Barking Dog Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 5-Pack
$69.99 $160.00 56% off List Price
2009 Barking Dog Vineyard Merlot, Napa Valley
CT link above
I have not had this so I can offer nothing about the wine but this: if you drink a bit too much of it one night, drinking some more the next morning should help.
Mortimer the woot monkey, must be friends with Mortimer Mouse (AKA Mickey Mouse) because just after we returned home from Disney World, there was a present waiting for me from Mortimer Monkey! I opened it to discover a bottle of 2009 Barking Dog Merlot. How nice! So I, being the nice person I am, decided to share with my mom, dad and brother. Here are our tasting notes:
Day 1 (everyone was busy, so it was just me tasting)
Pnp
Color - medium/light garnet
Aroma - hint of cherry kirsch? not much else
Taste - Tart cherry/cranberry
medium mouth feeling, tannic, medium finish
Poured thru the Vinturi
WOW it is like a totally different wine!
Aroma - almost nonexistant
Taste- WAY smoother! Not picking up on cherry anymore, more cranberry (almost like when you drink pure cranberry juice, that flavor) Still medium finish. I enjoyed it more.
Day 2 Mom, dad, and brother tasted
Pnp
Color - All agreed, medium garnet color. Mom was a bit put off by the color, not deep enough.
Aroma - Me - Still cranberry
Mom,dad, brother- Nice, nothing Distinguishable
Taste - Mom- too tannic, dry cranberry. She liked the taste, not the mouth feel.
me - Light cranberry, cherry
Dad and Brother - Smooth, slight tannins,no distinguishable flavor, nice
Vinturi
All agreed, aroma was almost non existent
Taste - Me - Still cranberry, WAY smoother, longer finish
mom - color didn’t match the flavor, cranberry, she liked the taste, not the mouth feel (too tart)
Dad- Smoother, not complex, nice everyday wine
Brother - thought it was a different bottle of wine! Way smoother, slightly sweet, slight tannins.
We all guessed this was a $12-15 bottle of wine.
Mom and I really liked this after it had been thru the vinturi and had been sitting a bit. Dad and Brother, thought it was nice. All agreed this would make a great everyday wine. Not to overpowering, just a nice pleasant wine. We didn’t try with food, just enjoyed by itself.
I am wondering if I should be writing some tasting notes on April Fools day, but it is likely very appropriate, so keep that in mind.
Tasted without food.
First impressions - no decanting.
Color: deep burgundy - not purple
Nose: Not a lot, picked up a bit of menthol
Entry: tart cherry, even bodied, not jammy, little noticeable oak, not hot.
Finish: short to medium
Next day, I poured one glass from the bottle, and another through a vinturi.
Taste profile very similar, with a little muting of the tartness through the vinturi.
Wife liked this more than I did - I found it too tart for my taste. I suspect it would be a good food wine for rich dishes as the acid would stand up to the dish. I drink wine as much without food as with. Not sure that aging will “improve” this much as it did not seem disjointed. Seems like a solid, well made wine - just on the tart side for my tastes.
(Editor’s note: All typos courtesy of da woot-bots)
If the winery stops by; some additional specs would be wonderful. PH, TA, RS. Winemaking methods.
Thanks,
2009 Barking Dog Merlot
PnP. Medium garnet color. Nose is muted, but there is a brooding undertone of dark fruit, perhaps plum. No noticeable heat on the nose. Palate is light on the front with good acid and a bright cherry note. Not much heft on the midpalate, but the tannin builds from there to the finish, which is short to medium in length, and then drops off with a hint of stem tannin. This first pour shouldered the bottle. Set aside for slow ox tasting after work today. Will report back this evening.
+1. Tried to find some info on this winery and there isn’t much. Tha bottle label states it was made at a custom microcrush facility in Napa. The COLA approval ties back to Judd’s Hill.
Does the wine come with the dog if I buy 6?
I am so lonely. So lonely…
The neighbor’s are getting annoyed, but me? I love my visits from the screeching Monkey. The “Ol boy” stopped by again Friday.
To start off you all know I’m a Cab guy, but do like a “good” Merlot, this Merlot had a fairly deep, ruby red color.
The smell while not overpowering I did get a hint of red berry fruit, & vanilla, (and I’m not a vanilla fan)
1st glass direct pour had nice legs, clear, but light (expected as this isn’t a Cab) nicely balanced and a bit of alcohol heat.
2nd pour was thru a vinturi, definably improved the taste, much smoother, the 1st pour had “little” bite to it.
Poured one for the wife, a little strong for her, but she did like it.
The Vanilla flavor put me off a bit, but all in all I think most red wine aficionado’s here will like this as an everyday wine.
I wouldn’t pay $30 (retail) for it, But than again I a Cab. guy.
EDIT 4:30 pm L.A. Time:
came home from work and had about a glass left, what a difference a little time made, very smooth, couldn’t taste the vanilla, just might have to place an order. Much lighter than a Cab, but a real nice wine.
Last Wooter to Woot:fredrinaldi
BTW my spelling is much better on non April Fool’s day. 
not taht anyone’s spelling actually matters on April fools. waht matters is teh cahracter of one’s soul on April fools!
Here is some info for the 2009 merlot:
Harvest - 9/14/09
Brix - 23.7
20 months in neutral French oak barrels.
Bottled 6/21/11
TA - 6.3 g/L
pH - 3.49
Like almost all reds this wine is dry (no residual sugar remaining)
Yes, this Barking Dog merlot was produced at Judd’s Hill Winery in Napa. We have about 150 clients that we make wine for plus a selection of Judd’s Hill wines as well. Also, our 2009 Judd’s Hill cabernet sauvignon has some of this merlot in it.
You may wonder how Barking Dog Wines came about. Originally we sold our grapes to other wineries such as Merryvale and Judd’s Hill. In 200 the movie Sideways came along and ruined the market for Merlot grapes and wine in favor of Pinot Noir.We decided it would be better to make our own wine, custom crushing at Judd’s Hill. By the way readers may be interested in knowing that a movie called Merlove came out in 2008 as an antidote to Sideways. I highly recommend it if you can find it on Amazon.com.
Welcome! Hope to see you here again on woot.
I’m guessing the three brand new posters in the last couple hours lauding this wine are perhaps on the mailing list for friends, family, etc… and made aware of this deal. Hoping it isn’t a shill factor.
Day 2.
Nose is pretty much the same, not giving up much. Still a light intensity dark plum there, and now that someone else noted it I can pick up the small amount of oak as well. Palate has picked up some heft. Acid is still a little out balance, but not terribly. Lots of grip now on the back, less of a bite than yesterday.
I recommend a nice long decant on this wine. The extended time open didn’t detract from the fruit or let the nose die, and the finish smoothed out some while adding some body. Don’t know where to place this on the scale, maybe just off center to new world vs old.
My Salted Caramels are running out, how long before they re-appear?
I need my fix, hurry up.
I’m waiting for the man (The Candy Man)
This seems like shill antics, IMO. Too bad. I was interested in future offers, actually.
I hate these April Fool’s Day filters!