La Noble a tasty, affordable merlot
Deep in the south of France, in the world-famous Languedoc-Roussillon region, is a hamlet called Pennautier. Here, we find vineyards that have been planted since the Romans first set foot in this region more than 2,000 years ago.
Yves Delmas, owner of Domaine La Noble, and Dan Kravitz, an American importer, found the special terroir here to be perfect for yielding classically proportioned Bordeaux grape varietals such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot, but also Rhone varietals such as syrah, mourvedre and grenache.
But this particular bottle of La Noble is a clean and straight merlot. A French wine must have 100 percent of the varietal in the bottle to be able to have its name on the label, and this in turn makes for easier marketing in the United States.
In the glass, La Noble Merlot is a firm, deep, semi-opaque ruby-red color with a dark crimson core going out into a light red to pinkish rim definition with medium viscosity.
On the nose, the wine exudes classical elements of merlot from France with concentrated soft extract of black and red berries, dominated by brambleberry, raspberry sorbet, creamy blueberry and just pure fruits of the forest with no discernible oak influences.
On the palate, the wine is soft and rounded with slightly spicy berry fruit, sloe fruit juice elderberry, mulberry and hints of minerals. The midpalate is firm and softly tannic, going into a good balanced finish that displays yet more black fruit and hints of herbs de Provence.
La Noble Merlot is an excellent medium-bodied wine to be enjoyed with food, especially grilled lamb or veal chops. While it drinks well right out of the bottle, letting it sit for about 30 minutes before consumption will open up the wine and show its full potential. It should age for about two to three years, but can be enjoyed the entire time.
Wine: La Noble Merlot
Grape: Merlot
Region: Vin de Pays d'Oc, southern France
Vintage: 2004
Price: $8.99
Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.
