Oeno Files

From my friend-once-removed (which means I think highly of him but have not met him personally, having only worked with his wife for a brief spell) The Wine Commonsewer comes this review of Rosemount Orange Vineyard 2002 Merlot:

The '02 Rosemount is Aussie by birth. Although I would not describe the wine as having Big Fruit, It is a pretty decent medium bodied Merlot with an earthy feel and a taste of black fruit and light oak. There is also a bit of astringency at first and decanting may help with that (although TWC did not decant it). You should be able to find it for around $10.00 US and at that price it is a relative bargain.

Pointers like this are quite helpful, as I generally can't be bothered to taste a lot of merlots, and get annoyed when I encounter an inexpensive one that is too thin, or can't stand up to food, etc.