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Merlot Thursday: Rombauer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published a feature titled “Two Decades After ‘Sideways,’ Merlot Is Ready for Redemption.” It’s the latest in a growing pile of “Merlot is back, baby!” journalism. In January 2026 at The New York Times, chief wine critic Eric Asimov included the varietal in his annual roundup of overlooked wine categories…
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Merlot Thursday: Murphy Goode California Merlot (2023)
I think and talk constantly about what makes a wine good. For a person whose wine life intersects the commercial, critical, and consumer spheres, a glass of juice is almost never just a glass of juice. But what if, once in a while, it could be? What if the little voice that’s always yammering on…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Angélus Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A (2020)
Château Angélus, on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, is famous for its natural amphitheater that captures the peals of nearby church bells. It’s equally known for its iconic, collectible Cabernet Franc-focused blends. And more recently, Angélus made wine-industry headlines for its exit from the Saint-Émilion classification system. Angélus attained the highest rank (Premier Grand Cru Classé A)…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Beau-Séjour Bécot Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé (2018)
My weekly Merlot is often found in ordinary places: I buy it from pizza joints and grocery stores, I quaff it at office parties and on barstools. It’s red, it’s fruity. I taste it earnestly and thirstily, no matter how humble the bottle. But occasionally, the Merlot encounter is quite extraordinary–glasses around a table with…
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Merlot Thursday: Duckhorn Vineyards 50th Anniversary Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
Duckhorn Vineyards is celebrating 50 years, and we are celebrating #MerlotThursday! Today, we’re drinking Merlot and raising a glass to founders Dan and Margaret Duckhorn. (Dan passed away earlier this year at the age of 87, just as this 50th anniversary edition was arriving in stores and restaurants. Margaret passed in 2022.) Carole Hicke interviewed…
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Merlot Thursday: Oyster Bay Hawkes Bay Merlot (2024)
New Zealand’s Oyster Bay is best known for their juggernaut of a Sauvignon Blanc, so it may surprise some readers that they also make a Merlot. Opening this bottle feels a bit like ordering the burger at a seafood restaurant. A coin toss. It’s either going to be, “Wow–that’s the best burger I’ve ever tasted!”…
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Merlot Thursday: Napa Cellars Merlot (2022) at GrapeFest
Happy #MerlotThursday from the 40th Annual GrapeFest in historic Grapevine, Texas. I took an early train this morning with one mission in mind: Find a Merlot and taste it before the sun goes down. I’m currently in the International Wine Experience garden, where wines from California and France are being poured in honor of the…
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Merlot Thursday: Markham Vineyards “Six Stack” North Coast Merlot (2023)
As Dallas continues to sprawl northward, newly-built steakhouses pop up along the Tollway overnight, like mushrooms. And, like a forager, I poke at them and turn them over. I’m looking for my next tasty prize: a new bottle for #MerlotThursday. J. Alexander’s has that odd, affluent-suburb combination of steaks and gooey sushi rolls, no happy…
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Merlot Thursday: Clos Pegase Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
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…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Tour Bayard Montagne Saint-Émilion (2022) + Bordeaux at TEXSOM
Can a centuries-old wine region learn new tricks? Bordeaux is undergoing a major effort to keep up with changes in drinking habits and in the climate. We’ve personally seen these modernization strategies on display at Wine Paris 2026 and this past week, at the TEXSOM Conference in North Texas. Some recent changes revolve around wine…
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Merlot Thursday: BriO de Cantenac Brown Margaux (2018)
Today’s #MerlotThursday wine is composed of just 50% Merlot–but I’m going to argue that it still counts. What can we say? We love Bordeaux blends and sometimes we fudge a little. “BriO” is the second label of Château Cantenac Brown, a classified Third Growth. It is, as we shall see, a fantastic value for Margaux.…
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Merlot Thursday: Les Chênes de Macquin Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2018)
Les Chênes de Macquin has been uncorked for #MerlotThursday! This Merlot-dominant blend (90%) serves as the second wine of the Premier Grand Cru Classé estate Château Pavie Macquin. It pours up a mouthwatering Bordeaux ruby color, with some garnet variation just starting to emerge across its rim. An oversized glass can barely contain the wonderfully layered aromas:…