This was one of those wines that tasted better to me at the wine tasting. When I got a bottle home and tried it, I had less enthusiasm for it....

This one just came across as a dry red wine, Merlot or otherwise. It's got a nice deep purple color like a lot of Merlots, and some berry notes for your nose and palate, if a little muted, and because of the dryness, a pretty long finish/aftertaste. That dryness seems to skew the balance somewhat but will probably make this a better dinner wine.....

Some better choices might be:
Corq Dorq 2004 Merlot
Rodney Strong 2005 Merlot
Beringer Founder's Estate 2006 Merlot