2008 St. Francis Merlot, Sonoma Wine Review

The Modern Somm’s Wine Review

2008 St. Francis Merlot, Sonoma
Price $15.99
The Modern Somm’s Rating 4 out of 5 Stars

My Thoughts
For an inexpensive Merlot, you can’t get much better. This Merlot is a very easy drink and food friendly.

What does it smell like?
Oak, Black Cherry, Vanilla, Cocoa with a hint of Pepper and Baking Spice.

What does it taste like?
Similar to how it sells: Oak, Rich and Juicy Black Cherry with a Black Pepper Finish. It has Medium Body with Soft tannins and nice acidity to pair well with food.

St. Francis Winery pumps out good juice for the price; most of their wines are good and in solid price-points.

St. Francis Merlot Food Pairing
Lean grilled meats
Pasta and Tomato or Meat Sauce
Grilled Fish
BBQ
Dark Chocolate

I actually paired it with a Vodka Sauce Pizza last night at dinner. The pizza had vodka tomato sauce, cubed prosciutto, peas and mozzarella cheese… I wouldn’t say this was the best pairing, but what I liked about it was that it didn’t interfere with the pizza; it allowed the pizza to be the pizza and the wine to be the wine. I credit it with the great acidity of the wine.