It’s hot! Darn out outside. No time to spend cooking inside. Time for the BBQ. I was thinking of grilling some prime rib beef burgers I recently purchased and enjoyed them with BC’s Mayhem Wines Cabernet Merlot 2022. Let me tell you about the wine and then the pairing.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Mayhem Wines Cabernet Merlot 2022 (BC $24.44)
This wine is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc from the Ryegrass Road Vineyard in Oliver and the Anarchist Mountain Vineyard in Osoyoos. The fruit was whole berry destemmed into stainless steel fermenters and co-fermented. It remained on the skins for 14 days with a 5-day cold soak before being pressed off and put into barrels where it underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 11 months in 100% French oak barrels before it was coarsely filtered.
Appearance: This wine has a deep garnet colour with a ruby tinge. About 80% opaque.
Nose: It has a medium-plus aromas of sweet red fruits, plums, blackberries, sweet spices and a touch of toasty oak. With decanting, the aromas get a little lighter and you get more berry fruit aromas, plus black pepper.
Palate: This wine is dry with a light body, smooth with a lean mouthfeel. Medium acidity. With some swirling the wine does get rounder. Red and black berry flavours along with touches of black pepper, sweet ripe red cherries and nutmeg. The pepperiness gets stronger toward the finish. More berry fruit and plum flavours after decanting, plus a hint of capsicum. The wine is also a touch smoother and rounder on the palate.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with medium tannins, smooth and peppery, and a light mouthfeel. Juicy berries, blackberries and raspberries on the finish. No change after decanting.
There is not much difference between the undecanted and decanted wines. You get nice berry fruit and red fruit aromas and flavours. Open and enjoy with your favourite summer meal (maybe a burger?).
Rating: 
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This wine has a deep, clear garnet colour with a ruby tinge. Medium-plus aromas of sweet red fruits, blackberries, plums and a touch of sweet spices. Smooth on the palate, dry, with a light, lean mouthfeel. More red and black berry fruit flavours, along with some pepperiness. A medium-plus length with medium-drying tannins.
Wine Pairing With Burgers
I had not purchased prime rib burgers before but decided to give them a try. It took a total of 14 minutes on the grill from their frozen state. For the burger, I added mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and garden-grown lettuce. The burger itself was soft to chew and had a subtle meaty flavour. It was not fatty and dripping with grease. The acidity in the wine with the berry fruit flavours was complementary to the flavours in my hamburger. Nothing stood out too strong. Harmony. Give it a try as we are having a long stretch of sunny, hot weather.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
You can purchase this wine online from the Mayhem Wines website. It may be available at BC Liquor stores, but as an older vintage.
