A study in Merlot walk around tasting at Wine Watch Wine Bar

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.

Merlot Tasting "I get no respect" at Wine Watch Wine Bar
Wednesday, July 12th, 2017
7:30 PM

Twenty-One Wines

2014 Chateau Alcée Cote de Castillon
Price: $25.00       Sale $22.00          Case $255

Made By Nicolas Thienpont winemaker at Pavie Macquin, Beausejour HDL and Larcis ducasse

95% Merlot, 5% cab Franc
Vinous 91

Chateau La Prade Cotes de Francs 2012
Price: $22.75       Sale $20.02          Case $233

90% Merlot- 10% cab Franc
Same Glorious winemaker “Nicolas Thienpont”
90 James Suckling

Chateau Laclaverie Cote de Francs 2014
 Price: $14.25      Sale $12.54          Case $146

100% Merlot
Winemaker, Nicolas Thienpont
Easy Drinking Bordeaux, no oak. BTG material.

Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux 2012
Price: $17.75       Sale $15.62          Case $182

85% Merlot, 8%Cab Sauv, 5%cab Franc, 2% Malbec
Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc and Yquem
90 JS

CH. Tauzinat l’Hermitage St Emilion Grand Cru 2011
Price: $27.50       Sale $24.20          Case $281

85% Merlot, 15% Cab Franc.

Chateau Marzy Pomerol 2011
Price: $29.75       Sale $26.18          Case $304

80% Merlot, 20% cab franc

Seuil de Mazeyres Pomerol 2014
Price: $29.75       Sale $26.18          Case $304

96% Merlot, 4% cab Franc
2nd wine of Ch. Mazeyres (organic and biodynamic)
-NAPA

Axios Calistoga- Kalaris Merlot Napa 2013
Price: $48.50       Sale $42.68          Case $495

Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition
WINE OF THE YEAR – Best of Show
97 points - Platinum

“A panel of advanced and master sommeliers at the 7th annual Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition loved this
Napa Valley Merlot, and it's easy to see why. With firm structure and richly layers red and black fruits, it could easily pass for a Right
Bank Bordeaux. Aromas of plum, blueberry and blackberry dominate this wine that exhibits impressive dimension and weight.
The wood note hangs judiciously in the background, lending hints of vanilla and spice." - Robert Whitley
RNDC

2013 Passing Time Merlot Klipsun Vineyard Red Mountain
Price: $56.25    Your Price: $49.50
Quantity in Stock: 17

Located on the southwest slope of Red Mountain, Klipsun Vineyard grows some of Washington's highest quality wine grapes. Named as one of the Top 25 Vineyards in the World by Wine & Spirits magazine, Klipsun grapes are used in many of Washington's premium wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot are among the varieties grown on this 120 acre estate which was founded in 1982 by Patricia and David Gelles.

2013 Swanson Merlot Napa
Price: $27.50       Sale $24.20          Case $284

Expressive aromas of plums, crushed rip cherry's and a touch of cassis surround the opaque red-purple hue of this full bodied merlot. On the palate the tannins are powerful and balanced perfectly with the flavors of red fruits, pomegranate, cedar wood and a touch of dried oregano. A wine that will develop gracefullyover the next 7-10 years.

Blend: 81% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot

2014 Concha Y Toro Marquis Casa Concha Merlot
Price: $23.25       Sale $20.46          Case $238

Marques de Casa Concha, is dark, deep red in color with intriguing notes of currant, plum, wild berry, and spice with a touch of vanilla and mocha for dimension. Medium bodied with black-cherry flavors, followed by bittersweet chocolate and spice. Complexity develops out of its firm, quiet and supple core.

2014 Chateau Lecuyer Pomerol
Price: $56.75       Sale $49.94          Case $579  

In 1735 our ancestor, Barthelemy Petit, a winegrower... on the slopes of the Juine at Chalo Saint Mrs in Ile de France, handed down to posterity his taste for wine. In is grandfather Fernand’s cellar and at the family table, Francois PETIT learnt how to appreciate the wine from our terroirs. A hard-working farmhand in Rosay in Eure-et-Loir, he always nurtured his love of wines and the vine. He spent twenty years visiting vineyards, making then shelving plans, until finally on a spring day in 1998 his insight led him to create Tournefeuille in the Lalande de Pomerol appellation area. Then Emeric PETIT, his wine-loving son, took over the estate. The Petit family were joined by a childhood friend of Francois’, Francis CAMBIER, who had always believed in their project. They all bring a new vision to wine-growing, without abandoning their country roots, experience and their values, which could be summed up in the phrase : “Tournefeuille wine is the fruit of patience and equilibrium”.

2013 Craggy Range Sophia Red Blend Hawks Bay
Price: $90.00    Sale Price: $69.00
Quantity in Stock: 32

(93 points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2013 Sophia Proprietary Red is intensely scented of crushed blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of cloves, cedar and violets plus a touch of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied and laden with muscular fruit, it has a solid backbone of grainy tannins and tons of vivacity in the long, multi-layered finish. 93+ (LPB) (12/2015)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Stacole

2011 Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot
Price: $64.00    Sale $56.32
Quantity in Stock: 2

This is from their vineyards in Cortona with a high amount of blue clay, Desidario is the name of the famous bull that lived on the estate, and let's just say he was the breeder of big bulls that made the beefsteak Florentine famous- this is the breeding stock. Dark earth forest floor like aromas to the dark plum and blueberry fruit very intense with notes of mocha and fine herbs, nice complexity on the nose. A big and chunky wine on the tongue but has wonderful freshness and balance through the finish, dark spices and plum and cherry fruit to the end. Finish 45+ Most Excellent

Southern Wine

2013 Duckhorn Merlot Napa
Price: $57.75    Sale $50.82
Quantity in Stock: 5

This Napa Valley Merlot is a complex blend of several individual vineyard lots, incorporating fruit from our Estate Vineyards and from top independent growers throughout the Napa Valley. The final wine is a rich and cohesive expression of the entire Napa Valley, reflecting the varied microclimates and soils of this unique appellation.

2014 Decoy Merlot Sonoma
Price: $24.75       Sale $21.78

For more than three decades, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting exceptional Napa Valley Merlot reflecting the rich diversity of the valley’s many appellations Drawing on our winemaking team’s expertise working with this varietal, Decoy Sonoma County Merlot is a lush and inviting wine highlighting the elegance of the varietal from another exceptional growing region.

Varietal Content 88% Merlot, 8% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc Cooperage 10 months 100% French Oak 40% New, 60% Neutral

Menu

Duck Confit Spring Rolls with plum dipping sauce

Seared Veal Carpaccio with currants, fine herbs and olive oil

Beef Sliders with Mushroom Duxelle and Truffle Mayo

Crispy Procuitto Creamy Blue Cheese Strawberry Arugula Flatbread

This is a walk around tasting and is limited to 35 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $45 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Wine Watch Vintage Selection for BTG this Week at the Wine Bar!

1982 Vieux Château Certan Pomerol
7 Ounce Pour $110

(93 points) Not yet fully mature, this wine reveals some amber at the edge as well as a complex, intoxicating nose of cedar, licorice, spice box, black currants, and cherries. While medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, and beautiful concentration, it appears to me that more recent vintages are stronger and denser than the 1982. Nevertheless, it is a beauty that can be drunk now and over the next 15-16 years. (6/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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. 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 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.