October brings Merlot month and cooler weather calls for silky Merlot. I have hand-selected some outstanding Merlots that will surely bring pleasure to your dinner table or fireside chat. Merlot is staging a solid comeback post-Sideways. It was 2004 and I was sitting at a great restaurant in Seattle when my father ordered a 2000 Leonetti Cellar Merlot. As a graduate student I was slowly advancing my wine education and I was struck by the pillowy texture of this incredible wine. I won’t soon forget that seminal moment of exploring top notch Merlot.
Enjoy this list which offer wines all under 70 dollars. Regardless of budget, there are beautiful Merlot wines to savor for all.
California
2019 Cakebread Cellars Merlot ($60.00)- Soft and round, with a generous texture, the 2019 Cakebread Cellars Merlot can benefit from an hour in the decanter. Once aroused, this delivers worn leather and coffee ground flavors that combine with wild blackberry pie. Lightly tannic, with bright acidity, this has both the stuffing and finesse to cellar well for another decade. Drink 2022-2032- 92
2019 Duckhorn ‘Napa Valley’ Merlot ($58.00)- A beautiful blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, this reveals sandalwood notes alongside black currants, exotic spices and dark chocolate shavings. The palate is ripe with a great mineral backbone. Showing good length with ripe dark fruits and tobacco leaf undercurrents, and copious minerals, this is drinking beautifully now and will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2022-2034- 93
2019 Markham ‘Napa Valley’ Merlot- ($29.00) Juicy and ripe, the 2019 Markham Merlot shows off ripe red cherry with toasty oak, milk chocolate and red raspberry notes on the palate. Enjoy this great value now and over the next seven years. Drink 2022-2029- 91
2019 Rutherford Hill Merlot ($28.00)- Balanced and showing ripe red and dark currant flavors with tobacco leaf, the 2019 Rutherford Hill Merlot displays good value. Enjoy now and over the next five to seven years. Drink 2022-2028- 90
Washington
2019 Januik ‘Red Mountain’ Merlot- ($38.00) A limited case production (100 cases), the 2019 ‘Red Mountain’ Merlot has small portions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blended in. Very soft and approachable on the mouth, this delivers rich dark fruit flavors with tobacco leaf, scorched earth and dark chocolate shavings. Delicious now, this has both the weight and finesse to cellar well for another ten to twelve years. Drink 2022-2034- 93
2018 Nine Hats Merlot ($25.00)- The 2018 Nine Hats Merlot is a killer value made by winemaker Gilles Nicault. Fresh sage and cocoa powder fill the nose with suggestions of baking spices and coffee grounds. The palate is soft and inviting with a silky texture. Enjoy this beauty now and over the next seven plus years. Drink 2022-2029- 92
2020 FIGGINS ‘Figlia’ Red Wine ($70.00)- The 2020 FIGGINS ‘Figlia’ Red Wine is a stunning blend of Petit Verdot and Merlot which was aged for 20 months in French oak (62% neutral) prior to bottling. Pencil lead and green herbs combine with blackberry compote and mocha tones on the nose. The palate is rich and volupuous with a silky texture and refined tannins. Very concentrated, with intense black and blue fruits, with herbal undertones, this is delicious and novel Bordeaux inspired wine to consume now and over the next fifteen years. Give this at least an hour in the decanter prior to enjoyment. Drink 2022-2038- 95