Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot, 2009

http://bacchusliquors.com/

Beef friendly, delicious, easy drinking, and easy on the wallet. Not something you see every day on the carte des vins of a top end London Steakhouse. But I found Chateau (sic) Ste (sic) Michelle (sic) at Goodman‘s Mayfair branch. Served by the glass at one point, it disappeared and then they told me that had trouble sourcing enough to keep it on the list.

I am not really surprised. It must have been flying out of the Eurocave faster than a Batmobile powered by used rape seed oil.

Here’s the secret. I’ve found a plentiful supply and at a mad price of only around 10 quid a bottle (which, if I remember rightly, is less than Goodman used to charge for a glass). If you want to stock up, simply visit Bacchus Liquors. Not much use to Londoners I admit, but if, like me, you are stationed in South Beach for a while, a must-visit-venue. Ch. Ste Michelle is about $16 from this excellent and well stacked store at 1445 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139.  Massive collection of worldwide wines right on the premise, and literally just round the corner from my temporary home.

4 Responses to “Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot, 2009”

  1. Peter May Says:

    glad you’re enjoying Florida!

    Not sure why there are quotes around Chateau, they do have a most impressive Chateau – as pictured on the label. I visited there in the early ’80s and I recall all there wines then came from their own vineyards. Ch Ste Michelle wines seem widely available in the UK, my local independent stocks several, tho’ not the Merlot, but the basic one that you picture can be bought for £12.50 online and the single vineyard Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot for £15+.

    So there’s no need to delay your return home 🙂

  2. Alastair Bathgate Says:

    Hi Peter

    Very picky of me, but no circumflex over the ‘a’…..

  3. Peter May Says:

    Isn’t the little pixie hat above the ‘a’ in chateau only there to tell the French how to pronouce the word? I think that because Americans are smart enough to know how to say Chateau they don’t need the assistance of the pixie hat….

    And lets not forget the French themselves do not diligently use accents. For instance, in Alsace Gewurtztraminer lacks the double dots above the ‘u’ that the Germans just a bridge away across the river assume is essential for Gewürztraminer.

    I do hope you will drive across Alligator Alley and raid Berns wine list on our behalf

  4. Alastair Bathgate Says:

    Blimey, Bacchus have hiked this up to 20 bucks! Starting to look less VFM…

Leave a Reply