Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Merlot, California

Slightly sweet, no acid, a little bitter. Very strong red fruit, strawberry. Smells a little sweaty. Sandlewood? There’s something in there I don’t totally love but I can’t figure out what it is. It tastes a bit like smuckers.

Not good with pasta sausage and meetballs after drinking vintage 2017 bogle merlot. Needed one more glass so i opened a small 187ml bottle. After a couple of nites, vino was good. Not as full bodied as the Bogle, but good.

I reviewed this wine on 8/6/2020, with a rating of 86. We kept a second bottle of 2018 Woodbridge Merlot in our wine cabinet, which my wife, Sharon, used in the afternoon to prepare beef ribs on this warm South Florida Sunday, and I thought this might be a good chance to compare it with my findings from a month and a half ago, with the three main differences being the timing, method and temperature of the tasting -- this …

13.5% alcohol; composite cork, 'foil' is more of a thin paper than metal; fast legs, not too dark red-purple; opened 3 days ago and kept in the fridge; nose of starch, cellared fruit; tasted at approximately 12 degrees C; according to the label, Robert Mondavi wanted 'to craft fine wines for everyday enjoyment' in his winery near Lodi, and that is exactly what this is -- a very pleasant sipping & pairing wine at about $5 a bottle; fruit forward …

Good wine. Had it with couple of friends who do not care about wine very much but this bottle got them thinking about what else have they been missing! Loved the fruit and the smoke on the nose. Medium-full body with certain density but not to complex. Nice creamy texture. Dark fruit on the palate leaning towards chocolate. Very well made.

Nice wine with great fruity tones.