April Wine Focus - Merlot "Star or Co-star?"

[Jenise]

The winery's original concept was novel: bring famous winemakers from around the world to Washington to make their own brand under the Long Shadows umbrella in order to elevate WA in the eyes of the wine world. But of course those winemakers couldn't stay with the project indefinitely and I'd be surprised if any of them set foot in this state after the first two vintages. The hand of a single good winemaker, Gilles, oversaw the project and he basically makes all the wines, and his style is what shows now regardless of original intent. In the case of the Pedestal (Michel Rolland), that's been a good thing. Other than the Pirouette (Philippe Melka) and the Riesling, I haven't tasted any of the others in ages. And Randy Dunn's Feather was for me the only disappointment in the lineup, at least the two vintages I had were a bit hollow.

[David M. Bueker]

Merlot in the decanter right now...

[David M. Bueker]

• 2018 Enfield Wine Co. Merlot Michael Black Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (4/11/2021)
  Three hours in the decanter, then bam! Merlot gets a bad rap because of a million atrocious, wines-by-the-glass, but this is a horse of a different color. Deep red fruit, warm herbal tones, and a hint of vanilla spice are backed up by solid tannins that will carry this for many years. It’s almost approachable now, but gets a little gnarly on the finish. Better to let it rest for 3-5, or maybe a little less for good behavior.

I don't often buy Merlot because, I suppose, I drink a lot of Merlot based claret and there are so many available wines, but with last night's roast chicken we had

Delheim-Merlot-2017-front-small.jpg

2017 Delheim Merlot (South Africa, Stellenbosch)

This was one of a mixed six-pack of Cape wines I bought in January. The winery fact sheet said

This wine will benefit from careful cellaring for 2-4 years from vintage.

so we're now in that fourth year. The wine was was pleasant, enjoyable even but rather unexciting. Jo was more enthusiastic about it than me, but I won't be buying any more of this.


I know Delheim well, and am a fan of their wines, but not this one. BTW the family owned and operated wine farm is celebrating their 80th year in 2021 and there is a lively and very short video (<90 seconds - not made by Delheim) that gives a flavour and brief history.

https://youtu.be/3sGMJBjTreQ


(The Merlot that has impressed me most was 2014 Peirano Estate Vineyards Merlot "Six Clones" Heritage Collection (California, Lodi) which I drank two bottles of during 2017, but Peirano Merlot appears to be no longer available in UK)

[Jenise]

This is a better than average entry level right bank Bordeaux received as a New Year gift for oldsters from our local mayor. Albeit simple and rustic, it is a good quaffer and I much prefer it to overripe and jammy Merlot from warmer regions.
.

Tim, a friend of mine once coined the term "effortlessly enjoyable" to describe wines just like this. We all need them occasionally!

Excerpt of prior post from Jenise re: Rasa.

"Pat, I met and tasted with Billo Naravane last week. What a charming man, and his wines were brilliant across the board. I'd overspent the day before and had promised my friend Margot "I'm only buying one bottle at each place." We had 7 appointments that day. So an hour after saying that I walk into RASA and there went that! The wines are BRILLIANT, and I loaded up. He makes a chardonnay that would pass (and has) for Puligny Montrachet in any blind tasting. I didn't think that was possible, let alone with Washington state fruit. There is, apparently, some vineyard here with limestone, and I was unaware of that. PM is my favorite white wine on the planet, so I bought lots of that plus many more. Easily one of the best winemakers in this state."

Jenise/All:

Rasa now having a sale of private label. A red blend. On website. FYI. I have purchased Rasa before which is my only $ connection.

https://www.rasavineyards.com/

[Jenise]

Pat, yes, the Founders Reserve they make available to Berserkers and Cellar Trackers, also the mailing list. Huge quality wine and a real moneymaker for them in tough times--I bought two cases of the II last year so I'll sit out the III. But for anyone else needing a good house red? Probably not a better deal in America.

[Jenise]

From the notes I just posted on the visit to Fidelitas:

2017 Fidelitas Merlot Red Mountain
A four-vineyard blend fermented in both French and American oaks. Toast flavor dominates the fruit which is thinner than I expected. No wonder the pourer exclaimed, "I love this with barbecue!" That's probably the only way to make use of it. Didn't like it; Miles wouldn't either.

[David M. Bueker]

Oof. Let me stir your glass with a 2X4.

20200706_midweeks-wines-mon.png

2018 Giordano Merlot (Italy)

Not expecting much from this cheapy and was pleasantly surprised, depth and richness yet only 12% abv, made for drinking not talking about.

Comes from Giordano, an Italian wine company that advertises heavily in UK and other European countries, offering bargain boxes of wines, often with pastas and jars of sauces, preserves etc.

2019 Château Vieux Fournay Insouciance - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lussac-St. Émilion (15/04/2021)
I can't find any information about this cuvée by Googling. The caviste told me that it is made 100% from Merlot and I'm inclined to believe him given his manifest enthusiasm and knowledge of wine. For me this wine just missed being delightfully quaffable. The nose definitely promised this with notes of fragrant, quite soft but round berry fruit enlivened by abundant spiciness. This followed through onto the medium+ bodied palate but, additionally, there was a quite strong medicinal note towards the finish, which I could have done without, and more backbone than I was expecting. About two-thirds of the bottle is undrunk and I will be interested to find out if these last two elements attenuate in a day or three to provide better balance. A year or two's more age could help. Only fair at present.
Posted from CellarTracker

[David M. Bueker]

1994 Ravenswood Merlot Sangiacomo Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/15/2021)
My final bottle of this wine from the 2019 Ravenswood library sale, and I could almost exactly type my January 2020 note verbatim for this bottle. It's another pristine cork, vibrant, delicious bottle of clearly California Merlot, that also nods its head to the old world. This is not polished to within an inch of its life. It has edges, and nuance that speak to earth, and multiple growing things, rather than just flashy, ripe fruit. Tobacco, herb, smoke and then red fruit that has been honed by time, not design. This is a living thing, not a model piece. I suppose one might call it over the hill, if flashy fruit was the goal, but if experience, and down-to-earth wisdom is what you are looking for, then pour a glass, and listen.

[Jenise]

We tasted through the entire line-up at Chris Upchurch's fledgling, eponymously named winery while on Red Mountain last week. My favorite red was not the flagship 100% cabernet as I'd have predicted, but this 2/3 merlot blend.

2018 Upchurch Counterpart Red Mountain Red Bordeaux Blend
2/3 Merlot, 1/3 Cabernet, on 100% new French Oak. That kind of lavish FO isn't normally my thing but the elegance and understated power of the violets, blueberry fruit and sweet spice swept me off my feet, and I purchased some for my cellar.

[David M. Bueker]

Happy surprises.

Also unexpectedly pleased how Merlot month is turning out.

[Jenise]

So since I was pulling wines willy-nilly at last night's party to follow the three magnums, why not pop and pour this slam dunk of a merlot. Of course, every time I think something's a slam dunk, it isn't:

2016 Portteus Merlot Reserve Yakima Valley
I tasted this when it was young and adored it, but it's cranky and out of sorts at the moment. The heft is there but the fruit's hiding behind a mean, green screen. Hold.

Others I know and I have always liked Duckhorn Merlot. It is the only "straight" Merlot that my wife and I have. Best, Richard L

[Jenise]

Others I know and I have always liked Duckhorn Merlot. It is the only "straight" Merlot that my wife and I have. Best, Richard L

It's a great merlot. You remind me that Sterling Vineyard's Three Palms, practically next door, used to be fantastic as well.

Deleted.

[Jenise]

Richard, there was no previous occurrence here. Your post about the Duckhorn is still there, just two messages up in this thread. We NEVER remove posts. The only exceptions are someone posting drunk, or otherwise being so over the top rude and unapologetic that we not only remove the post, we remove the poster. And that's only happened about three times in the 20 years I've moderated here.

This one is several cuts above the entry level wine from near Fronsac and the 100% Merlot from Lussac-Saint-Émilion about which I have already posted.

It hails from Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux which is situated just east of Saint-Émilion along the river Dordogne. It also benefits from being owned by the Comtes von Neipperg. This estate tends to produce quite luscious right-bankers which, however, never in my limited experience lose Bordelais harmony and elegance.

The varietal make-up at this estate is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet franc. It hard to believe that the fine result could have been achieved with 100% Merlot. The 2014 vintage may also help. in the view of some Bordeaux observers, it is one of the few in the last decade to provide the classical cool climate Bordeaux character. I picked up today a bin-end of the 2015, a generally much riper vintage. It will be interesting to see if the elegance and harmony still shine through.

2014 Château D'Aiguilhe - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (18/04/2021)
I can detect no significant evolution from just over a year ago when I wrote - It has a well developed bouquet on the nose and a medium +++ bodied palate showing plenty of ripe red fruit, touches of tar, good roundness, suave texture, fresh balancing acidity and kirsch tinged backbone towards the firm finish. This wine manages to combine a degree of lusciousness with elegant fragrance which makes it very attractive. Very good.
Posted from CellarTracker

[David M. Bueker]

I have liked D'Aiguilhe in the past. I may have a bottle lurking in the cellar from quite a while ago,.

To Jenise: Sorry , my mistake. I am really bad with computers and typing (I am very old). Thanks for your message about Duckhorn. Regards, Richard L

[Jenise]

Richard, no problem! Here's a Napa merlot we opened last night, have you ever had Silverado?

2013 Silverado Vineyards Merlot Mount George Vineyard Napa Valley
Very earthy and herbal from a higher elevation vineyard and not much fruit at first, but it didn't seem tight per se--there WAS a good nose, there WAS plenty of flavor-- so we sipped away thinking that's all there'd be. About two hours in, though, it blossomed. Black cherry and tobacco came out along with that mocha thing merlot usually does so well. Originally $35 winery price but locally I can get this for $15 because of a distributor close-out--if it weren't for the fact that I don't need more wine, I'm zoom over there and load up.

To Jenise: Thank you, but I do not think I have ever had the Silverado Merlot. My wife and I have "straight " Merlot very seldom, but we bought some after a wine tasting at our club. Most of the wines were Cabernet Sauvignons, but the only other wine we (and some friends who were with us) bought was a Sauvignon Blanc. Years ago I quite liked a Dunn Merlot but do not think I have had one since then. It is so good to be able to use the forum again. I repeat my abject apologies for my VERY mistaken email (I seemed to have been blocked completely) and send best wishes to all, Richard L