Celebrating Merlot Month
Merlot; yes, Merlot, the grape and wine varietal made so maligned by the iconic movie “Sideways” is making a strong comeback here in the United States. As more oenophiles enter the game, and more people start expanding their wine knowledge and palettes, Merlot is increasing in popularity. One of the world’s most heralded wines, Bordeaux’ Chateau Petrús, is consistently blended with Merlot and floats in the $5,000 a bottle range (let’s also not forget that in the final scene of “Sideways,” Paul Giamatti’s character, Miles, is drinking a bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc – showing that he actually is going to drink some bleeping Merlot). Exciting! But let’s talk about Merlot from right here in Northern California.
Not to slight any other states (or regions) producing great Merlot – Washington and New York among them – but, the Napa and Sonoma Valley’s are bringing this once shunned wine back into the spotlight in a big way. In fact, WineSpectator magazine named Duckhorn’s 2014 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot the #1 wine of 2017. Let’s not start and stop at the top, though. Some of my personal favorite Merlots are found at large and small producers alike, and range in price from $30 to $80 a bottle.
October is Merlot month, and thanks to these great wines, there’s no wonder why Merlot gets its own month. #MerlotMe
2015 Gundlach Bundschu
A blend of 80% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 6% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, this wine lures you in with cocoa, blackberry, and fresh violets in the bouquet. It plays large for a Sonoma Valley Merlot given its blend, and its palate of chocolate, anise, and cassis is focussed in a long finish. At $30 a bottle, it’s easy to buy a few as a crowd pleaser for anytime.
2014 Hourglass Blueline Estate
This wine is not for the faint of heart. A Blueline Estate blend of 81% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot, the 2014 Hourglass explodes out of the glass with warm blueberry compote, graham crackers, and hints of oranges. Cooked mission figs, star anise, and a long vein of pleasing acid just keep this wine going. I love it – everything about it – and want to drink it every day. $80 a bottle at the winery (though now a library selection).
2015 Duckhorn
It seems like no conversation about Napa Valley Merlot can be complete without this beauty. The Duckhorn family made Merlot sexy, and that sexy never left even when “Sideways” got people to swoon over Pinot Noir. While it’s not the 2014 Three Palms Merlot, this staple wine plays like a Cab with a blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Bright red cherry and plum qualities mingle with hints of oak, cedar, and allspice and make for a really lovely steak pairing wine. $55 a bottle – available almost everywhere.
2013 Twomey
From the makers of Silver Oak – so you know this wine is going to have hedonistic characteristics – the 2013 Twomey Merlot might be my favorite of this bloodline in the last five vintages (note that the current release is the 2014). Crafted with an homage to Bordeaux style winemaking (Twomey’s consulting winemaker is Jean-Claude Berrouet, the previous winemaker at Chateau Petrús), this blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot (very Right Bank in composition) is Thanksgiving in a glass. Cranberries, dark cherries, and sage in the bouquet intertwined with red currants and milk chocolate on the palette, you’ll pour glass after glass of this seductive red. $60 a bottle.
2013 Seavey
The hidden gem of this article’s lineup, and the wine I secretly admire when I think about Napa Valley Merlot. The 2013 Seavey Merlot – 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon – is loaded with earthy spices and reminiscent of everything that makes me love Fall. Fresh sage and bay leaf with hints of pine and eucalyptus that fold into a very dark chocolate core. This is one of Philippe Melka’s quiet projects, but it deserves our undivided attention. $75 a bottle at the winery.
