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+--- Thread: So, What's the Deal With Merlot? (/thread-13357.html)
- Auburnwine - 07-03-2002
Recognizing, of course, that wine drinking goes through trends of action and reaction, I'd like your (unbiased) opinion on the current standing of Merlot.
There was a good bit of junk sold as Merlot, as supply and demand couldn't quite find their equilibrium.
I moved away from it, in favor of Zins and Cabs and Syrahs and blends. However, I have had a couple of lovely bottles of Merlot lately. I had forgotten how good and substantial it could be.
I posted on the Merlot topic, asking opinions on the 99 Chateau Souverain Alexander Valley (rated 92 in WS) and no one responded. Is no one drinking it?
- Thomas - 07-03-2002
Today's Merlot could be tomorrow's plonk. Every wine is an individual product with its own life and life span. The idea is to not get hung up on brand names or grape variety names. Taste a lot, decide what you like for yourself, and then consume it. It's a wonderful cycle of events that lasts a lifetime. As you can see by your Merlot experience, there is no percentage in painting every wine with one brush.
- Innkeeper - 07-03-2002
Merlot is, was, and always has been a single dimensional wine (usually plums) as a varietal. Things that can add dimensions to it include oak (hopefully not one of two), age of vines, and terroir. Only a tiny percentage of the varietal merlot that is on the market today or yesterday, for that matter, contain more than the first two dimensions.
Merlot's historical role has been as a blending wine; with cabernet sauvignon on the West Bank of the Garrone, and with cabernet franc on the East Bank. The best New World wines contain it in the blend.
There are some (underlined) tiny, tiny places in both the Old World and the New where all things come together just right to produce nice varietal merlot. There are just about an equal number of winemakers who have the talent to "make" a decent varietal merlot out of very little.
Why then, you may ask is merlot so popular. The answer is the French Parodox. Following this disclosure of this on 60 Minutes, people flocked to wine stores and restaurants looking for red wine. What they found at the time, unfortunately, was varietal cabernet sauvignon. At that time this was, for the most part, excellent wine that needed some time in the rack. Not willing to wait, the newcomers said phooie. Then the few producers of varietal merlot became the heros because it was so approachable. So thousands of acres were planted in all the wrong places. Now, you know the rest of the story.
- winoweenie - 07-03-2002
And Auburnvino to tell the other side of the story....In Pomerol the Merlot grape is king. The most expensive, most exquisite, and rarest of all red wines are made in a modest 3500-4000 case amount are from the famous Petrus Vineyard. These are wines of legendary concentration and finesse that have the ability to age far beyond anything with the exception of Latour in Paullic. Almost as good are the marvelous juices put out by Trotanoy. Don't go shopping for either until you hit the Super Lotto. WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 07-04-2002).]