2015 Tate Wine Merlot, Spring Street – A Hearty and Robust Merlot
The Winery
Photo from Tate Wine website
David Tate and his wife, Suzanne Tate are partners in TATE Wines. First a little history on how TATE Wines came to existence. Suzanne’s brief history while going to college in Austin, Texas (where she was raised), she very much enjoyed a wine appreciation course. She then went to study culinary arts at CCA in San Francisco. She went to work in Houston at a fine wine distributor for five years. It was at a wine dinner that she met David Tate. In 2010, she moved to Napa Valley.
David Tate’s credentials as a winemaker span close to 25 years with a very strong background: Ridge Vineyards, as an assistant winemaker; worked in Barossa Valley, Australia; Provence, France; Canterbury, New Zealand. He also has travelled to just about every fine wine region in the world. David graduated from Brock University in Enology and Viticulture with honors. David is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia. David currently is the General Manager and winemaker at Barnett Vineyards, winning many outstanding awards for their wine.
Photo from Tate Wine website
In 2011 David and Suzanne formed TATE Wines. So here again is a perfect blending of the two, David as the artisan winemaker, Suzanne as the marketing and sales arm, one from Canada and one from Texas. Yet combined they make a synergistic and complementary team of two, ready to take on the world with their wines. They offer Cabernet Sauvignon’s from various vineyards: Howell Mtn, St Helena and Mt Veeder all of which are excellent and worthy of cellaring. They have a 2019 Merlot from Reason Vineyard, but running extremely low and that is for now the end of their Merlot production. They do have both an excellent Chardonnay which has been a “go-to” in the cellar for years. They have more recently added a Rose and Sauvignon Blanc that I have yet to taste! In over ten years knowing David and Suzanne, every wine has been great and enjoyable and always made at a high level.
For more background on Tate Wines read this earlier post: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/08/tate-wines
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
An extremely robust Merlot. Dark ruby on the eyes with a medium to medium heavy viscosity. On the nose a dark fruit compote leads to a beautiful sweet & sour cherry and plum fruit with red licorice. The finish provides a hint of oak and cedar with soft tannins but with some edginess not often found in a “smooth or average” Merlot which makes this an enjoyable treat! Also on the finish pomegranate with medium acidity.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This is not a soft and comforting Merlot but more like a bone embracing bone breaking solid bear hug with a big squeeze! A remarkable Merlot made for Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled this wine specifically for this evening meal of beef Teriyaki with sugar snap peas and green onions. Using tenderized flank steak cut into strips combined with teriyaki sauce, sugar snap peas, ginger, chardonnay wine, Asian red chili peppers, stir-fry oil, sliced mushrooms, sliced garlic cloves and green onions halved and cut length wise. This was a delicious and tasty meal. Accompanied by cauliflower rice sautéed in soy sauce with salt and pepper. Also some garlic French bread. This Merlot with its fruity flavors played extremely well with the soy sauce.
I consider this one of Best Wines tasted this year and it will be published in my annual report in December.
Sláinte,
Michael