When I see a wine named “Fat Bastard” I don’t know what to expect. My first impression is that wine is all about marketing shtick and has no real substance. But then I think that perhaps the winemaker just has a good sense of humor. There’s no real way to know without giving it an objective tasting.
Fat Bastard is even more odd for a name of a French wine, given how traditional and majestic the names and labels are on most French wines. I mean, I could see this coming from Australia, but France??? There’s something I like about the elegance of the traditional marketing of French wines, but it can also be intimidating to those who are new to it. I remember a time when I avoided the French aisle due to that. So, I have to give the producers of Fat Bastard credit for making a French wine more approachable from a marketing perspective.
According to the story they tell, the name comes from a joke between winemaker Thierry Boudinaud and wine entrepreneur Guy Anderson. One day when when they were tasting wine samples Thierry commented that a wine tasted like a fat bastard, and the name stuck.
As a brand, Fat Bastard offers seven different varieties of wine, all from the Languedoc region in Southern France. And all of their wines are priced for budget-conscious consumers.
This is a nice Merlot, although it is fairly simple. On the nose it’s mostly blackberry and plum with a very soft beet aroma. Yes, beets as in the root vegetable. And if you’ve never had roasted beets with a good, full-flavored red wine I suggest you give it a try, the pairing can be outstanding.
There isn’t much intensity on the nose, so it is a delicate bouquet. Contrarily the palate has a good amount of concentration, with plenty of ripe blackberry and plum flavors. It has a very well rounded and full mouth feel with rich silky tannins that linger into the finish.
It is a very approachable Merlot and a very good wine for the price.
Wine: Fat Bastard
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $9.99
Find Fat Bastard Merlot with Snooth
I stayed away for a long time because of the name. My brother turned me on to “Fat Bastard”. Glad he did. As you said a very good wine for the price.