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Julie and Joyce with pot roast

Day two – pot roast soup

Joyce’s Pot Roast Two-Step
Joyce, my mother-in-law, was staying with us early in the Pandemic . We had fun making a couple of videos of her tried and true pot roast technique. First, for the pot roast itself, then using the leftovers for pot roast soup.  Joyce firmly believes the real reason to make pot roast is for the soup on day two.  At the time, we paired the two meals with Bordeaux wines (with Merlot!). 

Pot Roast – Day One
Joyce traveled up to the lake with us recently and offered to make her pot roast. I thought this would be a great opportunity to give American Merlots a chance with her pot roast first, then the soup on day two. No big surprise, our American Merlots were 100% delicious with both the pot roast and the soup.  

Disclosure: The wines for this post were provided by the wineries as part of the October #MerlotMe celebration. No other compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine.

Rutherford Hill “Atlas Peak” Merlot Napa Valley AVA 2017

Rutherford Hill Atlas Peak Merlot 2017 Napa Valley Appellation (sample, $60 SRP or online here) 15.5%
Rutherford Hill was founded in 1972 with an original focus on Merlot, recognizing Napa Valley as a perfect spot for this grape.  The winery was purchased by the Terlato family in 1996 and they continue to pursue high quality Merlot as well as a wide variety of other wines. 

Eye: Clear, deep ruby color
Nose: Clean, medium intensity aromas of ripe dark blue/black fruit: blackberries, blueberries, black plum, herbal tomato leaf, rosemary
Mouth: Dry, with medium+ intensity flavors. Acidity is medium, silky medium tannins. Full body with a plush texture. Fruit is in front on the palate with ripe blackberry, blueberry, black plum with tomato leaf, rosemary, and cedar.
Observation: The bright intense fruit is clear, but I love seeing a touch of the herbal/herbaceous note that should exist in Merlot. Very nice California interpretation without losing the herbaceous edge.

Julie and Joyce with pot roast

Easy to prepare and the kitchen smells so good

Rutherford Hill Merlot – perfect on a fine fall afternoon

Joyce’s pot roast always delivers

Merlot is a perfect choice for pot roast

Pot Roast Soup – Day Two
Joyce’s pot roast soup requires very little beyond leftovers from day one. It’s an easy one-pot meal to make while you’re doing something else around the house. I must confess, I agree with Joyce, pot roast soup is the real reason to make pot roast!

Sweater weather is Merlot weather

Day two – pot roast soup

A meal in a bowl, completed by a glass of Merlot

Decoy Sonoma County AVA Merlot 2018 (sample, $25 SRP or online here) 13.9% abv
Decoy Wines is part of the Duckhorn Portfolio of wineries. “Everyday wine for the well informed” is an apt slogan for Decoy. The wines come primarily from Sonoma County, are crafted for immediate enjoyment at affordable prices.

Eye: clear, medium ruby color
Nose: clean, medium intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, blueberry, black plum.  A hint of dried herbs, coffee, leather, mushrooms and prunes in the background.
Mouth: Dry with medium intensity flavors which echo the nose: blackberry, blueberry, herbs, coffee, leather, mushrooms. Medium + acidity, medium fine grained tannins, medium alcohol, medium + body and a medium + finish with lingering fruit and herbs.
Observations: I like comparing the Sonoma Decoy to its sister Duckhorn from Napa. Both are very nice wines, the Duckhorn is very polished and more exuberant. The Decoy is a bit more rustic and restrained and shows a bit of earth. Priced well, I love the Decoy on a weeknight at home!