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California Merlot
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Unlike California's adopted native varietal, Zinfandel, the Merlot grape arrived in the state with a well known and definitive history.
Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, it had been for many years an important variety in Bordeaux—where in the long famed appellations of St. Emilion and Pomerol it dominated the classic blend. Like most other imported European grapes it did not gain an immediate footing in the nascent stages of the California wine industry. The variety was tried and found inadequate in much of California in the 1880s, and eventually just about disappeared by the arrival of Prohibition. Poor yields and over ripeness were the main drawbacks, and it wasn't until the 1960s, when the post-Prohibition revival of California wine began in earnest, that both problems were finally relieved. The original idea behind the revival was to use it in blends that would soften the tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon.. It was only in 1969 that a few curious growers, notably Louis Martini and Gundlach-Bundschu, began experimenting with Merlot as a blending grape in this way. These early California Merlot pioneers were clearly looking back to the tried and true model of the classic Bordeaux wine blend for inspiration. Ultimately, it was not as a part of a blend that Merlot came to make it's name in California. Much of the crop still goes to that end, but Merlot really became popular as a single varietal wine during the 1980s. And since then, this has meant that hallmark of California Merlot is that it is allowed to be a pure representation of the grape, for better or worse. It isn't necessarily peppered with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Malbec, or Petit Verdot, as in Bordeaux. Except for the French vins de pays, where it often appears as a single varietal wine, it is with California Merlots that one may best experience the full range of the grape.
Character and Styles of California MerlotThe best Merlots from California will display all the qualities of the best from Bordeaux, but perhaps with a bit more intensity. The tannins can be somewhat stronger than one would expect from a softer French wine style, but they should be sweetly ripe and crisp. They may smell of ripe plum, cooked cherries, and chocolate. One will also encounter a variable amount of oaking which may invoke a vanilla spice on top or a pleasant background of sweet fresh herbs. The jury is still out as to where in California is best suited to Merlot. This is surely in large part due to public perception of the variety and its characteristics, which was hampered by a market saturation of bland wines during the mid-1990s boom. Mass market success meant that people generally came to expect much less from the wine, and their perception of it simply as a less tannic alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon has caused much of the public to forget what really good Merlot can, and should be. When looking to find a high quality Merlot, first consider the Napa Valley (more specifically the Stag's Leap District and the Russian River Valley), Sonoma, and Santa Barbara's Santa Ynez Valley. These are the wine regions where in recent vintages more skillful growers and more determined winery owners have pushed the varietal to heights heretofore not achieved. They have also by far collected the most favorable critical notice.
Buying Guide: Recommended California Merlot
$10 and Under  Tin Roof Merlot $10
$11 to $20  Souverain Merlot $16
$21 to $30  St. Clement Merlot $25
$31 to $50
$50 and Up  Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Merlot Napa Valley $85
Service temperature: 18°C | 64°F
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On the Market: California Merlot90 Tin Roof $10 89 Harding Estates $9 88 Cycles Gladiator Central Coast $10 88 Napa Family Vineyards Reserve Napa Valley $10 87 Rockbrook Cellars $3 87 License $6 87 Sonoma Landing $7 87 Elena $8 87 Dynamite $9 87 Ironstone $10 86 Leaping Horse $5 86 By the Glass $6 86 Dante $8 86 Ravenswood Vintners Blend $10 86 Grayson Paso Robles $10 86 Domaine St. George Sonoma County $10 86 Concannon Selected Vineyards Central Coast $10 85 Canyon Road $10 85 Forest Glen Oak Barrel Selection $10 85 Silver Ridge $10 85 Dancing Bull $10 85 Pepperwood Grove $7 85 Mirassou $8 85 Blackstone $10 85 Esser Cellars $10 85 Stone Creek Mendocino County $9 85 Talus Lodi $8 85 Little Black Dress $10 85 Hilltown Monterey County $7 85 Meridian $10 85 Fetzer Valley Oaks $9 84 Cupcake Central Coast $10 84 Mandolin Central Coast $10 84 Cellar No. 8 $10 84 Forest Glen White $10 84 Cellar No. 8 $10 84 Stevenot Sierra Foothills $10 84 Solaris $10 84 Arrow Creek Vintner's Selection $10 84 Smoking Loon $7 92 St. Clement $20 91 Souverain $16 91 Sebastiani Sonoma County $17 91 Brassfield High Serenity Ranch High Valley $19 90 Gina $12 90 Cartlidge & Browne $11 90 Hayman & Hill Reserve Selection Napa Valley $15 90 Gainey Santa Ynez Valley $20 89 Havens $20 89 Wildhurst Reserve $11 89 Red Truck $12 89 Ballentine $12 89 Michael Pozzan Spec Reserve $12 89 Paso Creek $17 89 Mutt Lynch Over and Play Dead Livermore Valley $20 88 Hahn Monterey $14 88 Frei Brothers Reserve Dry Creek Valley $20 88 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Creek Valley $19 88 Brutocao Bliss Vineyards Mendocino $20 88 J. Lohr Los Osos Paso Robles $15 88 Rutherford Ranch $18 88 Tangley Oaks Napa Valley $15 88 Alexander Valley Vineyards Alexander Valley $15 88 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley $15 87 Taft Street $12 87 Wild Horse Paso Robles $20 87 Gallo of Sonoma Sonoma County $11 87 Bonterra Mendocino County $15 87 Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Sonoma County $17 87 Sterling Vintner's Collection $17 87 Leaping Lizard Napa Valley $12 87 Geyser Peak Alexander Valley $17 87 Red Rock Reserve $12 87 Francis Berwyn Paso Robles $13 86 Wellington Estate Sonoma Valley $18 86 Blackstone Napa Valley $18 86 STG Russian River Valley $14 86 Firestone Santa Ynez Valley $18 86 Fenestra $17 84 Robert Mondavi Private Selection $11
92 Noah Yountville $25 92 Schug Heritage Reserve Carneros $30 92 Longboard DaKine Vineyard Russian River Valley $24 92 Uvada Oakville $30 92 Nonno Zito Carmela-Katie Bien Nacidio Vineyards Santa Maria Valley $30 92 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley $28 92 St. Clement Napa Valley $28 91 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Napa-Sonoma $26 91 Charles Creek Pasatiempo Sangiacomo Vineyard Carneros $26 91 Crane Brothers Crane Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley $30 91 Flora Springs Napa Valley $24 91 Greenwood Ridge Mendocino Ridge $25 91 Silverado Napa Valley $28 91 Turnbull Oakville $30 91 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Sonoma-Napa $26 91 Rombauer $30 91 Chappellet $30 91 Schug Sonoma Valley $22 90 Sawkar Reserve Sonoma Mountain $28 90 Clos du Val Napa Valley $25 90 Clos du Bois Reserve Alexander Valley $22 90 Sebastiani Alexander Valley $30 90 Franciscan $21 89 Vine Cliff $24 86 Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz $25
93 Merriam Vineyards Windacre Russian River Valley $35 93 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Napa Valley $40 93 Casa Nuestra Napa Valley $35 93 Kendall-Jackson Taylor Peak Estate Bennett Valley $40 92 Frazier Napa Valley $40 92 Adastra Carneros $40 92 Kendall-Jackson Highlands Estate Taylor Peak Bennett Valley $40 92 St. Supéry Rutherford $40 91 Star Lane Vineyard Estate Grown Santa Ynez Valley $36 91 Merryvale Beckstoffer – Las Amigas Vineyard Carneros $39 91 Merryvale Napa Valley $35 90 Grgich $36 90 Salexis Napa Valley $36 90 Schug Heritage Reserve Carneros $35 90 Frog's Leap Napa Valley $34 90 Bargetto Reserve Santa Cruz Mountains $35 90 Charles Creek Punta Mita Hyde Vineyard Carneros $32 90 Chappellet Napa Valley $32 90 Schug Heritage Reserve Carneros $35 90 Brutocao Riserva d'Argento Mendocino $34 89 Erba Mountainside Vineyards Napa Valley $35
95 Blankiet Napa Valley $100 95 Duckhorn Estate Grown Napa Valley $85 95 Sterling Three Palms Vineyard $72 94 Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Napa Valley $85 94 Robert Young Alexander Valley $42 94 Paloma Spring Mountain $51 94 Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Napa Valley $85 93 Nickel & Nickel Suscol Ranch Napa Valley $50 92 Shafer Napa Valley $44 92 Paloma Napa Valley $54 92 Barnett Spring Mountain $45 92 Paloma Napa Valley $54 92 Keenan Mailbox Vineyard Reserve Spring Mountain $60 92 Fife Reserve Spring Mountain $60 92 Rutherford Grove Estate Reserve Howell Mountain $50 91 Nickel & Nickel Suscol Ranch Napa Valley $55 90 Ahnfeldt Napa Valley $45 90 Venge Estate Vineyard Oakville $46 90 Carter Truchard Vineyards Napa Valley $75 90 Pride Mountain Napa-Sonoma $56
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Grapes: 90% Merlot, with variable amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah
Grapes: 85-90% Merlot, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec
Grapes: 93% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes: 100% Merlot
Grapes: 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot