The vintage of his Merlot-driven Signature Mountain Blend was ranked number 43 in the top wines by the International Wine Report in The exact impact of the movie is difficult to pinpoint, but a Sonoma State University case study bit.
According to Forbes, Merlot today ranks fourth among wine grapes grown in the United States: Chardonnay is tops with , acres, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon with , acres, Pinot Noir at 61, acres and Merlot at 51, acres. The reason: It brought attention to an unfortunate downturn that was occurring in quality. They were producing it in areas that were marginal and, in some cases, not really suited for Merlot.
But sometimes we just have to reel it in. The movie helped with that. And since the movie, he noted, a large portion of those who have chosen to stay in Merlot are more committed to the varietal, have stepped up their game and are producing better Merlots to this day.
Duckhorn acquired Three Palms in It tastes less sweet and is more difficult to grow. This leads to it having a much more complex flavor, and it is less popular with Americans for just that reason. When made well, it appeals to people who drink a lot of wine. Miles also has a nice speech about how unskilled winemakers try to create this character but fail.
The California merlot wines are appealing, yes, but also repetitive and lacking bright character. Miles likes the wines he likes not just because of the flavors but also because they tell a story about how they were made. So, there really is nothing wrong with Merlot, and there is no shame in drinking or enjoying it. But, he is also right in that there are other more complex and unique flavors of wine if that is something you may be interested in.
Now that you have the answer to the question, why is Merlot hated, and you understand that is not that serious, here are a few Merlots I recommend. With a beautiful label from artist Eric Fischl, this vintage expresses a subtle aroma and dark fruit flavors.
The vintage also tastes just as great. This Merlot is multilayered, with plum and cherry flavors and a bit of cocoa thrown in. This elegant vintage is one of the best in this region. These taste very pure, with plummy fruit flavors and a sleek texture, while also containing a dash of cabernet. Most wine lovers will know Ridge for its grand Monte Bello cabernet, but this winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains also produces juicy Merlot from the famous Monte Bello vineyard.
Veeder in The Merlot from there always expresses a complex cherry, tobacco, and bay leaf flavor leading to refreshing juiciness. This Napa Valley Merlot is juicy and succulent while also being structured to age and contain hints of deep fruit. The tannins are easy and there is often a soft finish that makes it an ideal blending grape.
Many winemakers like the flexibility of blending in some merlot to finesse their wines. So much merlot was being planted back then and it was green vegetal and boring. It was being planted in soils that it should never have been planted in. Only the cream went to the top and some good merlot survives. I remember the quality of merlot some 15 to 20 years ago. There was a lot of pretty awful merlot flooding the market. What Miles stated resonated as true, as many wine-lovers looked down on all that sub-par American merlot.
American consumers primarily buy based on the varietal, unlike Bordeaux, which is all about the blends. Even before the movie came out, merlot was stigmatized and Miles only confirmed what we were all thinking. It is more sellable than denoting merlot on the front label. Though there are some wineries that take particular pride in their merlot and designate the varietal as such, like Duckhorn, Pride Mountain, Shafer Vineyards, Stags Leap and Pahlmeyer.
There are now more consistent fruit sources for programs that survived, but generally merlot sales are still stagnant. After a couple of months of reliving that same interaction over and over again in the contemporary reinterpretation of how Groundhog Day my life had somehow become, I had a revelation: every steak we sold at that restaurant came with a small ramekin of chimichurri, a garlicky parsleyed flavor-bomb that clashed horrifically with the oaky, inky reds my guests were after.
While the Malbecs, Aglianicos, and Riojas I sold by the Costco-style gallon paired impeccably if uninspiredly with the meat itself, they turned into a sloppy fucking mess when sipped alongside the potent green chimi. They all hated their jobs and ignored me. From there on out, I began to have a little bit more fun with my list, stacking it with juicy, jammy reds—lusty, boozy Roussillon Grenaches; rambunctious-yet-decisive Priorats; and, of course, rustic, plummy Merlots—the intense, concentrated fruit character in these wines sailed gaily above the hammy chimichurri, allowing it to shine rather than overbear, or at worst, defile.
Merlot is the most good-natured of grapes, a keen and gracious sidekick, the Rhoda Morgenstern of wine. I like pairing low-rent New World Merlot with gooey, trashy chain pizza; I love a glass of cakey Right Bank Bordeaux with a cheeky handful of red Lindt truffles at Christmastime. No matter how old it gets, no matter how complex and serious, it always tastes delicious. It tasted like a very well-written poem about a glass of juice, each line sprinkled every-so-delicately with freckles of cinnamon, nutmeg, and dirt.
But—midway through my first glass—I wandered away from the computer, changed into pajamas, curled up in a cocoon of a blanket, and wrote absolutely nothing. Lauara Jane Faulds laurajanefaulds is a writer based in Toronto.
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