Imagine swirling a perfectly ripe cherry around in a pot of melting chocolate and popping it in your mouth. That's what fine Merlot tastes like. It's the most lush and supple of all reds and it has been described as "Cabernet without the pain." Not surprising then it's been the darling of the masses for decades. In fact, one of the world's most sought-after wines is pure Merlot - Château Petrus from Bordeaux, which fetches serious coin: about $4,000 per bottle in good years. Though Petrus is out of reach for most of us, you can get huge pleasure from a glass of Merlot for a fraction of the price because to some degree Merlot is Merlot - much like vanilla ice cream is vanilla ice cream. Obviously, the two dollar supermarket brick variety isn't a scoop from Berthillon, the top luxury glacier in Paris, but if you buy a solid brand like Häagen-Dazs, you're in good shape. It&'s kind of like that with Merlot; reliable makers don't disappoint. But how o you know which makers are winners?
The first place to look is the regions best suited to the variety. Of course, Bordeaux is the grape's heartland where the boys in berets have been tending this vine for a few hundred years. And the Right Bank appellations of Pomerol and St-Emilion within Bordeaux have the best soil, aspect, weather patterns and climate in the world for this variety so these regions spin out Chäteaux Petrus and its Merlotrich and famous peers. But Bordeaux red is designed to improve with age, which raises all sorts of questions about how to cellar it properly and when to uncork it to catch it in its prime. That can be a lot of work when you just want a glass of great wine. Sure there's a pay-off; these wines gain riveting complexity and become bottles certainly worthy of special occasions. But unless you have a suitable spot to cellar them for several years and the patience to wait, you might be disappointed with what you get for that $400 to $4,000. Happily, Bordeaux is not the only place to source fine Merlot. To up the ante, other regions are making some incredible stuff that's not only more affordable but ready to drink upon bottling. What's not to love? Among the current hot spots for Merlot is our own backyard — British Columbia. Other locations include Chile, Washington State and California. These places have the right micro climates to grow top-tier Merlot grapes and in the right hands, that fruit can make magic.
Within the best regions, a clutch of producers stand out. They use the right clones, the right vineyard practices and the right wine-making techniques to create succulent vinous compositions that could demand high prices. But instead, they sell them for less than their market worth to secure shelf space and earn good reputations. These are the wineries you can trust because they simply don't risk their names on lackluster wines. Mission Hill Winery of British Columbia, Concha y Toro of Chile, Beringer Vineyards of California and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State are among the names to know. There may be a place for authentic Bordeaux but it's sure not everyday drinking; for that, rising New World stars are where to turn.
It may surprise you that many of the best bottles beyond Bordeaux are actually popular big brands. Sure, wine critics and connoisseurs sometimes frown on-mass-produced wines by large producers, pegging them as too commercial, too generic and too industrial — as if quantity has an inverse relationship with quality, which of course it doesn't. Single note wines are made by big and small producers. But the truth is, large quality-minded makers use economies of scale to create big brand wines that over-perform at each price point. Then, they fan awareness with honest marketing. Doing so makes good business sense. And that translates to great value for wine drinkers. In short, the trick to finding great Merlot and arguably any great varietal wine, is to identify the hot spots and get to know the best wineries in each region. This means the best bang for your buck. But there is one caveat that applies specifically to Merlot: trade up!
A seldom spoken secret is that inexpensive Merlot is often thin, flat and heart-sinkingly dire. There are exceptions of course but you really have to tread carefully. On the other hand, when you trade up to $25 or more and buy from a leading maker you'll find the wine tends to over-deliver. You get concentration, complexity, crushed velvet texture, and length that make the price of Petrus almost understandable.
by Carolyn Evans-Hammond [1]
Links:
[1] http://www.matters-of-taste.com/contributing-writers-taste-magazine