Merlot

Merlot

Shop for Merlot

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.

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  1. Château Margaux

    2000 / 750 ml. | Item#17834

    RP100100 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Apr 2003
    Bottled in late November, 2002, the 2000 has turned out to be a colossal example of Chateau Margaux that is tasting even better from bottle than it was from cask. Only 40% of the crop made it into this 2000 Margaux, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. The 2000 possesses a saturated ruby/purple color to the rim as well as an extraordinarily promising nose of creme de cassis intermixed with white flowers, licorice, and hints of espresso and toasty oak. There is great intensity, compelling purity, a multi-layered, full-bodied palate, and a finish that goes on for nearly 70+ seconds. Bottled naturally, with no filtration, it is a monumental example of the elegance and power that symbolize this extraordinary vineyard. A tour de force in winemaking, many of my colleagues predicted, far earlier than me, that it would be the “wine of the vintage.” It is certainly one of the wines of the vintage, but there is plenty of competition, even at this lofty level of quality. Absolutely awesome! Anticipated maturity: 2012–2050.
    WE100100 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 12/1/2003
    If a wine can ever be perfect, this is as perfect as a wine can get. Right from the beginning this was the wine of the vintage, and nothing has changed. Margaux was the last of the first growths to be bottled because it just needed that extra time in barrel. The wine now has huge, intense black cherry and blackberry fruits, and marvelous tannins that are sweet and powerful. To finish, the magnificent Margaux perfume of sandalwood and ripe fruit dominates, leaving an impression of finesse and power.
    ST9898 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2003
    Penetrating, highly perfumed aromas of sappy dark berries, violet and minerals; seems less oaky today than the ’01. Offers compelling mouthfilling concentration and perfume. A wine of great power and consistency, with a pungent minerality lingering on the palate-staining finish. This somehow doesn’t flag or grow narrower even after one swallows or sips. Makes the 2002 seem almost dry in comparison. Wine-of-the-vintage material.
    WS9898 pts. - Wine & Spirits - December 1, 2003
    Paul Pontallier happened upon the 2000 vintage at Margaux, having prepared the vines since 1983, and having gained a certain level of intimacy with their produce over the years. He doesn’t take credit for the particular balance of water retention in the soils at Margaux, for the light rains that refreshed the vines in August, though he can take some credit for knowing how to manage those vines and when to pick them. For without his history at the château, the 2000 vintage might have been merely great. But there’s something of his spirits in this wine, along with the essence of the Margaux vineyard, the glint of the soil and the grandeur of the building, which taken together will stop you in your tracks.
    SP95+95–100 pts. - Wine Spectator - Jun 30, 2001
    [Barrel tasting] Black ruby in color, with violet and raspberry aromas and hints of currant and spices. Super, full-bodied, with thick, polished tannins. Should be chewy, and it is. But it remains fine and classy. Another 1995? I can’t give more than 100 points.
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon | All Grapes: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon

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    4 items or less in stock. We will confirm your order by email.

    Compare at $2,199.00 $1,999.00

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