Is the wine worth the money? Psagot Merlot 2006

By Adam Neustadter

Issue of July 10, 2009 / 18 Tammuz 5769

I admit it — I like drinking wine! But writing about it is a whole different ball game. As the editor can tell you, sometimes it’s difficult to come up with new words to describe the same thing over and over. This, however, is not one of those times.

Upon opening the wine, you can taste soft fruit, little tannin, and almost no finish — all the qualities of an overpriced wine. Fortunately for you, me and the wine, I have patience when it comes to wine. Well at least enough to give the wine a little time to become, shall we say, a little bit friendlier.

Boy, are you guys lucky to have me. I waited, and as usual, patience, a rewarding virtue even for the less virtuous, pays off. The fruit expands even more, and even allows some of the oak to come out. The aroma is complemented by slight hints of chocolate (not that common for Merlot); some complementary tannins evolve and begin to grab hold of the palate. The palate stays consistent. The finish is somewhat soft and thin. But then again, it is a medium-bodied merlot.

Still, the thin finish makes me question how long the wine will last. At this point I would say it’s ready to drink now, and probably for another year or two, though the real question is, at what price? Or to phrase it better: “Is the wine worth the money?”

While the wine did get better after about an hour, it’s all about what else is out there. After all is said and done, the wine is a nice Merlot IF you can find it priced in the low $20s. I don’t know if that price is feasible. This has nothing to do with the current economic situation. It’s just that there are better Merlots out there once you get into the $20 range and certainly in the $30s.

Adam Neustadter has taught about wine and was a sales executive for the Royal Wine Corporation for 15 years until his aliyah in 2006. He and his family live in Modiin.