varietals - merlot

Think of merlot as cabernet sauvignon's younger brother. It shares some of the fruit characteristics and additionally has plummy and even chocolate notes but without the robustness of cabs. Unfortunately whilst cabernet may be the tough elder brother, merlot sometimes comes off as a weakling. This stereotype was regrettably reinforced by the movie 'sideways', I say regrettably because good merlot has a distinct character worth exploration.

As with cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux is the classic region producing quality merlots but also look for good merlots from the US (both California and Washington State). Chile also has good merlots to offer although some tend to be mislabelled and in truth are carmenere (source: the wine bible). Australia too has some good merlot and often blend it with cabernet sauvignon, as do other regions.


I refreshed my memory of merlots by opening a bottle of 2003 Ravenswoods from Sonoma County, California. This 100% merlot is produced by Joel Peterson, a winemaker who prides himself on creating merlots with character. Although Ravenswood is owned by the mega-corp Constellation, don't let that put you off trying this wine.

Strong black fruit , I could not detect chocolate or mocha. Perhaps a little plum. Certainly it was quite robust , medium to full bodied. The tannins perhaps lend some character but their bitterness resulted in the loss of a soft, velvety quality I had been looking for. There was some spice, not quite pepper perhaps clove. I hesitate to criticize this wine, it has tried to be something more than a weak and meek merlot, but in the end I just did not enjoy it. It may be worth the $CAN20 (Euro14, $AUS24, UKP10) for some but I think I will not buy it again.

I feel like the mystery of a good merlot had not been revealed to me, so I expect to explore more soon. A Pomerol or that Bogle merlot that has been hanging around waiting for an occassion.

For more information ...
sideways
the wine bible
ravenswood merlot
constellation brands