Flat Rock 2009 California Merlot - ~$4

Flat Rock is a new Fresh & Easy in-house collection of California wines - Cab, Merlot, and Chardonnay - priced, at ~$4, for the bottom shelf.

The Merlot in the glass is a rather surprising bright translucent purple, suggesting a not-too-terribly-extracted wine. There is plum, cedar, and a little spice on the nose. In the mouth, the lack of extraction is pretty apparent: there are sourish cherry and mild strawberry notes along with a hint of menthol, but overall the flavor is one-dimensional and the wine finishes thin and flat.

Better luck with the Cab and/or Chardonnay? Perhaps, but it seems as though F&E's California offerings still can't compete with their imports at this price point.


Score

Drinkability: 3/10
Price: 5/5
Total value: 7/15