2004 Esterlina Merlot Cole Ranch

Yesterday evening, we cooked a total Indian food dinner to woo several friends into looking at the photos from our recent trip.

We threw caution to the winds in terms of food pairing and served whatever wines we thought we wanted to drink.

Esterlina Vineyards is a family-owned, California boutique winery located near the Mendocino coast, nestled in the highlands above the town of Philo. They own the only vineyard in the tiny Cole Ranch appellation.

The color of this Merlot was a rich garnet. There were lots of black fruit aromas, with plum, clove and a bit of smoky oak, too. The flavors were ripe, rich and complex, with black cherry, blackberry, and cocoa. This is a red wine hard not to like. Esterlina produced 923 cases.