Good Cheap Wine Guide

Hogue 2005 Genesis Merlot - Red Wine

RATING: Good Enough for My Numb Tongue

“Boy (or boys) Behaving Badly” used to be a bit more edgy as I remember. I mean “back in the day” (as my mother in law loves to say) BBB was associated with a little risk. A pool cue…a ball game or concert without the girlfriends…loud cars… a pocket full of poker chips and a bad cigar… Circa 2008…BBB is much simpler. It’s sneaking a steak (YES - OH YES- RED MEAT- THERE I SAID IT!) out onto the grill when the spouse is out late with the girls. It’s enjoying a glass of wine on the deck with the radio on listening to baseball. The aroma coming off the grill, the ballgame, the warm weather, the wine, the sound of other people mowing their lawn…maybe 2008 version of Boy Behaving Badly is not all bad after all. Just mellower. To get a little more wild I might even dry my hands on a “nice” towel later in the bathroom. (Does everyone have “nice” towels and “regular” towels or does the rest of the world just have “towels”?) Anyway, I felt bad about the Hogue House wine review a few weeks ago so we tried them again. This time we went with the Columbia Valley, Hogue Cellars Genesis Merlot, 2005. (I think I just referred to myself in the plural. Wierd.)

What Others Say: Bevmo.com 89 PTS WINE SPECTATOR. The ‘04 Genesis Merlot expresses a velvety style; spicy oak, green olive and pretty blackberry and currant fruit, which mingle effectively on the persistent finish.

What I Thought:Eventually I vow to find a Hogue Cellars wine I would deem worthy to serve to guests. This time.. I got closer. This was not an unpleasant wine but a bit flat. Also the wine had a bit of a bitter aftertaste which is unusual for a Merlot from my experience. Is this acidity? I really need to talk to an expert (in a lot of ways.) Is that what Bevmo calls “green olive” expression? Would that green olive “expression” create a frown? It really wasn’t a bad come-along with the grilled steak but, is that the point? I would suggest trying it out for yourself because after all, the price is right and the grill is on but.. serve to yourself first. This was good enough for my numb tongue.

By the way, I wonder which passage(s) of Genesis this was named after? The “on the seventh day…” part or later on when the “begatting” began?

Cheers