This year was a challenging year when it came to reviewing Merlot. The best Merlots were really good, but they were few and far between. If you like Merlot, you needed to try several options before you found the best ones. That is a challenge for the average consumer. I have done the dirty work and below I provide you with a list of the best ones I have found over the past year. The best ones will cost you some coin, but are well worth it if you like the grape as much as I do. There are a few bargains, but they might be hard to find once the word is out on how good they are. It is my hope that winemakers can do a better job in the future this with very important grape. I hope you like our selections below.
My top 2 selections come from one of my favorite Merlot producers, Robert Foley. Bob makes Merlot for Cab drinkers. They both are solid offerings and show off how well this grape can be made. The first option and our top choice is his most recent release. The 2009 Robert Foley “Napa Valley” Merlot for $52 scored an Excellent 94 points. This vintage is more refined and elegant than Mr. Foley’s previous Merlot vintages. It is full-bodied, well balanced, and silky. I loved its delicious blueberry, spice, and plum flavors with a hint of black pepper. It finishes with ultra-fine tannins that show nice length. This is a terrific Merlot to pair with a filet mignon and a very good friend. Next up is the 2008 Robert Foley “Napa Valley” Merlot for $52. This wine scored 92 points and it is a nice predecessor to the 2009. However, it is a very different wine as well. This vintage is more full-bodied and rich. It displays extracted black cherry flavors with notes of beet, dark chocolate and red currant. Its moderate tannins linger for a while and show a touch of heat. This is a big boy Merlot that would pair nicely with a grilled New York Strip Steak that has a bit more fat.
Next up is the winner of our big blind tasting of mid-tier Merlots. It was the 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Canoe Ridge” Merlot for $22. This wine received 91 points from the panel. I think the 2008 was recently released, so if you see this vintage on the shelf or online, buy all that you can. It is medium-bodied, balanced, and rather silky. The flavor profile is a tasty plum with notes of black cherry. The panel also detected hints of cinnamon and coffee which added to its complexity. Its moderate tannins are sticky and nicely prolonged which led the panel to suggest pairing it with a New York strip steak.
Another leader in the Merlot biz is Shafer. Their 2008 “Napa Valley” Merlot for $48 also scored 91 points. This Merlot opens with an attractive blueberry bouquet with a hint of peppermint. It was medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and smooth. I loved its tasty blueberry flavors with notes of red cherry and a hint of plum and minerality. This Merlot is very food-friendly, and is well worth the investment and would pair perfectly with Kobe bacon burger sliders at your favorite bistro.
Our next Merlot finished in 2nd place in our mid-tier priced blind tasting and comes from a producer who has been making Very Good, well priced Merlot for years. The White Oak Winery’s 2007 “Napa Valley” Merlot for $26 was awarded 90 points from the panel. It is made up of 84% Merlot & 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, but you would not guess that it has that much Cab in it. As it is medium-bodied and so silky, like Merlot is supposed to be. Its flavor profile is a gentle oak-infused black cherry with hints of plum. Its finish is rather dry (perhaps the Cab is noted here) and its tannins are sticky and linger. The panel thought this would pair very well with a messy rack of fatty Memphis styled ribs.
We also liked the 2007 Peju Napa Valley Merlot for $35. This wine also scored 90 points. It is medium-bodied and a little juicy with black currant flavors and notes of integrated oak and black pepper. There was also a hint of black cherry detected as well. Because of its well-managed, moderate tannins, it was food-friendly and it would .pair nicely with veal marsala.
Our last 90 point Merlot is another well respected Merlot. The 2007 Pedestal hails from the Columbia Valley in Washington. It is initially tight, but it improves quickly with some swirling and air. At $55, this wine is a little bit more money than some of the others, but it has been a consistent top Merlot over the years. The ’07 is medium-bodied and smooth with mild black currant flavors along with hints of anise, black pepper, minerality and boysenberry. Based on its dry and very mild tannins, I suggest pairing this wine with a filet mignon after decanting it to release its fruit flavors.
At the 89 point level I wanted to highlight one Merlot that was well received by the panel and is available for less than $20. The Gainey 2007 Merlot from Santa Ynez Valley in California comes in at $19. It opens with an intriguing blueberry and blackberry bouquet with hints of campfire and earth. The panel enjoyed its smooth gentle oak-infused plum flavors with hints of blackberry and black cherry. It finishes rather dry and its moderate tannins stick around for quite some time. The panel thought this wine would pair well with a cigar and a ribeye. If you like an occasional cigar, light it up and sit back and enjoy.
Other 89 Point Recommended Merlots
2. Ferrari Carano 2009 Merlot (Sonoma County, CA) $23
3. Charles Krug 2008 Merlot “Napa Valley” (CA) $24
4. Thelema 2007 Merlot (Stellenbosch, South Africa) $29
5. Merryvale 2008 Merlot “Napa Valley” (CA) $48
At the 88 point level we have two value Merlots that qualify for what I call the Practical Party Case. First is the 2009 Charles Smith “The Velvet Devil” for $12. This offering is light to medium-bodied, balanced and easy going. It is a perfect everyday Merlot. It displays gentle black raspberry flavors with hints of black currant, oak, and blueberry. It finishes with dry fine tannins that are friendly. It would pair well with thyme seasoned pork tenderloin or just shepherd’s pie and many other dishes as well. At this price, you can easily buy it by the case.
Our final highlighted wine is the 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Columbia Valley” Merlot for $16. However, if you are looking for a soft and wimpy Merlot, then you should look elsewhere, because this Merlot is packed with jammy flavors. It is full-bodied, rich and very concentrated for a Merlot. You will find its flavor profile to be an extracted blackberry with notes of anise, black pepper and a hint of oak. It closes rather dry and its fruit flavors linger along with its sticky tannins. This offering will appeal to Aussie Shiraz fans and it would pair well with a messy rack of barbecue ribs. It’s a good deal, but not your typical Merlot styled wine. With 120,000 case made, it should be very easy to find.
Other 88 Point Recommended Merlots
3. Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008 Merlot “Indian Wells” (Columbia Valley, WA) $18
4. Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 Merlot “Indian Wells” (Columbia Valley) $18
5. Oberon 2009 Merlot “Napa Valley” (CA) $22
6. Freemark Abbey 2008 Merlot “Napa Valley” (CA) $30
Very Good Merlots that scored 87 points
1. Columbia Crest 2009 Merlot “H3” (Horse Heaven Hills, WA) $15
2. Ken Forrester 2008 Merlot (Stellenbosch, South Africa) $22
A Good 86 Point Merlot
1. Columbia Crest 2008 Merlot “Grand Estates” (Columbia Valley, WA) $12
I hope you can find some of these very nice Merlots. Be sure to let us know about your favorite Merlot discoveries. Posts and recommendations are always welcome.
Cheers – Ken