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Merlot may have taken a thumping in the 2004 film Sideways, but this hasn't deterred fans who know that, in the right hands, the grape is capable of creating captivating wines.
Merlot, after all, is the most widely planted grape in France's Bordeaux wine region. Pomerol's Chateau Petrus, one of the most expensive in the world, is almost entirely merlot.
Merlot became the red wine of fashion in the United States in the 1990s when wine drinkers discovered that soft, supple merlots were user-friendly and compatible with a wide range of foods. Often used in blends to soften cabernet sauvignons, on its own merlot has been called "a cab without the pain." With its lush fruit and velvety texture, it can be a wine that is not only more accessible than cabernets, but one that seduces the senses.
"The hardest part about drinking merlot is learning to pronounce the name," said veteran Napa Valley winemaker TOM RINALDI, who created the first vintage of merlot at DUCKHORN VINEYARDS in 1978. "Once you know it's not 'mer-lot', it's so easy to say, 'I'll have a glass of 'mer-low.'"
Believed to be a mutation of cabernet franc, merlot originated in Bordeaux, but today it's planted in regions as diverse as Chile and New Zealand, along with Australia, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, Argentina, South Africa and Spain. Although California has planted the most acres of this varietal in the country, Washington state and Long Island are producing some highly praised merlots.
The key to producing great merlots begins with the soil. "The essential element is good drainage." Overgrowing-letting too much fruit ripen on the vine-is another hazard that can produce boring, uninteresting wines.
In the 1960s, merlot plantings in California hardly comprised more than a few hundred acres. LOUIS P. MARTINI was one of the first to experiment with adding merlot to his cabernet sauvignon blend. The earliest Martini plantings were in the Russian River Valley, with budwood obtained from an old merlot vineyard that grew in front of the Inglenook chateau in St. Helena. Impressed with the wines made from this variety, Martini blended some from 1968 and 1970 and released his first merlot in late 1971.
About the same time, STERLING VINEYARDS released its first merlot, a blend of fruit from two vineyards: the winery's own plantings near Bothe Napa Valley State Park and from a new vineyard-THREE PALMS VINEYARD.
The defining characteristic of Three Palms Vineyard is its unusually rocky soil, which stresses the vines, creating intense and concentrated fruit more typical of a mountain vineyard. The rocks also tend to retain heat, insulating the fruit from damaging frosts. These elements create a unique microclimate.
Rinaldi's initial merlot bottling at Duckhorn Vineyards in 1978 was made from grapes harvested at Three Palms in that year-the vintage that caused "the big bang of merlot." From there, for single varietal merlot bottlings, "it was off to the races," said Rinaldi.
Rinaldi is now making wines for Provenance Vineyards, where he made the first merlot in 1999. At PROVENANCE he uses the grape in a blend with cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc, although 2003, he said, was such an exceptional vintage that he created a wine from 100 percent merlot.
Although they can age well, merlots offer early drinkability. They can also be easier on the pocketbook than pricey cabs.
"They're good, they're pleasant," Rinaldi said. "Currants, blackberry and plum-they don't have to be taken seriously. There is a huge range of meals that go with merlot. As for Sideways," he said, "it's amazing to me that something that tongue-in-cheek would have that effect. The last guy I'd take wine advice from is Miles."
Wine country merlots worth seeking out, in addition to those from Duckhorn, Sterling and Provenance in the Napa Valley, include those from MARKHAM, JOSEPH PHELPS and SHAFER VINEYARDS and ATALON WINERY. In Sonoma County, try RAY'S STATION and FISHER VINEYARDS, CLOS DU BOIS, STONESTREET WINES and MATANZAS CREEK WINERY.
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