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How to Snag a Great Bottle of Merlot

               

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Taste Magazine, Winter/Holiday Issue 2009

Imagine swirling a perfectly ripe cherry around in a pot of melting chocolate and popping it in your mouth.  That’s what fine Merlot tastes like.  It’s the most lush and supple of all reds and it has been described as “Cabernet without the pain”.  Not surprising then it’s been the darling of the masses for decades.  In fact, one of the world’s most sought-after wines is pure Merlot—Chateau Petrus from Bordeaux, which fetches serious coin: about $4,000 per bottle in good years.

 

Though Petrus is out of reach for most of us, you can get huge pleasure from a glass of Merlot for a fraction of the price because to some degree Merlot is Merlot—much like vanilla ice cream is vanilla ice cream.  Obviously, the two-buck supermarket brick variety isn’t a scoop from Berthillon, the top luxury glacier in Paris, but if you buy a solid brand like Häagen-Dazs, you’re in good shape.  It’s kind of like that with Merlot; reliable makers don’t disappoint.  But how do you know which makers are winners?

 

Look to Merlot Hot Spots

 

The first place to look is the regions best-suited to the variety.  Of course Bordeaux is the grape’s heartland where the boys in berets have been tending this vine for a few hundred years.  And the Right Bank appellations of Pomerol and St-Emilion within Bordeaux have the best soil, aspect, weather patterns, and climate in the world for this variety so these regions spin out Chateaux Petrus and its Merlot-rich and famous peers.

 

But Bordeaux red is designed to improve with age, which raises all sorts of questions about how to cellar it properly and when to uncork it to catch it in its prime.  That can be a lot of work when you just want a glass of great wine.  Sure there’s a pay-off; these wines gain riveting complexity and become bottles certainly worthy of special occasions.  But unless you have a suitable spot to cellar them for several years and the patience to wait, you might be disappointed with what you get for that $400 to $4,000.

 

Happily, Bordeaux no longer corners the market on fine Merlot.  And to up the anti, other regions are making some incredible stuff that’s not only more affordable but ready to drink upon bottling.   What’s not to love?

 

Among the current hotspots for Merlot is our own backyard—British Columbia.  Other places include Chile, Washington State and California.  These places have the right microclimates to grow top-tier Merlot grapes.  And in the right hands, that fruit can make magic.

 

Buy from a Trusted Producer

 

Within the best regions, a clutch of producers stand out.  They use the right clones, the right vineyard practices, and the right winemaking techniques to create succulent vinous compositions that could demand high prices.  But instead, they sell them for less than their market worth to secure shelf space and earn good reputations.  These are the wineries you can trust because they simply don’t risk their names on lackluster wines.  Mission Hill Winery of British Columbia, Concha y Toro of Chile, Beringer Vineyards of California, and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington are among the names to know.  There may be a place for authentic Bordeaux but it’s sure not everyday drinking; for that, rising New World stars are where to turn.

 

 

Leading Makers in Today’s Hot Spots

 

British Columbia, Canada

Mission Hill Winery

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery

Jackson-Triggs Vintners Okanagan Estates

Nk'Mip Cellars (Pronounced in-ka-meep)

 

Chile

Concha Y Toro

Cono Sur Vineyards and Winery

Errazuriz

 

California, USA

Beringer Vineyards

J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines

Rodney Strong Vineyards

Duckhorn Vineyards

 

Washington State

Chateau Ste. Michelle

L'Ecole Nº 41

 

 

Don’t Shy Away From Big Brands

 

It may surprise you that many of the best bottles beyond Bordeaux are actually popular big brands.  Sure, wine critics and connoisseurs sometimes frown on mass-produced wines by large producers, pegging them as too commercial, too generic, and too industrial—as if quantity has an inverse relationship with quality, which of course it doesn’t.  Single-note wines are made by big and small producers.  But the truth is, large quality-minded makers use economies of scale to create big brand wines that over-perform at each price point.  Then, they fan awareness with honest marketing.  Doing so makes good business sense.  And that translates to great value for wine drinkers.

 

In short, the trick to finding great Merlot and arguably any great varietal wine is to identify the hot spots and get to know the best wineries in each region.  This translates to best bang for your buck.  But there is one caveat that applies specifically to Merlot.

With Merlot, Trade Up

 

A seldom spoken secret is that inexpensive Merlot is often thin, flat and heart-sinkingly dire.  There are exceptions of course but you really have to tread carefully.  On the other hand, when you trade up to $25 or more and buy from a leading maker you’ll find the wine tends to over-deliver.  You get concentration, complexity, crushed velvet texture, and length that make the price of Petrus almost understandable.

 

Merlot Recommendations

 

J. Lohr Estates Los Osos Merlot 2006, Paso Robles, California, USA $22.99

Precise aromas of raspberry jam, cherry, and crushed blueberry lead to a captivatingly complex palate of raspberry jam layered with blackberry, prune, turned earth, damp stones, cedar, tobacco leaf, tar, and sweet spice.  Plush and lustrous texture pervades this full-bodied wine with 13.5% alc. The winemaker for J. Lohr’s Los Osos Merlot, Jeff Meier, recommends pairing the wine with roasted beef or lamb with a berry-based reduction sauce.

 

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2006, Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA $21.99

Warm chocolate cake and blackberry aromas lead to an opulent palate of dried plum, black and red berries, and again chocolate cake—with a chocolate mousse mouthfeel.  This is an incredibly tightly-knit wine with an artisanal, “crafted” not “produced” air about it.  Serious wine at an unbelievably low price.  Full-bodied with 13.5% alc.

 

Rosemount Diamond Label Merlot 2006, South Eastern Australia $16.99

With freshness, sweetness and charm, rich aromas of bramble berries and stewed plum lead to a massive hit of velvety ripe fruit and sweet oak flavors.  Such succulence!  Full-bodied with 13.5% alc.

 

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2007, Rapel Valley, Chile $13.95

Outstanding value.  Pronounced aromas of black cherries and coal lead to an incredibly sumptuous and utterly seamless palate.  Smooth, rich, mouth-coating flavors of black plum, cedar and black cherry, as well as a plunging mineral depth that’s gives the wine quite a grown-up feel.  Full-bodied with 13.5% alc.

 

Viña Errázuriz Merlot, Aconcagua Valley, Chile $14.99

This wine starts with jammy fruits and spice on the nose before expanding on the palate with bright cherry, stewed black plum, black pepper, clove and a warm toasty undertow.  This is a lush, beautifully balanced wine with 14% alc. 

 

Beringer Stone Cellars Merlot, California $14

This Merlot starts with aromas of grilled meat and black licorice.  Then it slides across the palate with a opulent purity of fruit reminiscent of black cherry purée before returning to red meat again and closing with a bitter chocolate espresso finish.  Interesting stuff with nice firm structure.  Medium-to-full bodied weight with 13.5% alc.

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