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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.
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)
VN9797 pts. - Vinous - Sep 2021 The 2017 Geremia is a revelation. It might be even better than the 2015 or 2016, which is saying a lot. Soaring aromatics make a strong first impression. In 2017, the fruit profile leans more into the red fruit end of the spectrum. The warm, dry year yielded a Geremia that is unusually open. I doubt too many of the estate’s fans will have a problem with that given how long these wines usually take to open. Today, the 2017 Geremia is a total pleasure bomb. Don’t miss it. (Antonio Galloni)
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 - 16th Mar 2020 The 2017 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal alluring notes of blackcurrant cordial, Black Forest cake and black raspberries with suggestions of candied violets, tilled soil, fallen leaves, licorice and espresso plus wafts of underbrush and rosehip tea. Medium-bodied, the elegance and finesse on the palate is simply bedazzling, exuding a quiet intensity of fresh black fruits layered with oh-so-subtle floral and earth nuances. It has a soft, velvety texture and seamless freshness to support the tightly wound flavors, finishing long and perfumed. Beautiful! This grand vin accounts for just 37% of the crop.JD9898 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - February 26, 2020 Despite Margaux being a slightly more difficult region for the Medoc in 2017, this estate has fashioned an incredible 2017 Chateaux Margaux that’s unquestionably in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and that’s saying something. Based on 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot representing a draconian selection of just 22% of the total production, it reveals a deep purple/ruby hue as well as stunning notes of creme de cassis, blueberries, crushed violets, unsmoked tobacco, and Asian spice. With flawless tannins, medium to full body, brilliant concentration, and a great, great finish, it’s easily one of the standouts in the vintage. It’s already stunning, yet a good 7–8 years of bottle age are warranted, and it should cruise for 20–25 years in cold cellars. (Jeb Dunnuck)VN9797 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2020 One of the clear highlights on the Left Bank, the 2017 Margaux is magnificent. Soaring in intensity, the 2017 exudes class from the very first taste. Margaux is so often a wine of charm and seduction, but the 2017 is anything but that. Instead, Margaux is dark, somber and mysterious, with layers of sepia-toned nuance that opens up with time in the glass. Cabernet Sauvignon, picked 5 days later than first anticipated, is especially prominent. The 2017 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best, but it is a super-promising wine. Wow.SP9595 pts. - Wine Spectator - Mar 31, 2020 Seamless from start to finish, with a thoroughly caressing mouthfeel to the mix of damson plum, black cherry and black currant fruit, inlaid with a range of lilac, lavender and rooibos tea accents. The finish unfurls slowly, revealing a mouthwatering mineral edge buried deeply in the seductive fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 10,833 cases made.
RP9999 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th May 2020 Composed of 100% Merlot for the first time this year, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 La Muse rolls sensuously out of the glass with scents of black raspberries, Black Forest cake, boysenberries and cinnamon toast, followed by nuances of a garrigue, forest floor, beef drippings and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the richly fruited palate slowly builds in the mouth to a crescendo of black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by exceptionally ripe, round tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Stylistically, it stands apart from previously vintages, possessing the same magical intensity, but with less weight and more pop. 2,500 cases were made.JD9898 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 5/21/2020 Not far behind, the Merlot-dominated 2017 La Muse offers a big, rich nose of chocolate-covered black cherries, espresso, damp earth, and leafy herbs that gains more bass notes and richness with time in the glass. It tastes like a great Pomerol from La Conseillante. Full-bodied, it has an incredible sense of elegance and purity, plenty of mid-palate stuffing, and a great, great finish. Made from 100% Merlot (this is the first time this cuvée has been all Merlot), it’s another incredible wine from this estate that has the flesh and texture to shine today yet the freshness, purity, and balance to evolve for 30 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020 The 2017 La Muse is 100% Merlot for the first time. In this vintage, La Muse stands out for its freshness, energy and red-toned fruit. It will be interesting to see if the 2017 represents a longer-term shift. To be sure, the 2017 is aromatically deep, beautifully persistent and just impeccable in its balance. I liked it more than the 2016.
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Château Pavie Macquin
Rocca di Montegrossi Geremia
Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
Château Margaux
