We hung out with our friends last week and so, we brought some stuff and so did other guests and the host.  The food varied, which was nice, but really had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the wine.  The hearty bean soup did quite nicely – up against a Four Gates Merlot, the rest felt like the wine was pushing forward on the palate, which is fine – just need to think about that when rating wine.  There was a few experimental wines at the table, and as such, will not be included in the notes.

Four Gates Merlot – La Rochelle 2001 – Score: A-
The Four Gates Merlot was a joy to taste.  It was even better, because we got a chance to taste it up against the M.S.C. 2001.  The color on this wine is a crazy blackish blue – with a shimmer of orange thrown in.  The nose was strong with black fruit (a distinct shift from our previous review), sweet wood, and a hint of tobacco.  The mouth feels fuller, definitely softer, and powered by a strong fruit presence.  Cassis starts early and is joined by black plums and raspberry.  The mid palate is ruled by an iron fist of acidity which really adds great zip and depth to the wine.  The finish is strong with wood and spice.  The softness is what throws me on this wine, as I was used to the harder lines.  Those lines have softened to reveal black fruits and a nice backbone of acidity, but still a bit more tannin would have been perfect.

Four Gates Merlot – M.S.C 2001 – Score: A
The M.S.C. has what I wished the La Rochelle had – a bit more body and tannin.  The color on this wine is a deep and brooding black – with a shimmer of orange.  The nose had aromas of black plums and cassis, oak, and a nice sized dollop of chocolate.  The mouthfeel on this full bodied wine was firm yet balanced.  The tannins played nicely with the cassis, plum, and cherry.  The mid palate is backed by an acidic core and nice layers of complexity around the fruit, tannins, and vegetal flavors.   The finish is strong with wood and spice.

Psagot Edom 2005 – Score: B
This was not the favorite of the night (even lower then the aforementioned experimental bottle).  The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%) and Merlot (25%).  The color on this wine was a nice deep ruby red.  The nose was crazy good – filled with cassis, plum, and strong green aromas.  The mouth is where things fell apart.  Really, there was none.  The mouth is filled with a bit of tannin and a medium to full bodied attack.  The fruit was non existent and the feeling in your mouth was of a good Cabernet, but nothing more.  Sorry, I would pass on this one.