2008 Berringer Merlot Founder's Estate

Hello all!! Tonight we had this very nice, straightforward, honest $10 bottle of merlot. The description on the back of the bottle was actually very accurate. It's described as having flavors of blackberry, plum and toasted spice (a little oak). The color was of deep ruby. And the aromas were not real big, but were true to the flavors. The tannins were a little more than velvety, but not unpleasant. This is a very fruit forward wine, as are many California merlots. I've been trying to develop a list of acceptable everyday wines so we can move beyond the box. I find true "bottom feeding" to be a bit of a challenge, but very satisfying. We are enjoying better wines overall, and there have been some pleasant surprises (like the Alamos merlot). I may explore merlots a little more, but, overall, this could be a nice addition to our list of everyday $10 wines.