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Having been ridiculed (unfairly, in our opinion) in the movie, "Sideways," Merlot sometimes gets a bad rap as a beginner wine. We respectfully disagree. The Merlot grape, like many, can make fine wines for daily drinking as well as the best Merlots, sought out by collectors for their fine pedigree. Many of today's best-selling red blends contain Merlot as their backbone and some of the highest priced wines in the world (Château Pétrus in Bordeaux, for example) also use Merlot.
Merlot is versatile, which is why you'll find it planted in both warmer and cooler climates around the world. Besides Bordeaux, Merlot is also produced in the US, Australia, Chile, and elsewhere.
So here is an ode to Merlot. We know you well, and though we do not always sing your praises, we must give you your due as one of the greats.
VN9191 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2022 The 2019 Poitevin has a perfumed, floral bouquet with more red fruit than I observed from barrel, showing fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very cohesive and harmonious. There’s just a touch of graphite on the finish. Stylish, top-notch Poitevin. (Neal Martin)RP9090 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Oct 2022 The 2019 Poitevin is performing better than it did when I tasted it earlier this year, when I suspect it was still shut down after bottling. Opening in the glass with attractive aromas of orange zest, sweet red berries, petals and spices, it’s medium-bodied, lively and elegant, with lovely purity of fruit and nicely integrated structure. (William Kelley)JS8989 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Sunday, February 20, 2022 Ripe blackberries, crushed raspberries, dried thyme and mocha on the nose. Medium body with lightly chewy tannins. Firm and compact with savory tea-leaf character. Drink from 2023.Premier SelectPremier Select wines are handpicked by our staff from amongst thousands of wines for their exceptional quality. They're made by a top producer and comparable to wines at twice the cost.
VN9191 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2018 The 2015 Teyssier is a fabulous introduction to Jonathan Maltus’s wines. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and dark spice, along with the wine’s natural lushness, give the Teyssier much of its immediacy and allure. Flamboyant an inviting, with impeccable balance, the 2015 has so much to offer, including a very appealing proposition of price and availability. The blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc.RP9090 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 27th Apr 2018 Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Teyssier (a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc) gives up lovely black and red cherries notions with cinnamon stick, fragrant earth and potpourri nuances. Medium-bodied and fresh with a satiny texture, it’s earthy and elegant in the mouth with a perfumed finish. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020 / 750 ml. | Item#60548
JD9696 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 3/29/2023 The 2020 Château Tour Saint Christophe showed spectacularly well, and based off past vintages, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new barrels (the balance is in second- and third-fill oak), it offers a full-bodied, incredibly pure, balanced style revealing subtle oak, terrific darker, almost blue fruits, lots of chocolate, leafy herb and mineral nuances, and gorgeous tannins. It’s worth pointing out that this will be the last vintage made by the talented Jérôme Aguirre. This terrific Saint-Emilion will evolve for two decades. (Jeb Dunnuck)JS9696 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Sunday, May 14, 2023 So much black fruit, black walnuts, blueberries, wet earth, black truffles and some graphite. Medium to full body with lots of tension and focus. It runs very long with a salty undertone and some bitter, burnt lemon. Yet ever so subtle and refined. Drink after 2027. (James Suckling)RP9393 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 6th Apr 2023 The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe opens in the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, raspberries and petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and pure palate that’s rich and fleshy, with generously extracted tannins asserting themselves on the finish. It’s a modern, crowd-pleasing wine from clay-rich soils opposite Troplong Mondot in the commune Saint Christophe des Bardes. (William Kelley)VN9393 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2023 The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe has grown into an elegant, sophisticated Saint-Émilion. Red/purplish berry fruit, hard candy, mint, blood orange, pomegranate and spice all run through the 2020. Medium in body and polished, the 2020 has maybe a bit less explosive intensity than recent previous years, but plenty of class. Today, I find Tour Saint Christophe a bit subdued. (Antonio Galloni)
JS92+92–93 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Wednesday, June 2, 2021 A tight, linear red with lots of currants, salt and cloves on the nose and palate. Really spicy. Medium-bodied with firm, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. A new wine from the owners of Chateau Angélus, from the area of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux.RP90+90–92 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Jun 2021 Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Tempo d’Angélus charges out of the gate with bold notions of plum preserves, fresh blackberries and Morello cherries, plus hints of tilled soil, black olives and truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate has a beautifully velvety texture and a racy backbone supporting the generous black and red berry layers, finishing earthy. Very impressive for this price point! (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)JD89+89–91 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 6/4/2021 A value-priced release from this brilliant estate, the 2020 Tempo D’Angélus comes all from vines owned by Château Angélus and is based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged 18 months in barrel. It’s well worth seeking out and has a dense purple hue to go with classic Right Bank Merlot black cherry and black raspberry fruits, tobacco, cedarwood, and floral nuances. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with good mid-palate density and a great finish, it should certainly be an outstanding wine. (Jeb Dunnuck)
Premier Grand Cru Classé 2017 / 750 ml. | Item#51960
RP9797 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 16th Mar 2020 Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Pavie Macquin comes charging out of the glass with exuberant scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie and wild blueberry coulis plus hints of menthol, licorice, candied violets and charcuterie. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in precision and poise, featuring a beautiful frame of wonderfully ripe, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and multilayered. Simply stunning! The blend here is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 70% new.VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2020 The 2017 Pavie Macquin is a rich, deep and super-expressive wine with remarkable persistence. As always, Pavie Macquin is a potent Saint-Émilion, but the 2017 has terrific energy as well. In 2017, Pavie-Macquin is not as forthcoming in its youth as it can be, and is going to need a few years in bottle to truly come together. A bit of time in the glass brings out very pretty floral top notes and rich, sensual fruit that is such a signature of this site. Tasted three times.SP9595 pts. - Wine Spectator - Mar 31, 2020 Features a delightfully pure aromatic burst of cassis and cool plum fruit leading off, followed by a rush of violet and lilac notes that add lift. Underneath, a subtle graphite edge injects sneaky length through the finish. Built on purity and cut. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2040. 4,833 cases made.JD9595 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 2/26/2020 Coming from a cool terroir located on the upper plateau, just behind Chateau Pavie, the 2017 Chateau Pavie Macquin checks in as a mix of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. This wine is always closed, tannic, and hard to understand in its youth, yet blossoms with 7–8 years of bottle age. The 2017 sports a deep, purple/ruby color as well as beautiful notes of black raspberries, cassis, huge minerality, white flowers, and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet silky and seamless on the palate, it doesn’t have the sheer weight and flesh of the 2015 and 2016 yet is flawlessly balanced, has terrific tannins, and a great finish. It will be drinkable with just 4–6 years of bottle age and cruise for 15–20 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)
WE9191 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 3/1/2021 This grand chateau on its hillside surveys a 150-acre vineyard. The top wine from the estate, this is mainly wood aged, giving polish as well as perfumed black-currant fruitiness. With its ripe tannins, the wine will easily age. Drink from 2023. (Roger Voss)RP90+90–92 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 23rd Apr 2019 Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Pitray features bright, expressive wild blueberries, black raspberries and warm plums scents with hints of spice cake and potpourri. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy blue and black fruits, framed by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with beautiful purity. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)JS9090 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Wednesday, March 3, 2021 A juicy, flavorful red that is delicious now, offering plum, chocolate and berry aromas and flavors. Medium body, firm tannins and a savory finish. Nice acidity, too. Drink or hold.
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018 / 750 ml. | Item#55578
JS9797 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Thursday, April 22, 2021 Currant, red-tea, chili, chocolate and lemon-zest aromas. Chalk and crushed gravel, too. It’s medium-bodied with tight, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Sleek and tight with crunchy berry, mineral and zesty notes on the finish. Complex. Pretty center palate to this. Extremely polished. Try from 2025.JD95+95+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 3/11/2021 Emerging from a beautiful, terraced vineyard on the eastern side of Saint-Emilion, the 2018 Château Tour Saint Christophe is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 40% new French oak. Its vivid purple color is followed by a great nose of blackcurrants, blueberries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, violets, and chocolate. Hitting the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, it has this wonderful sense of purity and elegance, a touch of chalky minerality, flawless balance, and a great finish. This beautiful, elegant, seamless Saint-Emilion needs 4–5 years of bottle age but will evolve for 20–25 years. You won’t regret having this in the cellar. (Jeb Dunnuck)VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2021 The 2018 Tour Saint Christophe represents a new level of elegance, precision and finesse for this estate in Saint-Émilion’s Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes district. Silky and exceptionally polished, the 2018 oozes class. Moreover, the heavy extraction and strong torrefaction notes that marked previous vintages of the recent past have been replaced by beautifully precise, vibrant fruit. Tour Saint Christophe is one of best values in Saint-Émilion. I haven’t always loved Tour Saint Christoph, but I love the 2018. It’s a fabulous effort from Technical Director Jérôme Aguirre and his team. Don’t miss it.RP9494 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 22nd Apr 2021 A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for around 18 months in oak barrels, 40% new, the 2018 Tour Saint Christophe weighs in at 14.6% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with bold notions of baked black cherries, plum preserves and blueberry pie plus underlying suggestions of Christmas cake, Chinese five spice and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate packs in the black and blue fruit preserves layers, framed by velvety tannins and lively acidity, finishing long and spicy.
JS9696 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Tuesday, June 22, 2021 Aromas of blackberry, plum, cocoa, iodine, clove and graphite. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Tightly wound and mineral at the moment, with dusty gravel and graphite notes, yet with focus and precision. Such balance and harmony for the vintage. Try from 2025.JD9595 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 3/11/2021 The top wine, the 2018 Château D’Issan is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot that spent 18 months in 50% new French oak. It offers a beautiful, singular bouquet of blackcurrants, new leather, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, and camphor. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Margaux with wonderful tannins, beautifully integrated acidity, and just a flawlessly balanced, elegant, layered style that’s going to evolve for 20–25 years. It’s one classy 2018 that has loads to love. (Jeb Dunnuck)RP94+94–96 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 23rd Apr 2019 The 2018 D’Issan is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, aging in 50% new and 50% second year barrels for an estimated 18 months. With 13.97% alcohol and a deep garnet-purple color, it features baked berries, warm cherries and cassis with spice box and fragrant earth plus tea hints. Medium to full-bodied, it has a great core of muscular fruit with firm, fine-grained tannins, with nice freshness, finishing layered with mineral notions.VN9494 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2021 The 2018 d’Issan is a potent, backward wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Dark and brooding, with serious intensity, the 2018 shows off real depth in its blue/purplish fruit, chocolate, spice, smoke and leather flavors. The tannins are imposing today, but, then again, everything about the 2018 feels large in scale. I can’t wait to see how the 2018 ages.
JS9393 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Monday, July 4, 2022 Aromas of plums, ripe red cherries, wet stones and roses. Medium-to full-bodied with soft tannins. Juicy and succulent with a lovely bed of red fruit. So fresh, too. Enchanting. 94% merlot, 5% petite sirah and 1% malbec. Drink now.SP8989 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 31, 2022 Offers a narrow beam of refined currant, tobacco and spice flavors that build tension and tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2028. 30,024 cases made. (Tim Fish)RP8787 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 15th Sep 2022 The 2019 Merlot offers up scents of cherry tomato and Bing cherries on the nose, while it comes across as rather tart and tannic on the medium to full-bodied palate. It’s far from being my favorite offering from this winery, but as a steakhouse red-wine option, it’ll do just fine. (Joe Czerwinski)
JD9393 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 3/29/2023 Always a winner, I can’t remember the last vintage of this cuvée that didn’t put a smile on my face. The 2020 Château La Vieille Cure has lots of up-front cassis and black cherry fruits to go with complex floral, lead pencil, and green tobacco-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, seamless, and elegant, it has the vintage’s concentrated, pure style front and center. It will evolve for 10–12 years. (Jeb Dunnuck)RP91+91–93+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Jun 2021 Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 La Vieille Cure storms out of the glass with powerful notions of plum preserves, blueberry pie and baker’s chocolate, followed by suggestions of star anise, ground cloves and eucalyptus. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed by rich, ripe black and blue fruits, backed up by firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and opulent. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
RP100100 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Mar 2021 The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6–8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years.JD100100 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 3/11/2021 Based on 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Château Margaux is a magical, incredibly sexy expression of this Château that sports a dense purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blueberries, cassis, acacia flowers, scorched earth, sandalwood, and violets. Incredibly concentrated and full-bodied on the palate, it nevertheless has an almost Burgundian sense of finesse and elegance, with an ethereal texture, silky yet massive amounts of tannins, notable freshness, and brilliant length. The alcohol hit a whopping 14%, which is high by this estate’s standards, but everything is flawlessly integrated, the balance is perfect, and I certainly can’t find anything that could be better. This 2018 is going to be relatively drinkable at an early age (do your best to hide bottles for 7–8 years) yet last for 75+. (Jeb Dunnuck)JS100100 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Sunday, November 28, 2021 So much ash, tobacco and earth to the bright blackberry and currant aromas. Flowers too. Fresh. Full-bodied with seamless tannins that spread across your palate and caress every square centimeter. It’s shows loads of ripe-berry, cherry, currant and chocolate character, as well as walnut and light cedar. Then the finish goes on for minutes. Extremely refined and elegant, despite the structure. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 4% merlot and 2% petit verdot. A joy to taste, but drink after 2025.VN98+98+ pts. - Vinous - Mar 2021 The 2018 Margaux is an infant. Today, the tannins are unusually searing, but then again, the 2018 is a wine in which all the elements are dialed up to the maximum. Time in the glass releases the fruit, revealing a luxurious, opulent Château Margaux built for the cellar. Cedar, tobacco, dried flowers and mint develop with a bit of coaxing. Rich, deep and utterly beguiling, the 2018 is a dramatic wine that will thrill readers lucky enough to own it.SP9898 pts. - Wine Spectator - Mar 31, 2021 This struts along with supreme confidence, as a cashmere-textured structure effortlessly carries a prodigious set of warmed cassis, plum reduction and blackberry compote flavors, pulling in alder, bergamot, black and red tea and iron notes. Still manages to come across as restrained in the end. A beautiful wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2028 through 2040. 10,833 cases made.WE9898 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 5/1/2021 While this wine reflects the richness and density of the vintage, it also shows all the elegance of which a great Margaux is capable. The wine is powerful and beautifully structured, both ripe and restrained. It will age magnificently. Start to think about drinking from 2028.
Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux 2019 / 750 ml. | Item#60250
JD9393 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 4/11/2022 Coming from the incredible team at Pavie, the 2019 Clos Lunelles boasts a big, ripe, incredibly sexy and mouth-filling style as well as notes of black plums, black cherries, tobacco, and Asian spices. It brings serious fruit and opulence and is full-bodied, has a round, expansive mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and some obvious underlying minerality. It’s already drinking beautifully and should deliver the goods over the coming 10–15 years. While it leads with its fruit, I expect it to show more classic limestone character as it sheds some baby fat. (Jeb Dunnuck)VN9292 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2022 The 2019 Clos Lunelles seems to have clammed up on the nose. It was marked by its intensity from barrel, but the strictness that I noted then is more accentuated and you have to eke out the blackberry, blueberry and incense aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and well-judged acidity. Smooth and silky in texture, this has cohered nicely during its barrel maturation, yet it retains some muscle on the finish. This is a fine Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, but as I mentioned before, it will require 4–5 years of bottle age. (Neal Martin)RP90+90+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 7th Apr 2022 The Perse family’s Côtes de Castillon property, located on the clay-limestone soils typical of this appellation, has produced a serious, structured wine in the 2019 Clos Lunelles. Exhibiting aortas of sweet berry fruit, exotic spices and creamy new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, taut and concentrated, with tangy acids and plenty of powdery tannin. (William Kelley)
RP9797 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2015 The 2012 La Muse, which is 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, is a smaller cuvée of 1,840 cases. The wine has plenty of spice box, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake and Asian plum sauce, along with black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Ripe, round, full-bodied and opulent, this is a wine that can be drunk now or cellared for another three decades. Interestingly, the alcohol levels are not all that high in any of these wines, with most of them rarely exceeding 14.3%.ST94+94–97 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2014 Deep ruby. Wonderfully pure aromas and flavors of crushed cassis, minerals and exotic spices. Huge, sweet and plush but utterly primary for a wine with so much flesh. Boasts the chocolatey richness of a topnotch Pomerol from a great year, but the wine’s huge, ripe tannins will require at least five or six years of aging. Finishes with outstanding length.VN93+93–95 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2015 Mocha, chocolate, dark plums, smoke and cloves are some of the notes that inform the 2012 La Muse. Dark, sumptuous and impeccably balanced, the 2012 is super-impressive. The flavors are bold and intense, and while there is plenty of size and volume, the wine’s balance is simply impeccable. I imagine the 2012 will reward drinkers with a good 20 years or so of very fine drinking pleasure.
VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2022 Weighing in at 14.8% alcohol, the 2017 Red Wine Ciel du Cheval blends equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc from this outstanding site on Red Mountain. On the nose, it develops creosote tones alongside red florals, wintergreen, cigar ash and suggestions of Asian spices that all take shape in the glass. The palate is seamless and soft, delivering rich red and dark fruit flavors alongside black licorice and a hint of menthol. Glorious to consume now, the 2017 Ciel du Cheval could easily be a 20-year wine.RP9494 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 22nd Oct 2020 Dark ruby in color, the 2017 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is dark-fruited with juicy black plum, blackberry essence and dark cherry with hints of currants and cassis. Soft aromas of red flowers and pencil shavings waft with a dusty tension. Medium to full-bodied, the wine shows precision with an elegant frame and sturdy tannins, ending with a long-lingering, mineral finish with high-tone red fruits of dark, dusty cherry skin and red plum skin. This will drink fantastically for the next decade, but it won’t do you wrong if you open a bottle tomorrow. Bravo!
RP9898 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 9th Feb 2023 One of the stars of Italian enology, this iconic wine is Merlot in name but Tuscan in spirit. The L’Apparita is a gorgeous wine and one that brings an enormous sense of excitement and energy to those who drink it. Its texture is soft and rich, yet the tannins are gentle and round. There is plenty of substance and structure here, however, with seamless layers of black fruit, cherry, sweet spice and tobacco. The wine’s complexity is enhanced by elegant mineral tones and a subtle, menthol-like signature. Temperature control and careful pump-overs are executed, and great care is taken during harvest to avoid any overripe berries. Cool, calcareous soils with many stones serve to insulate the roots and lock in freshness. The secret of this wine is magic of site, exposure and geology. This is another collectors’ edition of L’Apparita. (Monica Larner)
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Château Poitevin Médoc
Château Teyssier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Tempo d’Angélus
