By now, complaining that the movie Sideways broken Merlot’s popularity and gross sales is as superfluous and exhaustive an train for wine scribes because the movie’s precise declarations. This will probably be my first and last allusion to the subject when discussing this nice and inoffensive varietal. At present, we’ve three sturdy Merlots appropriate to uncork to your summer time gatherings. So, with out additional ado: a trio of Merlots. Let’s go.
2022 Charles Krug Merlot – Expressive with notes of cranberry and hibiscus all through, this St. Helena/Yountville mix touches on every thing one would count on to get pleasure from in a Merlot: balanced with fruit and light-weight baking spice on the palate, with a contact of vanilla and cherry on the medium end. Nicely-structured with balanced acidity, it pairs properly with a well curated charcuterie board A- / $30
2020 J. Bookwalter Readers Merlot – A mix of 75% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, with that mixed 25% of further varietals delivering some main heft. You’d be forgiven for mistaking this for a lighter French Malbec with the mixture of darkish cherry and violet on the nostril and massive notes of blackberry, raspberry, and Lapsang black tea on the palate. Ageing this for 20 months in French oak additionally helps ship an enormous blast of spice on the palate to interrupt up the darker fruit with out turning into too obtrusive. A pleasant transitional Merlot for followers of Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon trying to return to the fold — or arrive for the primary time. A- / $23
2019 Selby North Coast Merlot – Gentle and extremely approachable, with raspberry on the nostril and a deep be aware of vanilla rising with time in glass. The physique is surprisingly restrained, with raspberry and blueberry on the forefront ultimately tempered by baking spice and a light-weight contact of strawberry in the direction of the end. It’s an fascinating mixture price pairing with a simple weeknight dinner when complexity isn’t essentially a necessity. B / $20
2022 Charles Krug Merlot
$30
