Merlot
Merlot
Hillside Winery 2017 Mosaic Naramata Bench
Canadian Red
The blend is thirty-three percent Merlot, twenty-five percent Cabernet Franc, eighteen percent Malbec, seventeen percent Cabernet Sauvignon and seven percent Petit Verdot. It matures for eighteen months in French oak, forty-two percent new. The tannins are mostly dispersed, leaving a silky, dry texture. The fruit comes from vineyards on Naramata Bench in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.
Piaggia 2017 Carmignano Riserva DOCG
Italian Red
Raspberry and strawberry appear with dark ruby and garnet colour. The palate is dense, with a melting texture and a long finish. Sangiovese is joined by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The fruit comes from an old vineyard at Piaggia, about 250 metres above sea level, with southwest exposure and clay and galestro soils. Grapes are harvested by hand and selected in small boxes. Fermentation is spontaneous, and skin maceration lasts eighteen to twenty-eight days.
Black Hills 2022 Nota Bene Okanagan Valley
Canadian Red
Dewberry, black cherry, herbal notes and floral lift are joined by redcurrant, sweet mint and raspberry blossom. The palate is rich and fresh, with fine-grained tannins. The blend is forty-six percent Merlot, thirty-six percent Cabernet Sauvignon and eighteen percent Cabernet Franc. Wild yeasts conduct fermentation, and ageing lasts eighteen months in French-oak barriques and puncheons, forty-seven percent new. Alcohol is fourteen and a half percent.
Concha y Toro 2019 Gravas del Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto
Chilean Red
Deep red colour is accompanied by fresh red-fruit and spice aromas. The palate has intensity and depth, with fine, velvety tannins. The blend is eighty-six percent Cabernet Sauvignon, ten percent Cabernet Franc and four percent Merlot. Grapes come from the Puente Alto Vineyard at 650 metres, where soils are rocky, alluvial, deep and poor in nutrients. Fermentation lasts eight days in stainless steel, followed by ten days of post-fermentation maceration and fourteen months in French oak.
Manvi 2020 Happiness Toscana Rosso IGT
Italian Red
Dark fruit, ripe black cherry, plum and cassis are joined by vanilla, baking spice and cedar. The palate is full-bodied and velvety, with bright acidity, integrated tannins, dark chocolate, earth and a long finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot make up the blend. The wine is aged for three to four years in oak and bottle, and production is limited to no more than one thousand bottles per vintage.
Cakebread Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
American Red
Fresh smoky cassis, blackberry and boysenberry appear with cedar, black-tea spice and sweet oak. The palate is concentrated, with black fruit, firm structure and a long savoury finish. The blend is seventy-eight percent Cabernet Sauvignon, sixteen percent Merlot, four percent Cabernet Franc and two percent Malbec. Fermentation took place in stainless steel, followed by twenty months in French oak, thirty-five percent new. Alcohol is 14.2 percent.
Nittardi 2021 Ad Astra Maremma Toscana Rosso DOC 1.5 L
Italian Red
Plum and red-berry aromas are joined by liquorice. The blend combines Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by twelve months in French-oak barriques and tonneaux and several months in concrete. The vineyards lie at Mongibello delle Mandorlaie in southern Maremma, on predominantly sandy soils rich in limestone and clay.
CheckMate 2021 Silent Bishop Merlot
Canadian Red
Red currant, raspberry, coffee, tobacco and floral notes join black fruit, mocha and dark chocolate. The wine is fresh and lively, with fine-grained tannins and a lengthy finish. Merlot comes from the cooler western benches of the South Okanagan. Wild fermentation is followed by twenty months in French oak. The palate also carries black cherry, blackcurrant and balanced acidity.
Fairview Cellars 2011 The Bear Okanagan Valley
Canadian Red
Medium ruby-purple colour accompanies ripe cherry and liquorice. The wine is dry, with medium-plus acidity and full, ripe tannins. Cherry, plum, cassis, spice and tobacco appear, with a long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blend, joined by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Mint, blackcurrant and spicy cherry are also present. Production totalled three hundred cases.
CedarCreek 2013 Platinum The Last Word
Canadian Red
Dark liquorice, black cherry, cooked plum and graphite appear across the profile. Cassis, wild blackberry, spice-box notes and anise are also present, with bright acidity, structurally sound tannins and a warm finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec were co-fermented for one month. The blend then spent twenty months in French oak. The fruit comes from Osoyoos in the Okanagan Valley.
Château Cantemerle 2022 Haut-Médoc
French Red
Bright fresh fruit and violet are present in the bouquet. The palate has soft tannins, creamy structure and a smooth texture, with harmony and balance. The blend is seventy percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty percent Merlot, and five percent each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine matures for twelve months in French oak, using new, one-fill and two-fill barrels. The vines grow on gravel with quaternary silica.
Yarra Yering 2011 Dry Red No. 1
Australian Red
Blackcurrant, cloves, cedar, pencil lead and fennel seed are present in a berry-filled profile. The palate is vibrant and medium-bodied, with cassis, crisp acidity and medium-firm grainy tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon is joined by Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The varieties are fermented separately in open fermenters, hand-plunged twice daily, and matured in French oak before blending.
Mvemve Raats 2014 MR de Compostella
South African Red
Green herbs, peppercorn, laurel, blackcurrant leaf and plum skin are present. Ripe plum and berry flavours accompany fine tannins with a pronounced dusty grip and a long, dry finish. The colour is deep ruby. Mineral, dark berry and dark chocolate notes are also present. Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot make up the blend.
Sequoia Grove 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Bright black cherry, blackberry, baking spices, chocolate and toasted vanilla are present. The palate has intense blackberry flavours and round, smooth tannins. The blend is eighty-three percent Cabernet Sauvignon, eight percent Merlot, six percent Cabernet Franc, and one percent each Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Grapes are hand-picked and the berries hand-sorted. A one-to-three-day cold soak precedes fermentation. Maturation lasts twenty months in French oak, half new.
Monte Antico 2021 Toscana IGT 3 L
Italian Red
Grapey fruit, wood, cloves and floral notes are present. Baked cherry, tart plum, strawberry, rounded fruit, eased tannins, barrel notes, earth and almond skin add further detail. The blend is eighty-five percent Sangiovese, ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent Merlot. Fermentation and maceration each last fifteen to twenty days. Maturation includes Slavonian barrels and barriques. Alcohol is thirteen percent.
Château Mauvinon 2020 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
French Red
Black cherry, plum, hazelnut, chocolate and dried flowers are present in the aromas. Blackberry and liquorice appear on the palate. The profile is structured and intense, with powerful, silky tannins and a long, smoky finish. The blend is seventy percent Merlot and thirty percent Cabernet Franc. Grapes are hand-picked and sorted. Vinification uses small containers; maturation lasts twelve months in French oak, with half of the barrels renewed.
Burrowing Owl 2018 Merlot 1.5 L
Canadian Red
Black plum, ripe raspberry and brambly berries appear with violet, lavender, cocoa, marzipan, vanilla, cedar and baking spice. The palate is full bodied, with firm ripe tannins, refreshing acidity and a velvety texture. Plum pudding, black cherry, hazelnut, dark chocolate, paprika, dried sage and graphite are also present. The finish is long. Merlot fruit is harvested by hand from estate vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos.
Haut-Bailly II 2019 Pessac-Léognan
French Red
Fresh fruit and a suave structure define the profile. Merlot brings aromatic freshness and roundness, while silky tannins give the wine a soft texture. The blend is sixty percent Merlot and forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes were harvested from September 23 to October 10. Rich berry fruit, cassis, cigar wrapper and loamy soil are also present. The tannins are ripe and powdery.
Frescobaldi 1997 Lamaione Merlot Toscana IGT
Italian Red
Merlot grows at 300 metres on south-west-facing clay soils rich in limestone and mineral elements. Maceration lasts about four weeks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrique, and maturation lasts eighteen months in French oak. Blackberry, violet and fresh porcini appear with round, velvety tannins, full body and a long finish. The vineyard covers twelve hectares, and its principal planting dates to the mid-seventies.
Château Croizet-Bages 2016 Pauillac
French Red
The blend is fifty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, forty-one percent Merlot and four percent Cabernet Franc. Vinification takes place in stainless-steel tanks, with malolactic fermentation in barrels and tanks. Maturation lasts twelve months in French oak, half of it new. Plum preserves, baked black cherry, cassis, menthol, cigar and cumin notes accompany plush tannins and a long, spicy finish.
Château Tronquoy-Lalande 2009 Saint-Estèphe
French Red
Boysenberry, spring flowers, blackcurrant and ink accompany a supple texture and a long finish. The colour is dense purple, and the profile is full-bodied. The blend is fifty-one percent Merlot, forty-two percent Cabernet Sauvignon and seven percent Petit Verdot. Alcoholic fermentation lasts six to seven days, with an average maceration of eighteen days. Harvest ran from September 18 to October 7.
Merryvale Vineyards 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Plum, blackberry and cherry accompany leather and granite-like mineral detail. Lively acidity, soft tannins, a velvety texture and a long finish are present. The blend is eighty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, ten percent Cabernet Franc and five percent Merlot. Native-yeast fermentation follows a five-day cold soak in small tanks. Maturation lasts twenty-two months in French oak, with fifty percent new barrels, before bottling without fining or filtration.
Duckhorn 2004 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot Napa Valley
American Red
Red fruit, dried herbs, allspice, vanilla bean and dust accompany ripe strawberry, dried cherry, toasted oak, chocolate and spice. The texture is velvety, with bright acidity and firm, well-integrated tannins. The blend is seventy-five percent Merlot, ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon, nine percent Petit Verdot, five percent Cabernet Franc and one percent Malbec. Maturation lasts twenty months in new sixty-gallon French oak barrels. The wine contains 14.5 percent alcohol.
Duckhorn 2003 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot Napa Valley
American Red
Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, black olive, almond and spice accompany red fruit, cedar and oak. The texture is silky, with balanced acidity and ample tannins in a smooth, full-bodied profile. The blend is seventy-five percent Merlot, eleven percent Cabernet Sauvignon, seven percent Petit Verdot and seven percent Cabernet Franc. Maturation lasts twenty months in new sixty-gallon French oak barrels. The grapes were harvested over six days in September.
Château Pichon Baron 2012 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron Pauillac
French Red
Cassis, blackberry and spice accompany a tannic, fresh profile. The wine is made from sixty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and forty percent Merlot. It is a red from Pauillac in Bordeaux, with fruit drawn primarily from gravelly parcels near the Gironde estuary. Production for the inaugural release totalled forty thousand bottles. Maturation takes place in barrels. The wine has a pure, direct, vigorous and full-bodied character.
Robert Mondavi Winery 2019 The Estates Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Blackberry, blueberry, plum, chocolate, nutmeg and subtle oak accompany black plum and fine, well-integrated tannins. The profile is juicy, with good acidity. The blend is eighty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, six percent Cabernet Franc, six percent Petit Verdot, two percent Malbec and one percent Merlot. Maturation lasts twenty months in French oak barrels, with ninety percent new oak. The wine contains 15.3 percent alcohol.
Château Pichon Baron 2019 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron Pauillac
French Red
Intense purple colour accompanies black fruit, subtle oak and spice. The opening is generous, full and structured, with tannins; the profile also has richness, harmony, tension, minerality and length, with a fresh finish. The blend is fifty-nine percent Merlot and forty-one percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation lasts eighteen months in barrels, using sixty percent new oak and forty percent one-wine barrels.
St. Supéry 2013 Élu Napa Valley Red
American Red
Vibrant deep red and purple colour accompanies black plum, blackberry, anise, graphite, dark cocoa, espresso and toasted barrel. Cassis, black pepper and black liquorice are also present, with length and fine-grained tannins. The blend is sixty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty-two percent Merlot and nine percent Malbec, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot making up the balance.
Osoyoos Larose 2010 Le Grand Vin Okanagan Valley
Canadian Red
Cassis and vanilla appear with bright blackcurrant, blueberry and cherry flavours. Fine tannins and a generous texture are present in an ample, rich palate. The blend is sixty-seven percent Merlot, twenty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, six percent Petit Verdot, four percent Cabernet Franc and three percent Malbec. This red comes from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley and carries 13.8 percent alcohol.
La Dame de Montrose 2010 Saint-Estephe
French Red
Dense black colour carries violet highlights, with morello cherry, raspberry, dark tobacco, Havana and a touch of vanilla. The palate has a clean entry and a broad, fresh middle. Precise tannins and a long finish are present. Raspberry, vanilla and mocha recur, while the oak remains discreet. Cabernet Sauvignon forms sixty-four percent of the blend and Merlot the remaining thirty-six percent.