Gotta pick six merlots for a wine tasting

[Jenise]

Three from Washington, three from California. I also need three $10/under wines to serve as pre-tasting wines. I will need four bottles of each and I have $700 to spend. To afford a good selection, we tend to deliberately choose from several price points, like $20, $30 and $40, say.

On the Washington side, I've thrown the names Hightower, Andrake, Columbia Crest Walter Clore Reserve, Andrew Will and Donadei into the hopper. Does anyone know if Abeja makes a merlot?

On the California side, after suggesting Havens I run out of names. I believe our local Costco has the Matanzas Creek, don't know which vintage. Etude and Groth might be around. And I CAN order from out of state, though I tend to resist that because I really don't have sufficient resting time. The tasting is just three weeks away.

Anyone have any good/hot suggestions for me?

The Coppola Diamond Series Merlot ain't bad. Don't know what it goes for Stateside.

[Robin Garr]

Anyone have any good/hot suggestions for me?

I realize it's silly for a Kentuckian to give advice on Washington wines to a Washingtonian but for what it's worth, I've long had an affection for L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot.

From California, I've been impressed with Hartwell Napa Merlot, via CWC's Connoisseur's series.

And you might get some laughs (and decent midrange Merlot) if you throw a current-issue Marilyn into the pack.

Depends on what you're after, of course, but a couple that I like from CA:

Markham. Very New World but in balance...in particular it doesn't have the Lousiville Slugger-like oak of e.g., Sterling.

Dynamite. Lovely nose, and I like the relatively high acidity for a CA merlot (which I often find a bit flabby.)

For your under $10 wines... is the Guiraud G available in your area? White bordeaux, and always clean and crisp. And you live near Garagiste, no? What better source for well-priced juice ? I bought the 2004 Domaine Puydeval Chardonnay for $7 from them, and it was very, very good. The Pine Ridge Viognier blend is always very tasty...and everyone seems to like it. Less than $10 too.... Or a nice Rose??

Merlots? Seven Hills, from Washington? The '03 Miner is also very good. Or how about a Shafer, at a bit higher price point? I don't know if the Paloma is available near you, or Pride is another obvious choice. Whitehall Lane? Marilyn Merlot?

Zerba Cellars 2004 Merlot (Zerba Cellars is "golden" right now). Good stuff.

Jenise:

Agree with the aforementioned Markham. Would add Newton and Swanson too. Groth.

For WA, also agree with Robin on the L'Ecole 41. I've always thought the CSM Cold Creek Merlot was a good representative WA merlot too. Have used it frequently in the past. They don't tend to age very well, though, so get a relatively current release.

Agree on the Swanson...was trying to think of that but just couldn't bring the name to memory. Must've been last night's Zin

Another vote for Markham.

What about Mount Tamalpais? Did you ever try that. I like the wine but don't drink enough domestic merlot to gauge. Might be fun to see how it stacks up.

Look forward to seeing what shows best.

Jason

Just two more to throw in so as to not confuse the topic. looks like many recommendations for $20+ already. For a sub $10 Merlot

(1) Concannon Merlot ($10) for this price, they will not believe the heft of the bottle they just picked up, also the just is $10+ and better.

For a sub $20 merlot:

(1) 2004 Merlot "Made in the Shade" $16

Have a great time!

[James Roscoe]

I always thought Gordon Bros. made the typical Washington State merlot. Apex also seems to be pretty typical. Why aren't you using a ringer from Pomerol or other merlot based Bordeaux?

2004 Beringer Merlot Napa Valley $20
2004 Shafer Merlot Napa Valley $45
2004 Owen Roe Merlot Yakima Valley $42
2003 Northstar Merlot Columbia Valley $41
2004 Five Star Merlot Columbia Valley $30
2004 Abeja Merlot Columbia Valley $35
2004 Basel Cellars Merlot Columbia Valley $24
2004 Barnard Griffin Merlot Columbia Valley $17
2004 L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot Columbia Valley $30
2004 Veramonte Primus Casablanca Valley $17
2004 Veramonte Merlot Casablanca Valley Reserva $10

The last two will make nice ringers, and the Primus may take the tasting.

Big is beautiful.

Try Leonetti.

I would agree with the (pricey) Hartwell recommended by Robin. Very nice.

I like herby, complicated, not very fruit-forward Merlots, so these recommendations are given with a caveat:

I was very impressed with Mario Andretti's reserve "Montova" Merlot for an example of a chillier, more green and herbal style of Merlot. Quite complex, but again pricey ($50)

An even cooler, greener example would be Carneros' Adastra Winery Merlot. Almost bitter, but fascinating to my palette.

For more fruit forward, Hall has a more "typical" soft fruit forward Merlot that I enjoyed.

Finally, for only $25, I really liked the Clos du Val Merlot. Not very "American" tasting, though

FYI: the Dynamite I recommended above should be well under $20, more like $15 to $17

If you can find Switchback Ridge (Peterson Family) from Napa, this is cut from the same cloth as Paloma and Pride Mountain merlots, which is to say lush and at the top of the CA merlot heirarchy. Same winemaker. About $50 and well worth it.

I'll throw a vote in for the Coppolla Diamond Series. Pretty good stuff and not over-priced (at least for him). Very available around here.

Mike

I've long had an affection for L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot.

I agree -- at the very least, I think L'Ecole is pretty representative of the Washington state style of merlot.

Others I think might be worth taking a look at include Seven Hills Winery (if they bottle single-vineyard merlots from the Seven Hills Vineyard and Klipsun Vineyard, as they do with Cabernet Sauvignon, that would be a wonderful contrast in style) and Woodward Canyon. If Amavi makes a merlot, you might also check that out.

[Jenise]

Wow, so many great suggestions!

For the many of you who suggested L'Ecole, we're fans here, too. But we're torn: L'Ecole is what is elsewhere not so kindly referred to as a 'supermarket' brand. Which does not demean their quality--supermarkets in upper Washington ARE our wine stores--but it does mean it's a brand the people we're serving can discover themselves any day of the week. (Btw, they also bottle two appellations, a Walla Walla and a cheaper Columbia Valley.) My partner in crime Jim definitely wants to serve the Walla Walla, where I'd like to fish a little deeper for some of the brands people SHOULD get acquainted with like Abeja (thanks for confirming Randy, now I just have to find some. Thanks for the other names, too.)

Mind you, out of the 50 people we serve at these tastings if five people actually remember a week later what they tasted that would be a lot, but still, I work for those five. The others just come along for the ride.

Bruce, not sure of Seven Hills. Total agreement on Amavi. Woodward Canyon may not even make a merlot any more. And if they do they probably don't make single vineyards--the move toward syrah in this state has been at the expense of merlot.

Bernard, noted on the Switchback Ridge, I'll put that on my shopping list. I know there'd be no chance of getting Pride or Paloma.

Haven't seen the Sterling Dynamite. Didn't Sinsky or--oh shoot, can't think of the name, 'C' word, the winery sold about five years ago and the label's gone--make a zinfandel called Dynamite? But it might be around. Noted.

Coppola, eh? Wouldn't have thought. It's very available around here, would make a good California entry for the snack wines. Ditto the Markham--glad to hear they're still making a good merlot. I remember it from a long time ago as a great value, but wouldn't have counted on things not changing. All your kudos say it's still in the game.

Re Matanzas Creek--yesterday I went to Costco and picked up a bottle, vintage 03 and appellation Sonoma/Bennett Valley (wherezat?). Also picked up an 03 Franciscan Oakville. Actually, both were pretty nice. I took them to an open house and let people discuss them. The MC was nothing like the MC of old, very red fruited, black cherry and pomegranate, with spice, very nice acidity and no noticeable oak. Major yum, in fact. The Franciscan showed more oak and had a mix of black and red fruit, also a bit of tannin grip on the finish. The pinot-oriented tasters all preferred the MC (including me), where the CalCab crowd ere more attracted to the Franciscan. Both nice wines for the prices, $18 and $15 respectively.

Brian, agreed on the Clos Du Val, I've always liked their wines. Would be a good choice if I can find it for the moderate price point.

Joe--you, reccomending Leonetti? I must be hearing things.

The "C" was Carmenet, Jenise.

[/quote]

Joe--you, reccomending Leonetti? I must be hearing things.

I hear that Leonetti has backed off on the new wood. I cannot personally confirm that.

For the many of you who suggested L'Ecole, we're fans here, too. But we're torn: L'Ecole is what is elsewhere not so kindly referred to as a 'supermarket' brand. Which does not demean their quality--supermarkets in upper Washington ARE our wine stores--but it does mean it's a brand the people we're serving can discover themselves any day of the week. (Btw, they also bottle two appellations, a Walla Walla and a cheaper Columbia Valley.) My partner in crime Jim definitely wants to serve the Walla Walla, where I'd like to fish a little deeper for some of the brands people SHOULD get acquainted with like Abeja (thanks for confirming Randy, now I just have to find some. Thanks for the other names, too.)

Mind you, out of the 50 people we serve at these tastings if five people actually remember a week later what they tasted that would be a lot, but still, I work for those five. The others just come along for the ride.

Interesting comment, Jenise. Especially when you look at the following:

Re Matanzas Creek--yesterday I went to Costco and picked up a bottle, vintage 03 and appellation Sonoma/Bennett Valley (wherezat?). Also picked up an 03 Franciscan Oakville.

Inhteresting winegeek approach, I think. And not unlike the way I would approach it, I might add.

So the intent is not primarily to have a tasting to showcase the better range of merlots available from WA and CA? And not even to showcase the representative styles of merlot from WA and CA?

Is the intent to select merlots that are not easily and readily available? Could it be the intent is for Jenise to display how sophisticated and knowledgeable she is, and to introduce her acquaintances to wines they've never had before? [I will hastily interject here that this is much the same approach and attitude I would take in the same circumstance, so it's not that I'm jumping on you, Jenise, as I am pointing out how we winegeeks think. We all want to be 'bringers of discoveries', don't we?]

No, wait, that can't be it, because Costco (and especially so in WA) is the very definition of what is easily and readily available in the common market.

So......I admit I am confused. Supermarket (even good supermarkets) wines are...well, not "bad", but not to be done, but Costco wines are...well, not necessarily "good", but okay?

Joe--you, reccomending Leonetti? I must be hearing things.

Joe is looking at the long range, Jenise. Part of his canny strategy.

He buys up the Leonetti and hides it away. When the fruit has totally died out and there's nothing but dessicated, dusty oak and oxidation and vague, haunted memories of flavor, he laps it up with glee.

We call it his 'Rioja' approach.

Oh, and I forgot.

You said "Sonoma/Bennet Valley....wherezat?"

Bennet Valley is where the Matanzas Creek Winery is located (and where Jess Jackson lives btw). It is just southeast of Santa Rosa, and pretty much due west of Rohnert Park/Hwy 101. It's a beautiful little valley, flush up against the western slope of Sonoma Mountain. Growers mostly, outside of Matanzas Creek. The AVA was designated just a couple of years ago.