Oh No! Not Merlot

There was a time when merlot was HOT! Everybody was drinking it. Then, practically overnight, vintners chasing the hype veered dramatically from the true nature of the varietal, creating watered-down, limp versions of arguably one of the world’s greatest grapes. Merlot has since taken a beating. After a one-two punch from the wine-snob community in the late 90s and early 00s, merlot was just getting to its feet when along came a bruiser named “Sideways” that gave it smack so hard, merlot’s mama felt it. Is merlot down for the count? I hosted a party recently with the intention of finding out…

Why so much vitriol for a grape that makes up some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world? I have steered away from merlot because many of the bottles I’ve sampled in my preferred $10-15 price range have been nearly devoid of personality. My hope was a bakers-dozen of merlots would reveal whether my choices have just been unlucky, or if merlot really is something to avoid. My party guests had instructions to bring a bottle of merlot, although some brought more than one. A couple of zingers were present in the collection, including one bottle from Napa that retailed at nearly $60, one bottle that retails for only $7, and one box wine disguised as a normal bottle (an empty in the recycling bin was cleaned thoroughly and filled with the box wine).

The tasting was conducted blind with each bottle wrapped in a brown bag and labeled with a letter. Each person received three votes with which to identify their three favorites after tasting (not ranked, no double votes allowed), and a time was set by which everyone had to place a vote. I arranged the voting in such a simple way because it’s not easy to get detailed information from a horde of parents away from their kids who have just “tasted” thirteen different wines.

I’ve listed the results below, some of which were surprising. I was confident the expensive bottle of Napa Valley Pride would win, as its complexity and mouth feel belie its merlot title – in fact, I would describe it as an elegant cabernet sauvignon. However, I think many of the tasters were turned off by its size, since most merlots are more delicate in structure. Another surprise was the wine that tied for first place – Red Dragon. This was a significantly polarizing wine, drawing attention to the drastic differences that can exist between individual pallets. (As a former science geek, I wonder if this difference can be explained, at least in part, by genetic differences.) Many people described the Red Dragon as salty, dilute, and, to at least one taster: “gross.” Others, me included, thought it was lovely. One of my guests, when they saw me cast my vote, said: “you actually like that? What’s WRONG with you?” The answer to that question goes in a self-help column, but I thought the Red Dragon was nicely balanced, fruity, with a clean finish. To each their own.

A huge shock was the third-place finish of the Canyon Road. I nearly voted for this bottle myself. It’s an unassuming wine with a great balance of fruit and tannin. My notes said “enough personality to keep you interested but not overwhelm you.” When was the last time you spent so little on a bottle of wine and had such nice things to say? Talk about a bargain!

The box wine fared less well but still received a vote. The voter was so thrilled, I heard she bought a box on the way home from the tasting. At the very least, this proves that a person should buy what they like, regardless of price or snobbery.

So, like the protagonist of Sideways, should you leave a party if merlot is served? In a word: no. However, finding a good merlot seems significantly harder than for other varietals. I hosted a tasting similar to this one last year focusing on syrah/shiraz, and the results were much different. Nearly every syrah was appreciated by the tasters, and even the lower-ranked wines most tasters agreed were quite fine. Such was not the case for the merlots – several of these wines were particularly week and disappointing. But the reasonably priced stars (Ronchidi, Garrison McBride) were stunning, and I have yet to find a cheap wine as good as the Canyon Road.

It would seem merlot took the punch from Sideways, perhaps somewhat deserved, but is back on its feet and taunting its opponents. In fact, merlot is mad as H-E-double-toothpick, and isn’t going to take it anymore… see for yourself: www.merlotfightsback.com

Tied for 1st place

• Ronchi di Manzano Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Five CIUG Rating: 4 stars Price: $19 Origin: Italy

  Fruity noise, smooth tannins – a beautiful wine. Research revealed that this wine is produced from vines originating in Bordeaux, France, which explains at least part of its balance and appeal. One of my three votes.

• Red Dragon Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Five CIUG Rating: 3.5 stars Price: $11 Origin: USA

  Medium weight, with good balance. Many described this wine as salty, but I didn’t pick up on that. I thought it was nice. Clean finish. Elicited some very strong opinions – the Tasters either loved it or hated it. One of my three votes.

Tied for 2nd place

• Pride Napa Valley Merlot 2001Tasting Votes: Four CIUG Rating: 4 stars Price: $55 Origin: USA

  Big, gorgeous, large tannins, more oak than in a normal merlot. Spicy with a gigantic, long finish. More like a cabernet than a merlot. One of my three votes.

• Garrison McBride Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Four CIUG Rating: 3.5 stars Price: $12 Origin: USA

  Good fruit, nice body – a classic merlot. One of my favorites, but not quite a pick.

Tied for 3rd place

• Canyon Road Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Three CIUG Rating: 3.5 stars Price: $7 Origin: USA

  Very nice balance of fruit and tannin. An easy drinker and enough personality to keep you interested but not overwhelm you. The Taster who brought this surprise purchased it on sale for only $4!

• Concha y Toro Peumo Marqués de Casa Concha Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Three CIUG Rating: 3 stars Price: $16 Origin: Chile

  Needs decanting – it opened up after a while in the glass, revealing medium fruit and some herbaciousness with a light finish. Reminiscent of Riojas.
  

Others receiving votes

• Kenwood Sonoma Valley Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Two CIUG Rating: 3 stars Price: $17 Origin: USA

  Good, perhaps a classic merlot style – forward fruit with smooth tannins and a decent finish. Not bad, not great.

• Decker Napa Valley Merlot 1999Tasting Votes: Two CIUG Rating: 3 stars Price: $19 Origin: USA

  Very light. Some described it as “elegant” although I personally felt it was just weak.

• Burgess Cellars Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: One CIUG Rating: 2.5 stars Price: $23 Origin: USA

  A bit dilute, but decent oomph on the end. Certainly not worth the price.

• Banrock Station Merlot 2003 (box wine!)Tasting Votes: One CIUG Rating: 2.5 stars Price: $6 Origin: Australia

  It was fine, inoffensive, but lacked any real personality. Price is per box of 1.5 liters (two bottles), so the equivalent price per bottle would be only $3!
  

No votes

• Salmon Harbor Columbia Valley Merlot 2003
  Tasting Votes: None CIUG Rating: 2.5 stars Price: $8 Origin: USA
  Good nose, nice tannins but a weak ending.

• Viña La Rosa Cachapoal Valley La Capitana Merlot 2004
  Tasting Votes: None CIUG Rating: 2 stars Price: $14 Origin: Chile
  It was funky – not spoiled, just funky. The funk overwhelmed the fruit.
• Cuvee Bordeaux 1998
  Tasting Votes: None CIUG Rating: Zero stars Price: $25 Origin: France
  What a disappointment. I was excited to have a French Bordeaux in this tasting, and had high expectations. It was awful, one of the worst wines I’ve ever had without it being spoiled. Dilute and horrible. I didn’t even write down the Chateau I was so disgusted.

Ratings Guide:

• 5 stars: Superlative. The best of the best.
• 4 stars: Excellent. Something to eagerly anticipate.
• 3 stars: Good. Solid and dependable.
• 2 stars: Mediocre. Barely tolerable.
• 1 star: Yuck.

About Ian Mehr
Ian lives with his wife and two-year-old daughter in Raleigh, NC. Frequent admonitions of “Chew it up good!” to his toddler inspired the title to Ian’s periodic column on food, wine and travel. Ian can be reached at chewitupgood@mindspring.com.