Tomorrow is Merlot Day and there is no better grape to turn to with the changing of the season. Merlot’s fruity appeal and soft delivery are like a comfy blanket for your taste buds. It’s joyful and fun in its youth and can be complex and cerebral as it ages and its flavours evolve. This week’s wine was conceived in the home of Merlot – Bordeaux, France – but comes from the sunny, easy-going shores of the French Mediterranean. It also happens to come at a great price and in two sizes. If you haven’t already done so, meet Yvon Mau Merlot.
Tasting Notes: With a bright and fruity aroma jam-packed with notes of black cherry and raspberry, Yvon Mau Merlot has an immediate appeal. The palate is smooth and nicely balanced with red and blackberry flavours at the forefront, followed by cocoa-like tannins and ripe fruit flavours lingering though the finish.
Enjoy With: Roast beef or pork tenderloin, meatballs or soft cheese. As advertised, it’s a smooth and satisfying sip on its own.
Style: A medium-bodied, fruity red wine.
Terroir/Region: Vin de Pays de l’Aude, located in the far south-west of France in the Languedoc-Roussillon, is a rather large wine region that encompasses a number of important wine appellations. The landscape is rugged, rocky and full of vineyards. Mediterranean sunshine is tempered by cool air from the Pyrenees mountains which keep the grapes healthy and the wines soft and satisfying.
Producer: Founded in 1897 by Aristide Mau, Yvon Mau has over a century’s worth of expertise in the wine business. Originally focused as a négociant for Bordeaux wines, the company also now produces wines in different regions of France. Yvon Mau, the son of the founder, would cycle around France on his penny-farthing bicycle trying to find the best wines the country had to offer. To this day, Yvon Mau is a big name in French wines with the same dedication to quality.
Availability: Yvon Mau Merlot is available in the France section of your local LCBO and for online ordering. It comes in two sizes in case you’re stocking up, and at this price, it’s a good idea.
Check LCBO store inventory
Price: $9.95
LCBO#: 336743
Size: 750mL
Alcohol Content: 12.5% alc./vol.
Price: $18.95
LCBO#: 572370
Size: 1500mL
Alcohol Content: 12.5% alc./vol.
