I Heart Merlot, 75cl

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The first of the established mountain regions and maybe the most famous, Howell Mountain, with its west-facing vineyards is one of the warmer mountains regions as it gets the full exposure to the hot afternoon sun. This often translates into wines that are fuller-bodied with higher alcohol. With elevations from 1400 to 2600 feet, the region has predominantly volcanic soils that yield powerful, tannic, and age-worthy wines. Howell Mountain Merlot wines to try: Total Vineyard Area – 658,387 acres (266,440 hectares) (data from 2016) Old Merlot vines from Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol. Bordeaux, France Consisting of 100% Merlot, this one gives off baking spice, cedar, red plum, cherry and a touch of mocha. It is quite refined with bright acidity and fine grain tannins. An excellent food wine for sure. The steep hillsides of the Mayacamas mountains that are home to the Mount Veeder AVA and where vineyards can be planted at angles of up to 30 degrees, leads to some high quality vino. The extreme angle planting provides the vineyards with more direct sunlight and better drainage. With elevations reaching up to 2,400 feet and extremely shallow, marine soils with volcanic deposits, its an extremely difficult growing environment with very low yields. But that environment leads to some amazing fruit and wine. While more Cabernet Sauvignon is more widely grown in the region, it is known as the spiritual home of Petit Verdot. I’ll have to add Merlot to the spiritual home because this is some soulful, thought-provoking juice. In this instance, I’m talking about Merlot that hails from Napa’s high elevation regions of Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Diamond Mountain. In contrast to the regions of Napa Valley’s floor (think Oakville, Rutherford) the vineyards in these regions lie of the sides of the valley, above the fog layer. Instead of being cooled by a layer of fog, these vineyards are cooled by their altitude. In contrast to richer, fleshy styles of Merlot from the valley floor, Mountain Merlot wines tend to be more structured with higher tannin levels. Vines grown on mountains dig their roots deep in search of water and nutrients. This struggle by the vines results in smaller, compact berries, that provide intense, concentrated flavors, pronounced acidity, and powerful tannins. In other words, these are Cabernet drinker’s Merlot wines.

What happens when this grape leaves its home? We don’t see a lot of Merlot being celebrated outside of Bordeaux. There is Merlot being made in the southwestern part of France, north of Bordeaux, and also in southern France, but Bordeaux is really where it shines. But because of its early ripening and because of its friendly high yielding, it is the blending grape for the world, it seems, for red wine. As of 2010, it was the second-most-planted grape on the planet. Now, for some credits. How about that? Wine 101 is recorded and produced by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin. I also want to thank Danielle Grinberg for making the most legit Wine 101 logo. There is Merlot and then there is Mountain Merlot. And as a person that’s climbed a few mountains here and there, I can appreciate anything that thrives on them. A fun fact on the history of Merlot in Chile is that in the 1800s, cuttings thought to be Merlot were brought over from Bordeaux and planted in Chilean vineyards. However in 1994, a grape researcher named Jean Michel Boursiquot, realized that they were, in fact, an entirely different variety – Carménère. Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Merlot, which makes it a half-sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon. Founded in 1983 and regarded as one of the state’s premiere Merlot producers, L’Ecole N° 41 is one of Washington’s first artisan, family-owned wineries and the third winery to be established in Walla Walla. We opened two different bottles of L’Ecole N° 41 Merlot to have with dinner.Often throughout these episodes, I have mentioned the variety Cabernet Franc, and I call it an orphan grape. And I never really explained what that means. We know that Cabernet Franc originated in the Basque region of Spain, where it was called Achéria. DNA profiling cannot find its parentage, so it’s an orphan grape. It appeared in the Basque region of Spain, and then it began to travel with humans, eventually making its way to the Bordeaux region.

It’s kind of wild. Cab Franc gives Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon its peppery stuff. I mentioned this in the Bordeaux episode, but we might as well mention it again because it’s the Merlot episode, the majority of those affordable Bordeaux coming from the Right Bank from the Côtes de Bordeaux and Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux AOC Supérieur, those are all primarily Merlot blends. And this is aided by the fact that it is an early ripening variety but also it’s very friendly to a high yield. And speaking of high yields, California, my god … we’ll get there. So in its home, it’s known mostly as a blending variety, with few exceptions. Mt. Brave is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of those who settled the rugged terrain of Mt. Veeder during the 1800s and an homage to the Wappo Indians, “the brave ones,” who were the original inhabitants of this extraordinary place. At Mt. Brave, they are intimately familiar with mountains and grow grapes on one that reaches 2,677 feet in elevation. With Carneros just to its south (which I just recently waxed poetic about) the region enjoys some of the San Pablo Bay maritime influence which leads to an extended growing season. This was a new (to me) wine that I was introduced to last year. As someone that was already a Merlot lover, I have to say that my appreciation increased significantly after tasting the Mt. Brave Merlot. Winemaker Chris Carpenter of Lokoya fame is doing the damn thing! Spring Mountain Merlot should be enjoyed slightly below room temperature, ideally 60-68°F (15-20°C). This ensures the aromas are emphasized, but not the alcohol.If you were to head north off the coast of the Basque region of Spain, you would be in the Bay of Biscay. And if you go straight north from the Basque region, the town called Bilbao, which is the capital of that region, you would hit the northwestern peninsula of France, which is called Brittany. Inland from the coast of Brittany is a town called Saint-Suliac (my French is terrible). Here, in the middle ages, was a monastery or an abbey — monks were everywhere around this time. And of course being monks, they had vineyards and it’s thought that the Cabernet Franc grape, at the time, made its way to Brittany. And then from Brittany down into the Loire Valley, then from the Loire Valley down into Bordeaux. A large, oversized wine glass is suitable for Merlot. Its shape aids aeration, highlighting the wine’s aromas. Decanting for approximately 30 minutes prior to serving allows Merlot to fully open up.

If any state excels at Merlot, Washington certainly deserves to be in the conversation. Striking a balance between old world and new world tendencies, the wines from the state and its AVAs within are capable of producing world class wines. It seems there isn’t much I don’t love from WA these days. Merlot, the world’s second most planted red grape, thrives in moderate to warm climates and varied terrains, especially clay soils. It offers a consistent profile of soft texture and ripe fruit flavors, but these can vary based on the region. Major Merlot regions include Bordeaux with rich, velvety wines; Tuscany’s full-bodied blends; California’s fruity, complex offerings; and Chile’s more restrained, medium-bodied wines. To say that Eric Miller, owner of Kokomo Winery, is a nice guy would be an understatement. The same can be said for his growing partner, Randy Peters, a viticulturist with a deep historical connection to the land in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Eric came to California to make wine from the Midwest — specifically, Kokomo, Ind., the winery’s namesake. When you arrive at their tasting room you feel like you’re hanging with the fam. Not only are these some truly cool dudes, but they’re amazing at their jobs. Eric is one of the most focused winemakers you’ll meet, and if you get him started, get ready for some deep wine convo. And Randy, when he pops by, has some great vineyard stories. This partnership and their attention to detail gives us wines like this amazing Merlot. It has wonderful tobacco and earthy blueberries on the nose. The palate is soft and supple with a lithe tannic frame. The best part is the excellent finish that lingers until your next sip. Great wine. Join the club, it’s worth it. What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to episode 22 of VinePair’s Wine 101 Podcast. My name is Keith Beavers, I’m the tastings director of VinePair, and salutations!Actually, Merlot makes up 15 percent of the wine produced in Friuli. And sometimes they call it Merlott, with two “T”s at the end, because it’s part of their dialect. But what’s really interesting is there’s an actual agriturismo touring route called Strata de Merlot. It goes along one of the main rivers in Friuli, the Isonzo river. And you can travel along the river and you hit all these little towns and you drink Merlot the whole time. It’s real. It’s awesome. Outside of Friuli in northern Italy, Merlot has grown all over the place in the Veneto and the Trentino-Alto Adige, but significantly. Merlot plays a big role in the central part of Italy in Umbria. In Tuscany, in Chianti Classico, Merlot is allowed in their blends. And I have to say, there’s something really nice about a Merlot and a Sangiovese being blended together. Sangiovese has this crazy ripe cranberry and cherry thing going on, and Merlot comes in and softens and rounds it off. It’s just beautiful. Also in Bolgheri, which we’ve talked about before, Merlot is allowed in those blends and it softens the Cabernet that’s grown in that area. Just south of Tuscany in Umbria, there is a grape that’s native to that region called Sagrantino. It’s one of the most tannic varieties on the planet. It’s huge and ages forever. And sometimes, they blend that with Merlot and it’s just an amazing thing. What it does is it softens and keeps the depth, and it’s really an awesome blend. And they call that Montefalco Rosso, which is an appellation in Umbria. OK, so it’s not California’s fault as a whole. In wine, it’s usually the human’s fault, not the wine’s fault, because the humans are the ones that make everything crazy. And this thing went crazy. Merlot gains complexity with time, revealing spicy, plummy notes and undertones reminiscent of dark chocolate. Many Merlots will age gracefully for 3-7 years, while exceptional ones can continue to enhance their complexity for 15 years or more. Filet Mignon and other roasted or grilled meats work well with warmer climate Merlot. Photo by Amirali Mirhashemian. However, the vast majority of Merlot in Italy is grown in Friuli where it produces a range of styles from simple and fruity reds to more full bodied and tannic wines meant for aging. Pepper Bridge Winery in Washington State. USA I appreciate Merlot for the simple fact that it generally plays in the middle. If you have folks that prefer light-bodied reds and those that prefer the heavier, bolder stuff, Merlot is almost always a great compromise. Medium levels of tannin, acid, body, and alcohol helps it bridge the gap between the wines at the ends of the spectrum. So while it doesn’t command the same prominence (nor price tag) as blending partner Cabernet Sauvignon, it has the ability to please a wide variety of palates. But when it comes to what I like to call “Mountain Merlot” the rules are a little different.

I love Merlot. I think it is such an awesome grape that makes awesome wine. It’s a workhorse around the world for blending, but there are places in the world outside of France that do 100 percent Merlot that is just stunning as well. If it’s done right, in the right soils, and the right climates, it is just beautiful. Even though the thing is it’s not really about aroma, you can get some blueberries sometimes, and there’s that peppery note that comes in, but it’s the texture of Merlot that is so wonderful. And one of those places in the world outside of France that makes Merlot this way is Italy. And not just Italy, Friuli. One day I should do a Friuli episode, am I right? The Merlot coming out of Friuli can be so wonderful. It’s often a 100 percent variety, sometimes it’s blended with Cab Franc, but the climate there and the soils and the slight elevation of their vineyards, just make the most beautiful Merlot. There actually is Merlot made on the lower plains area, which is a little more basic, but still beautiful and plump and juicy. But Merlot in Friuli is a thing, it’s not often available, but you should definitely try to seek it out, because that’ll give you a sense of what a 100 percent Merlot can taste like in one of its purest forms. A pioneer of the Santa Lucia Highlands, Steve McIntyre planted nearly 20% of the entire AVA and farmed nearly a third of the region’s vineyards. He took his unique perspective of terroir to other regions including Arroyo Seco. Like other Central Coast AVAs, Arroyo Seco boasts one of the longest growing seasons with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean which helps to cool down the region at night. I had the same mindset about the movie Sideways. Most folks that are my age and enjoy wine are very familiar with the movie in which Merlot is maligned at the expense of Pinot Noir. But a survey of some folks 35 and under have shown me the fallacy in my thinking. I’ve mentioned it to several folks in that age group and have gotten a blank stare in return. OK… And I got to thank Darby Cicci for making this amazing song: Listen to this epic stuff. And finally, I want to thank the VinePair staff for helping me learn more every day. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week. Outside of France, the grape is also grown in the Friuli region of Italy, as well as in Croatia, Slovenia, California, Washington State, and New York. Following the wine’s peak in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it began to decline after being overly mass-produced and saturating the market, but, as Beavers explains, Merlot is worth a second try. The grape is used in many blends on the U.S. market — especially Pinot Noir, thanks to the 75 percent rule — meaning most are already consuming it, whether they are aware of it or not. And when it is done right, Merlot can be a beautiful, soft but round wine. Listen Online

Northstar 2017 Premier Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington

What to expect: Chile is another perfect homeland for Merlot. The wines from here vary from easy-drinking and fruity bottlings of the Central Valley, to more structured and serious examples from Colchagua, Maule Valley, and Maipo. Gwen at Wine Predator shares “ California vs. France #MerlotMe with squash, chard, and bow tie pasta” I can think of few other varietals that could have paired with such a wide variety of foods. Cheers to the ever versatile Merlot. And Happy #MerlotMe month.