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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.
RP9999 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 22nd Dec 2011 A brilliant offering from the Mentzelopoulos family, once again their gifted manager, Paul Pontallier, has produced an uncommonly concentrated, powerful 2009 Chateau Margaux made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. As with most Medocs, the alcohol here is actually lower (a modest 13.3%) than most of its siblings-. Abundant blueberry, cassis and acacia flower as well as hints of charcoal and forest floor aromas that are almost Burgundian in their complexity are followed by a wine displaying sweet, well-integrated tannins as well as a certain ethereal lightness despite the wine’s overall size. Rich, round, generous and unusually approachable for such a young Margaux, this 2009 should drink well for 30–35+ years.
RP96+96+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Dec 2013 The 2009 La Muse (86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec; 14.5% alcohol) is a blockbuster offering complex, intense notes of Asian plum sauce, figs, black currants, white chocolate and cedar. The wine reveals an extra level of texture and richness along with full body, an unctuous texture, and a super ripeness and richness that does not go over the top. The tannins are noticeable, but well-integrated as are the new oak and acidity. This big, backstrapping, Merlot-based wine is meant for long-term cellaring. Give it 4–5 more years in the bottle and enjoy it over the following 30 years.ST9595 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2013 Bright red-ruby. Sweet aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate, violet and smoke. Large-scaled, velvety and deep, with outstanding intensity and sweetness to its dark berry, violet and mineral flavors. Boasts a compelling combination of suavity of texture and sheer energy. Extremely long on the aftertaste, with noble tannins barely noticeable today.SP8888 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2013 Offering layers of fresh-turned earth, spice, dark berry, leather and anise notes, this is chunky and chewy from extracted tannins, with a bitter edge. Ends dry and grainy. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2024. 800 cases made.