 13.5% $40
• Shafer, 2006 Napa Valley Merlot, 14.9%, $42

Read all about our tasting here.  Don’t forget to come back here and comment!

This tasting is noteworthy.  The entire Royal Tannin Bomb regime was birthed from a conversation between Full-Throttle and Bad Man, wherein she, Full-Throttle, said she didn’t really care much for Merlot except the King of Merlots – and that would be Duckhorn Estate (their “reserve” bottling).  Bad Man immediately countered with the battle cry that nothing could top Leonetti, the Washington State winery he’s espoused for 20 years.  And so a quick throw-down of glaives ensued, and out of that spark began a most unprecedented series of tasting flurries and parties the likes of which even Marie Antoinette had never seen.  Tally-Ho was soon enlisted, and this core group of three officers and no gentlemen would hoist the chevron of Tannin Bomb into glorious if not spectacular battle.  All accolades go to Tally-Ho for, most importantly and impressively, creating the name The Royal Tannin Bombs for our scourge, and an appropriate name on so many levels it is.  Also a huge thank you to Tally-Ho for hosting nearly every formal tasting in her castle, and successfully executing the edict of wine storage and cellarage most effectively.

But all this is an aside to note the historical import of the original challenge – which IS the better Merlot – Duckhorn?  Or Leonetti?

                               

Six months and 100 bottles of Zinfandel later, the Tier I Merlot tasting was finally accomplished.

And the unanimous decision by both Full-Throttle and Bad Man is that, in the blind tasting of 6 highly renowned Merlots, they BOTH ranked the Leonetti second to none.  Tally-Ho also rang in, with the Leonetti placing second for her – to the Luna, not the Duckhorn.

Don’t forget – this is a BLIND tasting with 6 Merlots, and of the 6 I had only had the Luna recently before the tasting was conducted.  Needless to say, I am super encouraged and satisfied with the exoneration of Lenoetti Cellars’ spectacular Merlot from Washington State.

Read all about our tasting here.  Don’t forget to come back here and comment!

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