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Merlot Thursday: Boomtown by Dusted Valley Columbia Valley Merlot (2023)
It’s mind-boggling to think about just how new most of the New World wine regions are. Bordeaux was refining its Merlot in the Middle Ages and making lists of the top vineyards two centuries ago. By comparison, Washington’s Columbia Valley became an AVA in 1984. (Which, contrary to what social media is always trying to…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Simard Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2018)
Merlot Thursdays are taking us to wine regions far and wide–but it seems all roads lead back to Saint-Émilion. Bordeaux’s Right Bank, admittedly, isn’t the most imaginative place to commune with the variety. Still, it’s where I tend to end up when I want to drink Merlot at its most pleasing. Complex fragrance, abundant fruit,…
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Merlot Thursday: Bogle Family Vineyards California Merlot (2022)
Another #MerlotThursday is upon us…and dang it if I’m not behind on my Merlot tasting. The Wine Fairy is headed to a Hungarian wine class later this afternoon, where there will almost certainly not be any Merlot to write about. The hours are ticking down, and it seems the only option is to run out…
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Merlot Thursday: Feudi di San Gregorio Pàtrimo Campania Rosso IGT (2016)
Here we go again, tasting Merlots from near and far! Merlot lovers, it’s you and me against a 21-year-old road-trip movie. (That’s right–Sideways was released on October 22, 2004. So as of last week, it’s officially old enough to drink.) While somms and wine writers are working doggedly to bring Merlot back, there are places…
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Merlot Thursday: Goose Ridge “g3” Columbia Valley Merlot (2021)
Happy #MerlotThursday, wherever you happen to be imbibing! The Wine Fairy is at home, where I’m about to take a gander (sorry) at today’s wine, the “g3” Merlot from Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard. With 1800 acres under vine, Goose Ridge is the largest contiguous estate vineyard in Washington state. It sits between the Horse Heaven…
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Merlot Thursday: Le Petit Vauthier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2015)
After a long day of decisions and disappointments, sometimes you just feel like going for the sure thing. In this case, the sure thing is 10-year-old Right Bank Bordeaux, which has consistently been hitting just right. This 2015 Saint-Émilion came from the back room at The Wine Authority, where I spied the shipping box in…
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Merlot Thursday: Mouton Cadet “Les Terroirs” Bordeaux Rouge (2023)
Welcome to another #MerlotThursday, where we make a weeknight meal of a bottle of Merlot! (And usually some food, too.) Today’s wine is from the Mouton Cadet line of daily drinkers. The story of this label goes back to 1930, when a disastrous harvest resulted in wines that Baron Phillipe de Rothschild decided were not…
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Merlot Thursday: Tenuta Campo al Mare “Baia al Vento” Bolgheri Superiore (2019)
I hope I never stop encountering wines that defy description. Variety is the spice of life, they say. And that nagging side-brain itch you get when you’re trying to describe an aroma that just won’t let itself be assigned to any normal noun or adjective? I’m trying to learn to love that feeling, that little…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Gaby “Silver Label” Canon-Fronsac Bordeaux (2014)
For this #MerlotThursday, I hopped the (metaphorical) pond back over to France for a Bordeaux break. The venue is Winestein’s Tasting Room in Grapevine, where I’ve landed after a long and exciting afternoon of trying out Texans wines. The wine is Château Gaby “Silver Label.” (It’s the second wine from the Château. The “Gold Label”…
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Merlot Thursday: Matanzas Creek Alexander Valley Merlot (2021)
Happy, happy #MerlotThursday! Today we’re tasting the 2021 Matanzas Creek Winery Merlot from California’s Alexander Valley. Sonoma County winemakers since 1977, Matanzas Creek emphasizes cooler-climate sites and has built a reputation on their Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. A little Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Bordeaux-style red is also grown. Recently, the winery has branched out to…
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Merlot Thursday: Res Fortes “Merlot Madness” Vin de France (2021)
“Merlot Madness” may be the first #MerlotThursday wine to address the elephant in the room. “Unlike the Academy Award winning film ‘Sideways,’” the label reads, “we have always loved full fruit flavour, soft tannins, and easy drinkability.” Hey, we love all those things, too! A weekly dive into a glass of Merlot has reminded us…
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Merlot Thursday: Captûre Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak Merlot (2021)
There’s a certain rebellious thrill to matching a big wine with a small occasion. In this case, the small occasion was 5 PM on a workday. And the big wine was the 2021 Merlot from Captûre Wines’ Pine Mountain estate.* I ordered this glass as a #MerlotThursday splurge after narrowly surviving (an exaggeration, but only…