Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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California Merlot: A Split Personality
I have never studied statistical probability, but what are the odds that:
A -- The truly fine California Merlots you have tried came from Napa Valley.
B -- You will find a truly fine California Merlot that did not come from Napa Valley.
I think that the answer is, in the case of:
A -- Remarkably close to 100%.
B -- Dispiritingly close to 0%.
You are welcome to dispute my logic by citing contrary examples. In a generous mood, I might concede a few bottlings from Matanzas Creek or Ridge Vineyards. The marketplace showcases the quality disparity clearly, although not every consumer sees all the implications.
The overwhelming majority of nationally marketed California Merlots are indifferently produced products, from vineyards outside the valley. (I personally lump Pope Valley Merlots, which can carry the general Napa appellation, into this group. PV is a distant Napa suburb, which produces little that resembles true Napa Valley fruit in quality.)
Those mass-market bottlings are responsible for the terrible reputation our Merlots have in much of the country. I think drinkers should lobby the BATF for a new bottling designation, "Colored Water", to better categorize them.
At the same time, real Napa Valley Merlot is expensive, and it is scarce outside our state. That combination makes it likely that a substantial percentage of the buying public will never even try a fine California Merlot. The attitude of many Napa Merlot growers, reinforced by financial realities, does little to help.
Most Napa Merlot growers believe that it is economic madness to grow the stuff if you can't get $40.00 or more when you sell it. After all, Napa land is a huge investment that comes with a hefty mortgage. Growers know they can get "their price" for quality Cabernet planted in the same soil, so: "why plant Merlot at all, if it is not very profitable"?
The few wineries (Whitehall Lane is an example) that sell NV Merlot for under $30.00, are viewed as either fools or crackpot philanthropists by many of their peers. For similar reasons, much of our best Merlot fruit goes into Meritage blends: mix a $50.00 Cab with a $35.00 Merlot and you may well create a $125.00 Reserve!
There are some really good mid-priced Napa Merlots however, and lots of fairly priced Merlot-dominated blends. Try a Whitehall, or a Keenan, or the 2005 Stephano Valeri, or the new 2005 Coho Heatwaters, with 81% Michael Black Vineyard Merlot. All are tasty now, and age-worthy.
If you really want to experience a great California (aka Napa) Merlot, like a Paloma, Keenan Matchbook Reserve or Duckhorn 3 Palms: just grit your teeth, reach for the checkbook and pretend its Reserve Cabernet.