A bright, berry-filled mountain Merlot is on the tasting table! It’s the latest bottle we’ve enjoyed from the “if you know, then you know” (don’t call it “emerging”) wine region of Virginia.
Tucked away in the Shenandoah Mountains of Madison County, DuCard Vineyards is a local destination for live music and boutique wine-tasting experiences. Their estate vineyards cover 20 acres of mountainside–a project that the owners describe as a “hobby gone wild.”
After several years of growing and selling grapes to neighbors–who often went on to win awards–they expanded into their own winery in 2010. Resident winemaker Julien Durantie oversees the vine plantings. These include several black varieties from his home region of Bordeaux, as well as Virginia specialties such as Viognier and Norton.
DuCard’s homegrown Merlot is a component of their Governor’s Cup medal-winning “Triskele” blend. In standout vintages, it’s also bottled as a varietal wine. The small annual production is sold mainly to loyal fans through the tasting room and mail order club.
Once again, I have wine writer Jesse Garrett (of JG Does Wine) to thank for dipping into his enviable cellar of Virginia wine-club bottles. Now, let’s drink some Merlot! 🍷
Tasting DuCard Vineyards Merlot
In the glass, it’s a medium berry-red color with purplish glints. A pronounced, pretty nose with dark red cherries, crème de menthe, chocolate, pipe tobacco, and black tea leaf with a touch of earth. Blackberry candies and jammy strawberry are lifted by cinnamon and fleeting baby-powder florals.
The palate is dominated by wild strawberry with traces of cinnamon, mint, and spiced orange rind. Alcohol and tannins are gentle. A barely-there framework of vanilla oak bookends the nose and back of the palate.
Wine folks in the habit of describing wines as medium-bodied, full-bodied, and so on. But this is a Merlot that defies those categories. At the front of the mouth, it’s rich–almost viscous. Then the vibrant acidity kicks in, giving the impression of a much lighter wine. The smooth, non-clinging tannins make a brief appearance, before bowing out in favor of persistent, pleasant berry flavors.
Serving notes: An hour of decanting unlocks some dried cherry and raisin notes that enhance rather than overshadow this Merlot’s purity of fruit. (I wouldn’t wait longer than that, because some of the aromatics are rather delicate once exposed to air.) I drank my share of the bottle at cellar temp because I wanted to smell everything that was in my glass–but you could choose to chill it by a few degrees for serving with savory canapés or cheese.
DuCard’s Merlot is a very charming wine, which is fruit-led and mild-mannered without being flimsy. The blend is 100% Merlot, which is aged in French oak for nine months.
This 2021 bottling was named to VinePair’s The 20 Best Merlots for 2025. The 2022 vintage is the current release and is priced at $42. It’s drinking beautifully at five years old–so open it now or soon.
Bottle: DuCard Vineyards Merlot (2021) – Virginia, United States
Variety: Merlot (100%)
ABV: 13%
Suggested retail: $36
My rating: 9.2 (out of 10)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
On Thursdays, we Merlot! See past #MerlotThursday reviews.
Leave a Comment