October was “Merlot Month,” but related events continue. I attended an excellent seminar in Napa yesterday, “The Masters of Merlot.” I’ll be incorporating information from that in upcoming articles. You may also enjoy Merlot – What You Should Know, which I recently published elsewhere.

Today, I offer a medley of Merlot reviews, some based on review samples I received last month and others from wines I already had on hand. And my next article here will look at just one famed Napa Valley Merlot specialist, Duckhorn. That will be six wines in all, reviewing three current releases and the same three wines from the previous vintage.

When I do multiple reviews in one article, I tend to group them by region and/or price point, as well as variety. But this time, I thought it would be interesting to address a wide range of price points in one article. The reviews below are listed in order of retail price, from lowest to highest.

NV Barefoot Merlot California 85 13.4% 750ml (plastic cork) $6.99

The nose shows fruit-centric Merlot typicity, with fresh red cherries, red plum and sweet herb. The herbal notes are pleasant and in keeping with the ripeness level the moderate alcohol suggests. Aromatic intensity is medium. Body in the mouth is also medium and the very fine, grainy tannins are also moderate. The red cherry and plum notes reappear on the palate, but there also notes of oak, brown sugar and cinnamon which aren’t well integrated and dominate the experience. This would be less noticeable if the wine is paired with a burger or some BBQ. A lot of wines around this price are noticeably sweet, but this Merlot is not, with just 0.8% RS. The wine includes some Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah and saw both French and American oak.

2014 CK Mondavi Merlot Dunnigan Hills AVA 86 13.6% 750ml screw cap $6.99

Dark ruby in the glass with attractive, medium-plus intensity aromas of red cherry, red plum and sweet herb. The dry but fruity, medium-bodied palate offers a light dusting of very fine tannins and enjoyable flavors of bing cherry, sweet herb and harmonious oak. Though not 100% Merlot—there small amounts of Petite Sirah, Ruby Cabernet and Malbec, this wine shows legit Merlot character. It’s an easy drinking wine, good value and well-suited to pizza, meatloaf, or tacos with pork or beef. The current vintage is 2015.

2016 J. Lohr Estates Los Osos Merlot Paso Robles 87 14.1% 750ml $15

Moving up in price to the J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot delivers more intensity, complexity, richness and the capacity to improve with short-term aging. The wine is dark ruby in the glass with pleasing aromas of ripe plum, graham cracker, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sage. The palate is on the generous side of medium with moderate tannins that are soft and fine-grained. The primary flavors are ripe plum and chocolate, with oak-imparted notes subtle and well-integrated. The fruit is nice, ripe and well-balanced by the structure. More mid-palate presence would have earned another point. 85% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petite Sirah. One year in American oak barrels, 20% new. RS 0.16 g/L.

2016 Chelsea Goldschmidt Merlot Guidestone Rise, Alexander Valley AVA, Sonoma County 14.5% 750ml $19.99

The winery says it makes this wine “in the Cabernet Sauvignon style.” The color is deep ruby in the glass with oak leading ripe red cherry, plum, dried mint, tobacco and spice on the nose and palate. Body is medium-plus with moderate, fine, grainy tannins that last through the finish. A good effort for the price and it should improve with a couple years of bottle age. 100% Alexander Valley AVA Merlot fermented and aged 12 month in oak barrels (60% French, 20% American, 20% Hungarian), 25% new.

2015 Markham Merlot Napa Valley 88 14.6% 750ml $26.99

Opaque ruby-purple in the glass with scents of chewy black cherry, oak, moist tobacco, and spice. Body is medium-plus with matching, fine-grained tannins and long, intense flavors of spicy oak and dark fruit. This is a good Merlot, ripe but showing nuance, and will improve with a few years of development in the cellar. 86% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petite Sirah from Oak Knoll District, Yountville and Calistoga. Aged 15 months in oak barrels, 28% new.

2013 Northstar Merlot Columbia Valley AVA, Washington 89 14.5% 750ml $41

Inviting aromas of dark berries, savory spice and leather are followed by proud flavors of ripe, dark berries, savory spice, charcoal and unsweetened chocolate. The palate is medium-plus in body with very fine tannins which offer a little grip. A very nice effort drink well now, but which will continue to age attractively for at least five years. 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot. 

2014 Rutherford Hill Merlot Atlas Peak AVA, Napa Valley 88 15.0% 750ml $54

Opaque purple in the glass with generous aromas of oak and ripe, dark berries. The palate is dry, warming and nearly full-bodied with a soft, mouth-filling attack and robust flavors of chocolate and dark cherries. The ample tannins are soft and fine-grained but provide some grip through the mid-palate and finish. Best after another two or three years in the cellar. 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. Aged 17 months in French oak. RS 0.0 g/L.

2015 La Jota Merlot Howell Mountain AVA, Napa Valley 92+ 15.0% 750ml $85

Aromas of black cherry, trail dust, dry tobacco and hazelnut waft from this inky purple, mountain Merlot. A generous quantity of velvety tannins frame rich flavors of tart black cherry, blackberry, dry herb and spicy oak from beginning to finish on the palate (medium-plus body). Notable acidity lends balance. This dark, ripe incarnation of Merlot is a very well-made wine which grabs, and then holds, one’s attention as soon as it hits the tongue. It also held up very well over several days of re-tasting. It will age nicely for at least a decade, but is ready to drink now. 90% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot from the La Jota and W.S. Keyes vineyards, fermented with native yeast and aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 78% new.

Copyright Fred Swan 2018. Photo courtesy La Jota Vineyard Co. All rights reserved.