Wine Review: Merlot deserves a spot among wine greats

To me, there are two orphaned wine varieties currently in the marketplace: merlot and zinfandel. Each has a definitive niche in the dictionary of wines, and both of them are totally misunderstood. I would like to take a look at merlot and save the zinfandel for a future column.

The merlot grape for centuries has been a favorite of several of the French Bordeaux winemaking districts, but it has been passed over by many of the other wine-producing nations in favor of the cabernet sauvignon, a grape variety that it closely resembles. Since the wines from these grapes are very similar, merlot has not gained the fame of its cousin.

Merlot has spent much of its time existing in the shadow of the regal cabernet sauvignon and never achieving its proper and well-deserved position with other wine greats. Although related, merlot wines were mainly used as a blender to soften the cabernet sauvignon's often fierce nature. Only in an area of Bordeaux called Pomerol was the variety taken seriously, but not seriously enough to challenge the high-and-mighty cabernet sauvignon.

In the early 1990s, the American public discovered merlot, and it suddenly became the darling red of this country. The demand for merlot wines grew so fast that California actually ran out of it. Producers had to resort to importing the wine, in bulk, from Chile and Australia to fill the public’s seemingly insatiable appetite for the variety. Growers rushed to pull out other varieties and plant merlot vines in their place.

The appetite for merlot lasted for about five years, which is about as long as a vine takes to produce decent wine grapes, and then, as suddenly as it started, the rage for it ended. Growers and vintners were stuck with a glut of merlot. Prices dropped and there were a great many inferior merlot wines that began to hit the market, making a stain that has taken a long time to remove.

That was then – and this is now. With the turn of the century, the merlot market returned to sanity, and some very good merlot wines were again being produced, two of which I would now like to highlight.

Carmen Gran Reserva 2022 Merlot ($24)
If you are tired of run-of-the-mill merlot wines, we can assure you that this one is a cut above many in the same price category. It’s also a great wine to introduce the reader to the variety if you haven’t tried it before. This merlot has a brilliant amethyst color and a full, almost overpowering varietal flavor and aroma. The wine presents a bold blackberry flavor with a background of black cherries and oak. There is also a fascinating under-flavor that vintners describe as earthy, adding an extra layer of character and complexity to the wine. All of these factors combine to make this wine an excellent and enjoyable choice, as well as one that’s affordable.

Sutter Home Merlot ($12)
From the winery that turned the wine world upside down in the latter part of the past century comes another very interesting wine that upholds Sutter Home’s history. The Sutter Home Merlot is a soft, smooth and very flavorful wine that can accompany a broad spectrum of foods or stand alone as an aperitif. This is a bright, ruby-colored wine that exhibits dark cherries and black plums as the prominent flavor. There is also the telltale merlot background of cedar and oak with just a hint of vanilla. This is the perfect accompaniment for beef and lamb dishes as well as a host of grilled foods, and it is also a fine choice for grilled or blackened fish. Like all of the Sutter Home wines, it is easy to afford – and even easier to enjoy.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.