I Heart Merlot, 75cl

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What happens when this grape leaves its home? We don’t see a lot of Merlot being celebrated outside of Bordeaux. There is Merlot being made in the southwestern part of France, north of Bordeaux, and also in southern France, but Bordeaux is really where it shines. But because of its early ripening and because of its friendly high yielding, it is the blending grape for the world, it seems, for red wine. As of 2010, it was the second-most-planted grape on the planet. I should caveat that this was purely from a U.S. centric point of view. Most of the rest of the world didn’t lose their minds like folks in the U.S. Can you imagine folks in Bordeaux shunning Merlot?! It’s the most planted variety not just in Bordeaux, but all of France. I mean, what would have become of wines such as Petrus (my planned retirement day wine) and Cheval Blanc if folks in France had stopped producing Merlot? But a little craziness aside, its been great to see lots more Merlot love out there. International Merlot Month, evidenced by the hashtag #MerlotMe, occurs each year in October. And if that’s not enough, International Merlot Day occurs on November 7. I love the timing of the celebrations because there is just something about fall that makes me want to cozy up with Merlot. Why I Love Merlot For a Merlot-dominant blend (such as entry-level Bordeaux) that has earthy notes, as well as ripeness, think: roast turkey, beef short rib, or a rustic ratatouille. For braised meat pairings, try complementing Merlot’s boisterous fruit notes with chimichurri sauce. Merlot wines typically contain around 13.5 percent ABV but can approach 14.5 percent and beyond, especially when grown in the warmer climates of Australia, California, or Chile. VinePair’s tasting methodology What to expect: In the United States, Merlot is most well-known growing alongside Cabernet Sauvignon in California and Washington state. Compared to France and Italy, you’ll find riper more fruit forward styles in general, but each state and AVA produce different wines based on their unique terroir.

Cabernet Franc is the one of the parents of Merlot with the rare Magdeleine Noire des Charentes being the other. This makes Merlot a half sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon. Most weeks, we let either Thing 1 or Thing 2 choose the dinner meal for one day with the only rule that it can’t be hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, or tacos. Well they threw me for a loop and asked for a BLT. Hmm…OK. So we crafted BLTs on toasted brioche with bacon of course, mozzarella roasted tomatoes, along with a blend of radicchio, lettuce, and spinach (it’s still technically a BLT and I got to add in whatever veggies I wanted). We loved these wines with the BLT which needed a little ‘oomph’ that a red wine could provide but that was also fruit forward with some acidity. Seven Hills Merlot + Savory Bread PuddingMt. Brave is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of those who settled the rugged terrain of Mt. Veeder during the 1800s and an homage to the Wappo Indians, “the brave ones,” who were the original inhabitants of this extraordinary place. At Mt. Brave, they are intimately familiar with mountains and grow grapes on one that reaches 2,677 feet in elevation. With Carneros just to its south (which I just recently waxed poetic about) the region enjoys some of the San Pablo Bay maritime influence which leads to an extended growing season. This was a new (to me) wine that I was introduced to last year. As someone that was already a Merlot lover, I have to say that my appreciation increased significantly after tasting the Mt. Brave Merlot. Winemaker Chris Carpenter of Lokoya fame is doing the damn thing! Spring Mountain If you were to head north off the coast of the Basque region of Spain, you would be in the Bay of Biscay. And if you go straight north from the Basque region, the town called Bilbao, which is the capital of that region, you would hit the northwestern peninsula of France, which is called Brittany. Inland from the coast of Brittany is a town called Saint-Suliac (my French is terrible). Here, in the middle ages, was a monastery or an abbey — monks were everywhere around this time. And of course being monks, they had vineyards and it’s thought that the Cabernet Franc grape, at the time, made its way to Brittany. And then from Brittany down into the Loire Valley, then from the Loire Valley down into Bordeaux. In 1996, there was a vine sample that came from that little town Saint-Suliac from an abandoned vineyard on a slope called Mont Giroux. Brittany had abandoned all winemaking 200 years prior, actually to this day there’s only one vineyard in that area making wine. Nobody knew what this vine was, it didn’t even have a name. And then, a few years later in the Charente Department, which is just northeast of Bordeaux, this same vine was found on the front of four houses in four villages in that department. Is that cool, or what? Total Vineyard Area – 658,387 acres (266,440 hectares) (data from 2016) Old Merlot vines from Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol. Bordeaux, France Gwen at Wine Predator shares “ California vs. France #MerlotMe with squash, chard, and bow tie pasta”

Merlot can be a bit of a chameleon; ranging from fruity, smooth and easy-going to age-worthy, full-bodied, and sophisticated. Often mistaken for its blending partner, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is not one to be underestimated. Merlot is a red wine known for being soft, ripe, elegant, and easy to drink. It originated in the Bordeaux region of France and is the second most popular red grape in America after Cabernet Sauvignon. Is Merlot a good wine for beginners? Outside of California — Merlot is grown everywhere, it’s all over the United States. If there’s a wine- growing region in the United States, Merlot is being grown. It was once a big deal in Washington State, and they make great Merlot over there. But, like California, it was more popular in the ’80s and the ’90s. It’s still there, but just not as popular as Riesling. Merlot is a lot about texture, more than it is about varietal characteristics and aroma. But the cool thing about Merlot, and somebody who was part of the DNA profiling had this to say about it: From its mother Madeleine, it gets its early ripening because that grape was an early ripening variety, from its father Cab Franc, it gets it’s high-quality tannin and pigment. Also, when it’s grown in cooler climates, you can get some of this herbaceous nuance with Merlot and that is absolutely a characteristic that comes from Cab Franc. I love Merlot. I think it is such an awesome grape that makes awesome wine. It’s a workhorse around the world for blending, but there are places in the world outside of France that do 100 percent Merlot that is just stunning as well. If it’s done right, in the right soils, and the right climates, it is just beautiful. Even though the thing is it’s not really about aroma, you can get some blueberries sometimes, and there’s that peppery note that comes in, but it’s the texture of Merlot that is so wonderful. And one of those places in the world outside of France that makes Merlot this way is Italy. And not just Italy, Friuli. One day I should do a Friuli episode, am I right? The Merlot coming out of Friuli can be so wonderful. It’s often a 100 percent variety, sometimes it’s blended with Cab Franc, but the climate there and the soils and the slight elevation of their vineyards, just make the most beautiful Merlot. There actually is Merlot made on the lower plains area, which is a little more basic, but still beautiful and plump and juicy. But Merlot in Friuli is a thing, it’s not often available, but you should definitely try to seek it out, because that’ll give you a sense of what a 100 percent Merlot can taste like in one of its purest forms.

Pedestal 2017 Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington

The Donati Family has its roots in Italy and like many Italian immigrants, they began by making wine for their own dinner table. That same vision for crafting wines food-friendly wines is carried through in their winemaking today. We had two Donati wines to pair with dinner. Merlot is a great wine to play with, as it matches with a wide variety of foods. Don’t be afraid to experiment! October is #MerlotMe month y’all and I’m hanging with the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers to showcase the versatility of Merlot as a pairing partner. As a Gen X’er, I assume that people are aware of the same historic and cultural events and phenomena that I am. But then on this most recent 9/11 anniversary, someone pointed out that kids in school learning about it weren’t even born in 2001. Weren’t even born! Even those in their early 20s were babies at the time. Yet, I recall exactly where I was, what I was doing, etc. and for a while assumed everyone else did as well. Well there goes assuming.

Often throughout these episodes, I have mentioned the variety Cabernet Franc, and I call it an orphan grape. And I never really explained what that means. We know that Cabernet Franc originated in the Basque region of Spain, where it was called Achéria. DNA profiling cannot find its parentage, so it’s an orphan grape. It appeared in the Basque region of Spain, and then it began to travel with humans, eventually making its way to the Bordeaux region. I still remember my first exposure to Keenan Winery at wine tasting when “The Corkscrew Concierge” first started really getting into wine. It was their Napa Valley Merlot, and it was a wine that made an impression on me. Robert Keenan Winery is nestled on the Mayacamas Mountain Range near the top of the spring Mountain District. The mountain estate is comprised of 48 acres of vineyard and they have been producing wine since 1977. If you’re looking for the “all mountain experience” then this is your wine. But know that even their “regular” Merlot is overwhelmingly Spring Mountain fruit (the 2019 vintage is 87%) with the rest coming from Carneros. Hard to go wrong with either. Diamond Mountain What to expect: Chile is another perfect homeland for Merlot. The wines from here vary from easy-drinking and fruity bottlings of the Central Valley, to more structured and serious examples from Colchagua, Maule Valley, and Maipo. So what does Merlot from Bordeaux taste like? You’ll find a unique mix of rich plum and distinct earthy notes and herbal nuances. The best wines have smoke and clove notes from oak aging. Here are two great appellations to find age-worthy Merlot. In this instance, I’m talking about Merlot that hails from Napa’s high elevation regions of Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Diamond Mountain. In contrast to the regions of Napa Valley’s floor (think Oakville, Rutherford) the vineyards in these regions lie of the sides of the valley, above the fog layer. Instead of being cooled by a layer of fog, these vineyards are cooled by their altitude. In contrast to richer, fleshy styles of Merlot from the valley floor, Mountain Merlot wines tend to be more structured with higher tannin levels. Vines grown on mountains dig their roots deep in search of water and nutrients. This struggle by the vines results in smaller, compact berries, that provide intense, concentrated flavors, pronounced acidity, and powerful tannins. In other words, these are Cabernet drinker’s Merlot wines.OK, so it’s not California’s fault as a whole. In wine, it’s usually the human’s fault, not the wine’s fault, because the humans are the ones that make everything crazy. And this thing went crazy. New York is doing Merlot in a really wonderful way. Last episode, we talked about the Riesling happening in the Finger Lakes. Well, the Finger Lakes also does really great Cab Franc and Merlot. But Merlot really shines on Long Island, specifically on what’s called the North Fork of Long Island. It’s a bunch of old potato farms that are now vineyards, and it has a great climate. There’s actually a sign when you’re going to Long Island saying, “Last stop before Bordeaux,” because it’s across the ocean and stuff. But it’s a great place for Merlot, and I’m sure you’ll see some of that on the American market. I still remember the chance meeting at a restaurant when I met a wine rep for Lobo Wines and she told me all about winemaker Victoria Coleman. I was all in! There are many great wines out there, but when you find a wine story that speaks to you, that is what helps to make that wine more memorable. And I so loved Victoria’s story – and her wines – that I was thrilled to write about it all. While they use most of their Merlot to blend into the higher value Cab Sauv, they do use a small amount for a varietal Merlot.