A few things have happened since I started writing about Merlot every #MerlotThursday.
First, I’ve gained a fresh appreciation for the variety and all its styles and nuances. Second, I’ve gotten better–not perfect, but better–at recognizing Merlot in blind tastings. And third, people have started to approach me with their Merlot stories. The last Merlot they drank, why they think Merlot is underrated, how they’ve tried to get into Merlot but still don’t like it.
That last one comes up a lot, actually. People have opinions about Merlot. That it’s too fruity, too sweet, too oaky, too boring, too soft. Sometimes the Merlot I pour for them confirms those preconceptions, and sometimes it overturns them. Sometimes it’s both at once–as it was last night with this bottle of Clos Pegase from Napa Valley.
Fruity? Absolutely. It’s packed with ripe red fruit. A mushroom cloud of smashed raspberry vapor rises from the neck of the bottle as soon as the cork comes out. It tastes of tart cherries and pomegranate, reminding you unequivocally that wine is fruit juice. It isn’t sweet at all–but for those who prefer their red wine to taste like leather and rocks, the intensity is almost candy-like.
Over-oaked? Not this bottle. Merlot loves oak, winemakers love to clobber Merlot with a barrel, and we’ve all tasted those plodding, plum-pudding Merlots often enough to be sick of them. But Clos Pegase’s oak is gentle and especially delicious–espresso grounds on the nose, a bit of coffee milk and brown sugar on the finish.
Boring? Perish the thought! This highly aromatic Merlot is full of surprises: Damp roses, piquillo chiles, black-pepper vodka, sour cold brew, fennel-seed biscotti. The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Carneros and the warmer northern benchlands of Napa Valley to provide a range of varietal characteristics. The nose keeps you guessing while the palate plies you with fruit.
Soft? Well…perhaps the Merlot haters score another point there. The texture is very soft. It’s barely heavier than medium-bodied. Relaxed, medium-plus tannins that fade into a finish of forest berries and caramel crème. A little Petit Verdot in the blend seems to add more spice than structure.
All in all, this is no “Cab drinker’s Merlot.” (A phrase I catch myself using sometimes, even though I hate it.) It’s a Merlot drinker’s Merlot–berry-ful, expressive, and ideal for early drinking.
Bottle: Clos Pegase Napa Valley Merlot (2023) – California, United States
Variety: Merlot (76%), Petit Verdot (16%), Petite Sirah (8%)
ABV: 14.5%
Suggested retail: $32.99
My rating: 8.9 (out of 10)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. (I tasted this bottle at work.) Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
On Thursdays, we Merlot! You can view archived #MerlotThursday reviews here.
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