Merlot, the Noble Grape, Deserves Respect

I am tired of the Merlot bashing.  Merlot is a noble grape and deserves some respect.  Yes, Merlot did suffer from over planting which in turn led to some thin and poor quality wines.  But that happens when some wine producers jump on the bandwagon and push out lesser quality wines to meet the demand of a grape varietal that is really popular.  The problem is too many got on the bandwagon and did this, which resulted in an over supply and poor quality, especially at the lower end price points.  Some have speculated that this might happen in the Pinot Noir world.  Watch out Pinot fans, you’ll potentially be overpaying for poor quality Pinot soon, if not already.  However, that’s not to say there isn’t some terrific Merlot out there. To prove our point, we recently conducted our annual Merlot blind tasting.  The panel tried 18 wines and we recommended 12 of them.  Our winners did tend to come from the high end of the spectrum, but there were some value choices as well.

Who won the Merlot tasting? Our Merlot winner came from Bravante Vineyards, which sources their Merlot grapes from up on Howell Mountain in California. We sure love grown mountain Merlot fruit.  The 2005 Bravante “Howell Mountain” $39 scored an impressive 91.5 and was clearly the panel’s favorite.  This wine is only made in limited quantities, as there are only 200 cases.  If you can find it, we can assure you, you will be rewarded.  This Merlot is anything but wimpy.  It is rich, robust, and packed with spicy black cherry flavors.  We loved it.  The panel felt this awesome wine would pair very well with a NY strip steak, a rib eye, or a veal chop.

Our 2^nd place finisher was another big Merlot that caught our attention.  The 2004 Luna from Napa Valley, CA $40 scored a 90.7.  This medium-bodied wine is rich, concentrated with some edginess, has spicy blackberry flavors, and some dark chocolate as well.  This wine was well worth the money and certainly worth seeking out. 

The 3^rd place finisher came from a winery which has been quite successful with the KWG Tasting Panel recently.  Their Pinot won by a landslide a few months back.  The Bianchi 2005 “Signature Selection” Merlot $18 from Paso Robles was no slouch either.  This wine scored a 90.3 from the tasting panel.  This wine from the Smoot Vineyard was smooth, silky, and polished.  It had wonderful cherry vanilla flavors as well.  Even though this wine was not as robust as the first 2 wines, it was quite approachable and very food-friendly.  This pleasing wine is very affordable and definitely will warrant a second glass or more.

Our 4^th place finisher is probably the best deal we found in our tasting.  The 2006 J. Lohr “Los Osos” Merlot $15 is a fantastic value.  This well balanced wine displays tasty spicy raspberry flavors.  It is not overly complex, but Very Good.  This wine scored an 89.3 from the tasting panel.  The panel felt this wine was very food-friendly and would pair quite well with a pork tenderloin.  This would be the perfect Merlot for a restaurant glass pour program.  Our 5^th place finisher was the 2005 Bravante “Trio” $39.  This wine is a blend of 51% Merlot, 44% Cab, & 5% Cab Franc.  The 2004 vintage of this wine was one of our favorite wines last year.  The 2005 was also well liked and scored an 88.6 from the tasting panel.  The panel felt this wine was built for a steak.

Our 6^th place winner was another value wine.  The 2005 Alexander Valley Vineyards Merlot $20 was quite balanced and approachable.  This wine displays sweet black cherry flavors and a touch of oak.  This wine scored an 88.58 from the panel.  It would be a perfect choice for your next barbecue with your grilled barbecue chicken.  Our 7^th place finisher comes from one of the leaders of Merlot in California.  Swanson’s 2004 vintage was one of our favorite Merlots from last year.  This year Swanson’s 2005 Merlot $36 from Oakville, CA scored an 88.4 from this year’s tasting panel.  This wine was smooth and elegant, with gentle blueberry flavors.  The panel felt this wine would be a nice match for Filet Mignon.

Our additional Merlot recommendations:

#8 Erba 2003 “Mountainside” (Napa Valley, CA) $37 (88.4)

#9 Fleur du Cap 2005 (Coastal Region, South Africa) $11 (88.4)

#10 Joseph Carr 2006 (Napa Valley, CA) $20 (87.7)

#11 Childress 2005 “Reserve” (North Carolina) $25 (87.1)

#12 Reininger 2005 “Helix” (Columbia Valley, CA) $22 (87.0)

Over the last six months we have tried several other Merlots that raise the bar of Merlot to absolutely stratospheric heights.  Lets first start with a Bob Foley made wine.  In my opinion, Bob is the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to American made Merlot.  The 2005 Pride Mountain Merlot $56 is an excellent representation of what a very talented winemaker can do with this grape.  I challenge you to drink this wine and come up with anything but praise.  Another wonderful Merlot option is the 2005 Kendall Jackson “Taylor Peak” Merlot $40 from Bennett Valley, CA. This wine is part of their Highland Estates series. It is another winner from winemaker Randy Ullum.  If you have not experienced these high level wines from KJ, you are missing something special.  This particular Merlot is another example of how good a Merlot can be.  We scored this wine Very Good+.  The 2003 Merriam Vineyards “Windacre Vineyard” Merlot $30 is another Very Good option that was very well received at a recent charity tasting that we conducted.  This wine is drinking quite well right now and would certainly enhance your next meal.

 While we are on the topic of terrific Merlots.  Spend some time with some wines from the right bank of Bordeaux .  A recent favorite of mine is the terrific 2004 Château Pavie Macquin $53 from St. Emilion which is made with 75% Merlot.  This is a perfect example of a New World styled wine from the Old World.  We cannot say enough good things about this wine.  We scored this wine Excellent.

In conclusion, if I have not yet convinced you to try this wonderful grape and the wines that are made from it, then perhaps you only like white wine.  But if I have succeeded, then I can assure that you will be pleased with any of the above selections.

Cheers,
Ken