Merlot has a bad rap.
I’m not sure what gave Merlot such a low status: it could have been Miles’s (Sideways movie character) dislike of variety, or perhaps our own bitter memories of cheap wine in college. Whatever the reason, Merlot is down and will not rebound. The hatred towards this rather innocent grape runs deeper than one might think. When offering a selection of wines to guests, I am always careful to mention a Merlot. I know I will lose my credibility if they hate Merlot! Come to think of it, I get on my toes on the subject of Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling all the time.
Merlot has all the great qualities of the Cabernet and sometimes has exactly what diners want. When I receive a request for a “wine with body and a smooth finish”, the first wines I think of are usually Merlot or Merlot-based red wine blends. With juicy plum, blueberry, and blackberry flavors, Merlot often outperforms Cabernet in the same price range.
The following wines are some of my favorite red Merlot and Merlot wines. I think for the price, they taste doubly good for what they are worth.
Here is a list of exceptional Merlot:
2006 Robert Foley Vineyards, CA ($ 51)
Packed with red berries and notes of chocolate, caramel and oregano with an incredibly smooth structure and a velvety mouthfeel.
2007 Pride Mountain, CA ($ 59)
Large, dense blueberry fruit on the front of the palate that develops into a lead-like medium palate with an earthy structure and caramelized tannins on the finish.
2004 Blason l’Evangile, Bordeaux ($ 30)
Black cherry and plum flavors with old world minerality and an extremely light silky finish. It is not your typical French wine flavor, but it is definitely less fruity than American wines. I love 2001 and 2005 too.
2006 Neyers Merlot, CA ($ 32)
The ultimate cherry bomb. Party in my mouth, good wine to take to someone’s house (just cover the “Merlot” on the label, so they don’t taste any better)
2006 Adam’s Bench “The Reckoning”, WA (Some Merlot, Some Taxi) ($ 34)
This is not pure Merlot, but I did try Adam’s Bench “V” (their 100% Cabernet wine) and I like this guy much better with Merlot: Merlot adds fruit and juiciness, while Cabernet adds body and structure. Merlot and Cabernet are good bottle companions.
-> Wine Folly Latest.
