Merlot Tasting "I get no respect" at Cafe Maxx

Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot.

Miles Raymond: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fu*&^% Merlot!

Merlot is the second most planted varietal on the planet earth, although its popularity has helped give this outstanding varietal an identity crisis.

The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.

When done right Merlot is one of the greatest wines on the planet.  When it is done wrong it is one of the least enjoyable of all wines.  After the boom of the late 1990’s which was sparked by the nations’ most popular news programs 60 minutes expose called “the French Paradox” where they discovered that the consumption of wine was linked to superior heath in people from France.  The U.S. started drinking more wine and Merlot was the bell of the ball so wineries planted this finicky varietal all over the state of California and beyond to quench the demand for this healthy elixir.  

Little did they know that there are only a few places on earth that can make exceptional Merlot.  So it may have been Merlot’s good fortune that Miles in the movie “Sideways” slowed the popularity of this varietal and stopped wineries from planting this varietal in all the wrong places.

Tonight we will experience the best wine regions that represent this varietal along with a few outsiders that will surprise even the most astute Merlot lovers.

These tastings at the Cafe Maxx for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Oliver Saucy sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of Cafe Maxx and an education in wine all at the same time- a great way to spend happy hour!

This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Merlot Tasting "I get no respect" at Cafe Maxx
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
6:30 PM

2011 Craggy Range Te Kahu Hawkes Bay
Price: $23.25       Sale $20.46          Case $238

A blend of predominately 69% Merlot with 9% Cabernet Franc, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Malbec blend. A Bordeaux like bouquet, fresh plowed earth, cigar box spice, dark chocolate and a good amount of currant and dark cherry fruit also like an old world meets new world style Bordeaux crossed with a California Cabernet. A good amount of juicy fruit with a nice freshness to the finish along with a host of that tobacco spice and earth, fine herbs and coco notes through the finish, lovely balance with everything in proportion. Finish 40+ Excellent

Chateau Lassegue De Cadrans St. Emilion 2012
Price: $30             Sale $26.40          Case $306

The second label of Lassègue was launched in 2008. Its name is inspired by the sundials which adorn the façade of the Château as symbols of the extraordinary sun exposure of the Estate.

Aged in 30%- 40% new French oak for 6-8 months, the wine, primarily a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, is refined and elegant, a beautiful and perfect expression of its fruit.

2012 Matanzas Creek Merlot Sonoma Creek
Price: $25.00       Sale $22.00          Case $0255

Sourced from Alexander Valley, Bennett Valley and Knights Valley and has 3% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, Merry Edwards was the first winemaker, then Helen Turley and David Ramey, so lots of great names through the school of Matanzas Creek, their first vintage was 1977. Ripe cherry and plum fruit on the nose with notes of fresh loamy earth and fine herbs, some toasty oak spice and tobacco spice. Solid core of berry and plum fruit with silky smooth tannins, very well balanced with a lovely freshness, notes of sweet herbs and dark chocolate through the finish. Finish 40+ Excellent

2012 St. Francis Merlot Reserve Sonoma County              
Price: $41.25       Sale $36.30          Case $421

A selection of the best grapes go into the reserve, this wine has a  bit more complexity on the nose still has a nice amount of dark cherry and plum fruit with more earth and fine herbs with dark chocolate and more as this wine opens up.  A good amount of dark berry fruit with a plush silky smooth texture, lots of that earth and spice from the nose through the finish.  Finish 45+  Only 500-6pks produced         Excellent +         

2010 Steele Stymie Merlot Lake County
Price: $39.75    Your Price: $34.98               Case $406
Quantity in Stock: 21

Stymie was a famous racehorse in mid-twentieth century American history. Stymie was known for never giving up the lead when he gained it. He was notorious for this, in fact, that the horse callers brought the word back into the English vernacular by calling out “They’ve been stymied again!!” whenever he pulled ahead. In 1950 Jed’s father, a newspaperman, wagered a bet on Stymie that paid off well. So well, in fact, that the winnings financed the Steele family’s move from New York City to San Francisco. As a tribute to the horse and to Jed’s father, our Stymie label is reserved for rare, small production wines of the highest quality we produce.

Vineyards The grapes used to craft the Steele Stymie Merlot were grown by Floyd and Jolene Silva until we purchased their property in 2005. Known for quality fruit we've named this vineyard Steele Stymie bench Vineyard which located on a gravelly bench overlooking the Big Valley area of Lake County. An ideal location for growing Merlot vines.

Winemaking We use our typical Merlot warm fermentation on this wine. The wine was aged for 30 months in a hand-selected lot of French and American oak barrels. Because of the quality of the grapes, we chose to craft a rich, generous style of Merlot from this exceptional fruit. Total production of this wine is just 250 6-bottle cases.

Tasting Notes Stymie Bench Vineyard typically yields a Merlot with a rich, deep red color and firm body, exhibiting aromas of chocolate, jammy fruit, tobacco and pepper. The palate reveals a rich, well-structured wine with layers of ripe red currants, anise, chocolate-covered cherries, a peppery mid-palate, and just a hint of coffee. This high-quality fruit produces an excellent, long-lasting finish and smooth tannins. It’s a perfect “special occasion” wine and pairs well with big hearty foods. Exceptional with any full-flavored dish, such as any preparation of lamb or beef, steaks, grilled venison chops or ragout. You will be missing out if you don’t try this Merlot with chocolate.

2013 Pedestal Merlot Columbia Valley
Price: $63.75       Sale $56.10          Case $651

As has been the case since Pedestal’s debut in 2003, Conner Lee Vineyards Merlot plays a dominant role in crafting a dark, rich wine of uncommon character. Candy Mountain Merlot enhances the wine’s complexity. Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, from Taptiel Vineyards, builds richness and structure. Dionysus Vineyard Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc give the wine its vibrant character.

2013 Vintage: Growers learned from both 2003 and 2005, hot vintages that pushed the ripeness curve. They let canopies spread a bit more than usual and adjusted crop sizes to achieve the kind of balance they wanted. With that cooling trend starting in mid-September, the red wines should come with ripe flavors, moderate alcohol levels and vivid acidity.

2010 Tenuta Di Arceno Valadorna
Price: $69.75       Sale $61.38          Case $712

The 2010 Valadorna shows a dark core of ruby color with a very thin ruby meniscus. On the nose, concentrated and condensed smells of black cherry liquor, ripe black & red plum, and dried cranberry mark this wine as a ripe expression of Toscana IGT, while non-fruits of dried herbs, camphor, rose petal, and toasted baking spices add an aromatic lift. Each of these flavors is confirmed on the palate, with additional nuances of melted cocoa, toasted bread, and subtle quinine. Though driven with opulent fruit, the wine’s texture is balanced by firm Tuscan acidity, and bitter tannins, which are in control of the overall picture. The finish is balanced and mouth watering, with wet clay minerality

This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Origins of Merlot:

In the late 1990s, researchers at University of California, Davis showed that Merlot is an offspring of Cabernet Franc and is a half-sibling of Carménère, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.[8] The identity of the second parent of Merlot wouldn't be discovered till the late 2000s when an obscure and unnamed variety, first sampled in 1996 from vines growing in an abandoned vineyard in Saint-Suliac in Brittany, was shown by DNA analysis to be the mother of Merlot.

This grape, later discovered in front of houses as a decorative vine in the villages of Figers, Mainxe, Saint-Savinien and Tanzac in the Poitou-Charentes was colloquially known as Madeleina or Raisin de La Madeleine due to its propensity to be fully ripe and ready for harvest around the July 22nd feast day of Mary Magdalene. As the connection to Merlot became known, the grape was formally registered under the name Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. Through its relationship with Magdeleine Noire des Charentes Merlot is related to the Southwest France wine grape Abouriou, though the exact nature of that relationship (with Abouriou potentially being either a parent of Magdeleine Noire or an offspring) is not yet known.

Grape breeders have used Merlot crossed with other grapes to create several new varieties including Carmine (an Olmo grape made by crossing a Carignan x Cabernet Sauvignon cross with Merlot), Ederena (with Abouriou), Evmolpia (with Mavrud), Fertilia (with Raboso Veronese), Mamaia (a Romanian wine grape made by crossing a Muscat Ottonel x Babeasca negra cross with Merlot), Nigra (with Barbera), Prodest (with Barbera) and Rebo (with Teroldego).

Over the years, Merlot has spawned on color mutation that is used commercially, a pink-skinned variety known as Merlot gris. However, unlike the relationship between us Grenache noir and Grenache blanc or Pinot noir and Pinot blanc, the variety known as Merlot blanc is not a color mutation but rather an offspring variety of Merlot crossing with Folle blanche.