480608 Fri Jan 18 08:03:04 -0800 2008 76 34 Wine 0 3307967 What does everyone recommend for their best merlot? I've become a huge merlot fan lately and want to try out different brands. Not looking for anything too expensive though... Fri Jan 18 08:03:05 -0800 2008 112406 Chew on That 1 3308089 First off, I would have to say there is no such thing as "best," but rather -- everyone has his or her own favorites, and with that, your mileage may vary . . . Secondly, what do you mean by "not too expensive"? Obviously this, too, varies with every individual. (For the purposes of this post, I'll keep any suggestions at $30 or less.) So, having said that -- and presuming we are talking about wines other than St.-Émilions and Pomerols -- I generally prefer the Merlots of Washington State to California, but clearly there are a number of exceptions to that statement. One of my all-time favorite California Merlots is the Storrs Merlot, San Ysidro District AVA (not their Central Coast bottling). It's in the high-$20s/low-$30s. Frog's Leap and Robert Keenan are two others, both in the same price range. One of my favorite Washington Merlot producers is L'Ecole No. 41, which starts in the low-$20s. Waterbrook Merlot from Washington State is delightful and in the low $20s. So, too, are the Merlots from Chateau Ste. Michelle, and even their sister winery, Columbia Crest, is quite tasty for their sub-$10 price! Canoe Ridge is another Washington Merlot in the low $20s that is well worthwhile. That should be a start . . . Cheers, Jason Fri Jan 18 08:29:12 -0800 2008 3307967 28122 zin1953 1 3308244 I'm particularly fond of Washington State Merlots. Chateau Ste Michelle makes a couple of tasty ones that are pretty widely available. Also, the winemaker at St. Supery in Rutherford, Napa Valley says merlot is his favorite grape, and their Merlot definitely reflects his preference. Delicious! Fri Jan 18 09:00:27 -0800 2008 3307967 52499 ChefJune 2 3309213 Agreed on St. Supery, especially the reserves (Dollarhide). Also, St. Francis reserve Merlots. Fri Jan 18 12:26:48 -0800 2008 3308244 49232 aacharya 1 3309132 I wouldn't leave out St.-Émilions and Pomerols, after all, if you want to really know what Merlot is like, these offer some of the best, and often at excellent values. Château Pipeau is always a good value as is Clos de l'Oratoire. Of course, these wines are often best if cellared for a while, so maybe Chew on That doesn't want to wait. Fri Jan 18 12:09:31 -0800 2008 3307967 11814 dinwiddie 2 3309525 "I wouldn't leave out St.-Émilions and Pomerols" Amen. For all of the well-deserved griping about the prices of 2005 Bordeaux, there are legitimate bargains to be had. The quality of this vintage is undeniable. I have had some low level '05s ( wines that would fail to impress in a lesser vintage ) that are magnificent NOW ( with significant decanting ) and are priced at $12-25. Almost all of the lower level Bordeaux have a significant amount of Merlot and you'd be hard pressed to find many CA bottles that would compare to these in this price range. Fri Jan 18 13:32:06 -0800 2008 3309132 158444 brupnow 3 3309613 Please share the names of some of your favorite bargains please! Fri Jan 18 13:52:49 -0800 2008 3309525 89969 moh 4 3309670 My new school night red...2005 Chateaux de Brondeau 'Bordeax Superieur'. As I said, in lesser vintages, the 'Superieur' often means 'yuck' but not in '05. It's a special vintage. $12 is ridiculously cheap for this wine. I'll look up some of the others I've tried but that one stood out. I'd encourage experimentation. The wines have been universally good thus far. I'm sure there will be a lot of 'finds'. Fri Jan 18 14:08:46 -0800 2008 3309613 158444 brupnow 1 3310423 I agree with all of zin1953's Washington recommendations~ but must add my own personal Washington favorite merlot... Fidelitas. It's the mid to upper $20 range and wonderful with a steak off the grill and some chocolate! Fri Jan 18 18:18:23 -0800 2008 3307967 135133 washingtonred 1 3314202 Faure-Beausejour from Fronsac is really good for the price ($13). Actually, a lot of wine from Fronsac is an excellent value, even after it gets the trans-Atlantic markup. Might be a little harder to find though. Canoe Ridge is owned by Chateau St. Michelle. It's their fancy label. In general, I think CSM is perfectly fine but not what I would call "best" if we are simply talking the stuff you can find on the shelves at Fred Meyer. (Canoe Ridge is obviously a different story.) If I want a Washington bordeaux blend, I turn to Hedges Red Mountain. It's so good. Sun Jan 20 10:23:34 -0800 2008 3307967 126908 iwantmytwodollars 2 3314761 Keep in mind that -- regardless of the question posed by the OP -- it's not a function of "best" (whatever that means). I'm the one who first mentioned CSM, and I did so with the admonishment that, lacking any sort of budgetary guidelines in the original post, I was setting the admittedly arbitrary limit of $30 or less. If price is no object, I'll take Pétrus. Sun Jan 20 14:13:04 -0800 2008 3314202 28122 zin1953 3 3315873 Yes, I understand as you previously stated you hate the term best. And I agree that is a subjective issue. What I wanted to clarify for the original poster is that Canoe Ridge is owned by CSM, not a seperate business entity. That's all. Sun Jan 20 22:21:40 -0800 2008 3314761 126908 iwantmytwodollars 4 3315883 Swanson Merlot & Rocca Merlot.....even Miles (from Sideways) would like these. Sun Jan 20 22:26:08 -0800 2008 3315873 104459 drumwine 5 3351017 Merlot is just about the last varietal I think of when choosing a wine. Nonetheless, a guest brought over a bottle of Swanson Merlot one evening and it was stunning: powerful, clean, concentrated without being jammy. The other one that totally knocked my socks off was Pride's -- intense blackberry and blueberry fruit. Phenomenal, actually. But not cheap. And by the way, the joke regarding Merlot in Sideways is lost on many -- the '61 Cheval Blanc that Miles is saving for a special occasion during the movie and that he drinks at the end is a Merlot-Cab Franc blend. Thu Jan 31 00:39:40 -0800 2008 3315883 18222 maria lorraine 6 3352803 and, of course, if Miles were the wine geek that he is portrayed to be, he would have known that. Thu Jan 31 12:25:25 -0800 2008 3351017 31795 ibstatguy 7 3353065 In the book though it makes more sense. He says he thinks Cab Franc and Merlot are both blending grapes and not fit to be bottled alone. This doesn't come across very well in the movie though. Of course I disagree because the Cab Fran's from the Loire are some of my favorite reds. Thu Jan 31 13:32:00 -0800 2008 3352803 86802 vanillagorilla 6 3354471 True, but the "reverse" joke is that while most St.-Émilionsare Merlot-dominant, Château Cheval Blanc is approx. 67% Cab Franc and 33% Merlot, so . . . . Thu Jan 31 21:45:25 -0800 2008 3351017 28122 zin1953 7 3354624 Jason, would you mind sharing some info from that vast storehouse that is your cranium? I've just checked the blending ratios of Cheval Blanc going back to 1993, and it pretty consistently seems to be around 55 Cab Franc, 45 Merlot. What I had heard over the years was that the blend was about 50-50, so my impression wasn't quite accurate. When I checked 1961 (Miles's wine), it WAS at 66 CF/33 Merlot, but the only other year that resembled that blending ratio was 2002. I'm a bit confused because Frank Prial wrote in The New York Times that "Cheval Blanc, one of the greatest of all the Bordeaux properties, is usually nearly 70 percent cabernet franc and 30 percent merlot." Yet when I've checked the blends for the last 15 years, they don't match what Prial says. 2000 was the only year I could find that was Merlot-dominant: 53%Merlot/47%Cabernet Franc. So what's the scoop on the blend? Seems like it's evolved to be pretty much the 55CF/45M I mentioned. Do you have a different take? Thu Jan 31 23:33:22 -0800 2008 3354471 18222 maria lorraine 8 3355274 Frank Prial and I are both dinosaurs who often (OK, "probably" in Frank's case) write from memory without researching the facts first. In his definitive work, "The Great Wine Châteaux of Bordeaux" (©1975), Hubrecht Duijker writes, "Highly characteristic of Cheval Blanc is the unorthodox way in which the vineyard is planted: there is not Cabernet Sauvignon at all. The vine species used two-thirds Cabernet Franc, almost one-third Merlot and just one hectare of Malbec." (page 168) In "The Wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol" (© 1983), Jeffery Benson & Alastair Mackenzie write, of Cheval Blanc, "The estate comprises 42 hectares of which there are 35.11 of vines (33% Merlot, 66% Bouchet [a local name for Cabernet Franc], 1% Pressac [a local name for Malbec]." (page 54) In "Bordeaux: A Legenday Wine" (© 1998), Michel Dovaz writes,"The miracle of a success story like this is due to a white horse, and to the wine itself -- a sublimated expression of cabernet franc (60 percent) in a harmonious blend with merlot and a bunch or two of malbec." (page 235) Additionally, in a chart at the bottom of the page, he lists the grape varieties as follows: "60% CF, 37% M, 2% malbec, 1% CS." This is the ONLY published reference I can recall seeing that indicates there is Cabernet Sauvignon planted at Ch. Cheval Blanc. ALL THIS ASIDE . . . . Keep in mind there is generally a distinct difference between what is planted in the vineyard, and what is in the wine. In each of the above cases, the figures given apply to what is PLANTED in the vineyard. This is typically the figure most people use when speaking of what grapes are found in "Château 'X'." It is only when one mentions a specific vintage that the percentages of grapes will typically refer to the wine, rather than to the vineyard. Now, in fairness, I have to add that London merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd list the following information on their website: "Cheval Blanc's vineyards (Merlot 39%, Cabernet Franc 57%, Malbec 3%, Cabernet Sauvignon 1%) enjoy a variety of soils: gravel, clay and sand, all underpinned by an impermeable sedimentary rock (`crasse de fer')." I don't know when this information was written, but here, too, it's worth noting the mention of Cabernet Sauvignon. And finally, on Château Cheval Blanc's own website -- http://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/flash/cheval.htm -- they write, "[T]he single block of Cheval Blanc's 37 hectares combine a top-quality wine growing soil with an original mix of grape varieties, Cabernet Franc and Merlot." But no percentages are given. So . . . . Cheers, Jason Fri Feb 01 07:59:42 -0800 2008 3354624 28122 zin1953 7 3357797 and Miles was similarly dismissive of Cab Franc...maybe I've seen it one too many times... Fri Feb 01 21:24:04 -0800 2008 3354471 31795 ibstatguy 8 3363606 Did he mention cab franc in the movie? I remember it in the book, but it's been a long time since I've seen the movie. Mon Feb 04 10:23:42 -0800 2008 3357797 86802 vanillagorilla 9 3364408 yes, it was in the tasting room where he and his buddy meet Sandra Oh Mon Feb 04 13:45:47 -0800 2008 3363606 31795 ibstatguy 4 3316349 Yes, but . . . Stimson Lane -- the wine division of US Tobacco -- owns Chateau Ste. Michelle. They also own Columbia Crest and Domaine Ste. Michelle, as well as these other wineries in Washington State: Col Solare, Northstar (which, BTW, is dedicated to making Merlot), Red Diamond, Snoqualmie, Spring Valley Vineyard, Stimson Lane Cellars (a line of "fighting varietal" 1.5Ls) , and a label I've never heard of, 14 Hands. In Calfiornia, they also own Conn Creek and Villa Mt. Eden (both in Napa), and they have a Monterey project called Distant Bay. Canoe Ridge is in partnership with the Chalone Group, not Stimson Lane. Cheers, Jason Mon Jan 21 07:12:16 -0800 2008 3315873 28122 zin1953 5 3316669 I got a bottle of 14 Hands Merlot, Patterson, WA at the Chronicle Wine Shop in Pasadena two years ago. It was a '02 and my notes say it didn't have any nose but the flavor was lively with dark berries on the finish. It cost $7.95, which might explain why nobody has heard of it, but it wasn't bad. Mon Jan 21 08:57:26 -0800 2008 3316349 14128 BN1 6 3316684 I bought the Indaba Merlot for around $8, and for an $8 bottle of wine, it was very pleasant. In general, I have enjoyed the QPR of all the Indaba wines I have tried. Can't drink Amarone every day!!! Mon Jan 21 09:01:16 -0800 2008 3316669 89969 moh 5 3317060 I believe they also own Erath in Oregon. Mon Jan 21 10:44:59 -0800 2008 3316349 86802 vanillagorilla 6 3317369 Yes, as of May 2006. (Thanks for catching my omission.) Mon Jan 21 12:12:22 -0800 2008 3317060 28122 zin1953 5 3317585 I just realized we are talking about two totally different things. I was referring to the merlot made by CSM from their Canoe Ridge vineyard, which says "Canoe Ridge" on the label and CSM at the bottom. But you were referring to Canoe Ridge Vineyards, (capital V), of the Chalone group? Sorry for the confusion! Mon Jan 21 13:12:42 -0800 2008 3316349 126908 iwantmytwodollars 6 3336779 just to fully clear up the confusion, Canoe Ridge is a place. It's a ridge near one of the widest spots on the Columbia River which was named by Louis and Clark because they thought it looked like an upside down canoe. CSM and Chalone planted vineyards there around the same time and some very nice wines have come from this location. In fact Canoe Ridge Vineyard (Chalone, now Diageo) has quite a reputation for their Merlot. As far as the "best merlot" question, all these mentioned are good and seem to fall into three categories...California, Washington, and Bordeaux. For my money, Washington Merlot wins out. Lots of character and affordable, some great finds between $15 and $30. if you want to spend a little more, and can find it, Abeja makes a great merlot, I think it's $40 or $50. Sat Jan 26 21:40:55 -0800 2008 3317585 49011 bwave 1 3315913 I'm not a merlot fan but one I like is Havens. Sun Jan 20 22:52:57 -0800 2008 3307967 11117 SteveTimko 2 3335659 I like just about everything they do, except for their albarino... Sat Jan 26 12:57:38 -0800 2008 3315913 31795 ibstatguy 3 3336272 what don't you like about it? too acidic for you? Sat Jan 26 17:06:02 -0800 2008 3335659 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 3336805 yes, no balance to it when I tasted it. moreover, you can get very, very good albarinos from spain for less than the havens. Sat Jan 26 21:55:46 -0800 2008 3336272 31795 ibstatguy 1 3315932 for good, affordable [$25 and under], i like: rabbit ridge flora springs columbia crest casa lapostolle markham Sun Jan 20 23:11:17 -0800 2008 3307967 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 3316375 under $30 I really like Sterling Merlot, california..also Columbia crest, washington Mon Jan 21 07:20:17 -0800 2008 3307967 115868 burlgurl 2 3336273 another vote for sterling - a favorite that i somehow omitted from my list. Sat Jan 26 17:06:43 -0800 2008 3316375 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 3316740 The consensus favorite of my wife and I is deLorimier, Geyserville, CA, which cost $19.69 at the Bottle Barn for what I bought this year. We also enjoyed L’Ecole No. 41, Northstar and Swanson. Although I’ve tried and I’ve tried, I’m always under whelmed by Columbia Crest, but that’s just my taste. Mon Jan 21 09:16:47 -0800 2008 3307967 14128 BN1 1 3318330 unfortunately "best" and "not too expensive" really don't go together but...if you want best domestic merlot for you money: paloma pride swithcback ridge robert foley they are all about $50-$65 each. Mon Jan 21 16:43:08 -0800 2008 3307967 79299 rickym13 2 3318915 >>> unfortunately "best" and "not too expensive" really don't go together but... <<< True, but "best" is nothing more than a matter of individual taste, and there are several domestic Merlots in the $30 range I prefer to those you mentioned, as well as several in the $75+ range that I prefer. This does not mean I disagree with your list. I think those are four very fine choices. I'm merely pointing out that it all boils down to one's own individual likes and dislikes. Cheers, Jason Mon Jan 21 19:42:40 -0800 2008 3318330 28122 zin1953 3 3322177 i agree with you jason...those 4 that i have listed are all fruit forward and very much influence or made by robert foley. i also do like older pahlmeyer and lewis merlot as well as some of right bank stuff but those have much higher price tag. i did have nice argentina merlot @ $13+/- called vina cobos la garto, imported by paul hobbs i think? Tue Jan 22 16:42:41 -0800 2008 3318915 79299 rickym13 1 3319416 OP hasn't come back to give any direction or explain what "not too expensive" means. I honestly haven't purchased a single Merlot-based wine in years. However, though I haven't had the most recent vintages of it, I would say that Clos Apalta has always impressed me and it isn't TOO expensive... Tue Jan 22 00:19:08 -0800 2008 3307967 50041 whiner 2 3321021 Hadn't had a Merlot for quite awhile, picked up a bottle of 2005 Dynamite at Sams for $10.00. It was pretty good. Tue Jan 22 12:07:00 -0800 2008 3319416 53854 WyCo 1 3327014 Chateau Gombaude Guillot - 1998 Pomerol Thu Jan 24 05:12:50 -0800 2008 3307967 16959 Caillerets 1 3334662 As other have mentioned, there are some great right bank Bordeaux in that price range. For example, I just got a case of 2004 D'Aiguilhe (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Côtes de Castillon) for under $20 (Zachy's) which I was really impressed with. For domestic it is going to cost you more money. Most domestic Merlot is plonk (maybe a few good inexpensive ones from Washington state). Stick to the 3 P's. Paloma, Pahlmeyer and Pride. For some reason, Spring Mountain makes some really good Merlot. I would throw in Schafer as well. Last week I had a 1996 Arrrowood Merlot that was pretty good as well. Sat Jan 26 05:32:41 -0800 2008 3307967 116315 Latinpig 2 3336040 It pains me to read that you bought the D'Aiguilhe 2004 for less than $20/bottle; it is about $40 here in Canada due to our horrible liquor taxes. D'Aiguilhe, by the way, is (I believe) Michel Rolland's winery. I think his family actually owns that one (which may lead some people to be biased against it, along with the fact that it is around 14% Alc/Vol and has the friendly fruit-forward quality of a new world wine. I like it, though, and think it is a particularly good steak or slow-cooked beef short-rib wine.) Sat Jan 26 15:30:50 -0800 2008 3334662 99971 anewton 1 3338891 I tend to get my hands on some wines that are pretty hard to come across but, just in case, a few of my favorites are: O'Brien Family (Napa) Chateau Christina (Monterey) Midnight Cellars (Paso Robles) Isenhower (Washington) Hall (Napa) Frick (Sonoma) Sun Jan 27 17:37:53 -0800 2008 3307967 11405 Midlife 1 3339174 i am ignoring not too expensive (sorry but seems covered) and going straight to best ...Behrens & Hitchcock Merlot ... any time I have served or been served this lovely wine I am stunned. It knocks the socks off of adamant Merlot haters and lovers alike ...splurge and buy a bottle ... absolutely yummy but it might wreck you for anything else! Sun Jan 27 19:16:59 -0800 2008 3307967 32946 oliveoyl 2 3339335 a couple of questions about the b&h: which region [oakville, napa, mendocino]? favorite/best vintage? 2002? always happy to discover a new special occasion bottle! Sun Jan 27 20:26:51 -0800 2008 3339174 103920 goodhealthgourmet 3 3339400 The Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot is usually a good bet (and not too expensive, either). Sun Jan 27 20:51:10 -0800 2008 3339335 99971 anewton 3 3354505 I've had the Oakville, Fortuna .. isn't it in Napa? I have a few bottle of 2000 around. Have had later vintages .. all good never a bad one, it's probably more a matter of what you can find. I've also had their Cabs ..also highly recommended! Thu Jan 31 22:03:35 -0800 2008 3339335 32946 oliveoyl 2 3342851 if ignoring expense (and focusing on domestic), IMO there is no better merlot than Blankiet. Mon Jan 28 19:09:43 -0800 2008 3339174 31795 ibstatguy 3 3343100 ok, i'm confused...aren't B&H and Blankiet completely different wineries? Mon Jan 28 20:40:15 -0800 2008 3342851 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 3343320 yes but as oliveoyl "threw down" a vote for the "best" I wanted to weigh in with my "best" regardless of price. and BTW, there have been big ownership changes at B&H over the last year or so. Mon Jan 28 23:00:52 -0800 2008 3343100 31795 ibstatguy 5 3343357 mea culpa. i completely read your post wrong - i thought it said there WAS better merlot than Blankiet - as though it was oliveoyl's pick and you were disagreeing with her. Mon Jan 28 23:47:41 -0800 2008 3343320 103920 goodhealthgourmet 5 3354513 wasn't a "throw down" .. whatever that might mean. I didn't think this was a competition .. we all have different tastes and experiences and I merely expressed my own. Haven't had Blankiet Merlot, perhaps it is superior to B&H. Thu Jan 31 22:07:28 -0800 2008 3343320 32946 oliveoyl 6 3357795 the comment was a bit tongue in cheek...and I'm a big fan of B&H and some of the new spin offs like Rob't Nenow Fri Feb 01 21:22:51 -0800 2008 3354513 31795 ibstatguy 1 3343158 I have to say that I'm not a fan of Merlot, but when I had the Merlot from Schweiger Vineyards on Spring Mountain, in Napa I was floored. Its not inexpensive, the best price I've seen is $28, but in my estimation, well worth the money. Spring Mountain is referred to as "Cab Mountain" and Schweiger's cabs are fantastic, but as I said, their Merlot hit a home run with me. Mon Jan 28 21:03:17 -0800 2008 3307967 116629 altajoe 2 3359026 Many people nowadays aren't fans of Merlot since it's so abundant and few are very good. That is, until they taste the better ones rather than the generic crap that's mass produced. However, as you said, Schweiger makes some good reds. And if everybody drank some Merlot from Shafer, Duckhorn, Pride, Paloma, etc., there would be more Merlot fans out there. Sat Feb 02 13:22:14 -0800 2008 3343158 84603 baron45 3 3360661 There can be good merlot, but I think the big problem is the grape itself. Unless you get a really good climate and soil, it's just a blending grape. Sun Feb 03 07:04:09 -0800 2008 3359026 11117 SteveTimko 4 3361285 I'm not much of a Merlot fan myself, but it is supposedly the largest selling single red varietal (including where it dominates a blend) in the US market. That statement covers all price points and would seem to be because it is affordable and more 'approachable' than other reds for the mass market. Sun Feb 03 11:24:24 -0800 2008 3360661 11405 Midlife 4 3361286 that's kind of a descriptor for most grapes though, no? Sun Feb 03 11:24:40 -0800 2008 3360661 31795 ibstatguy 4 3361488 No, no, no . . . The problem with Merlot is that -- you know, new thread. Sun Feb 03 12:42:52 -0800 2008 3360661 28122 zin1953 2 4122643 Having grown up at a winery on Spring Mountain, I have to say that's the first I'd heard it called "Cab Mountain." That said, it's not surprising, since there are a lot of great cabs there and almost everybody pays the mortgage with cab money. Merlot is more finicky on the mountain, producing top-tier flavor complexity and profiles on a less regular basis than cab sauv or cab franc, but when it works it really works. I'd even go as far as to say that the absolute best wines on Spring Mountain, if you had 5+ vintages to pick from, would probably be merlot. It's just that on average, the best varietal would be cab sauv. I'm no fan of wine spectator, but their pick of 2001 Paloma Merlot for their 2003 wine of the year is sort of indicative of what can come off of Spring Mountain. Spring Mountain wineries with Spring Mountain Merlot fruit mentioned in this thread: Paloma, Pride, Schweiger, possibly Behrens & Hitchcock but I've never figured out what they're really about and where they are. Wed Oct 22 18:50:48 -0700 2008 3343158 17221 SteveG 1 3354793 I LOVE Northstar from Washington State. Duckhorn and Pine Ridge both make an excellent merlot. At a tasting recently I tried the Beringer Howell Mountain Merlot and was very impressed. I thought it was very good. If money were no object, than Petrus or Masseto please! Fri Feb 01 05:12:04 -0800 2008 3307967 62812 chickstein 2 3404102 If you like Northstar, try DiStefano, it's less expensive but just good (if not better) IMO. Sat Feb 16 10:00:50 -0800 2008 3354793 70760 pierrot 3 3404114 DiStefano DOES do a wonderful job . . . Sat Feb 16 10:06:07 -0800 2008 3404102 28122 zin1953 4 3404148 I just tasted through their line up a few days ago and was pretty impressed with all their stuff. Their Meritage style was really good, a very vibrant acidity, the Syrah reminded me of some St. Josephs that I have had, though with more forward oak and a rich mocha tone underneath. Sat Feb 16 10:22:11 -0800 2008 3404114 70760 pierrot 1 3403921 An excellent Merlot not mentioned so far - unless I missed it - is the Sagelands. We recently opened an '02 (!), and it is still excellent and has another year to go. (Purchased at the winery and stored properly since, it must be added.) Very reasonably priced, too. Sat Feb 16 08:45:12 -0800 2008 3307967 11332 Steve K 1 3425559 Doesn't anyone drink Argentine Merlot? While I don't dispute the qualities of a good Washington State merlot, look south vino-lovers, way south. You might be surprised. There is a much different flavor profile found in Merlot from the southern hemisphere; it's not as grapey and has much more of an earthy flavor to it. Trapiche makes a good merlot (as well as a great Malbec); Michel Torino is also delicious and my favorite is the Monte Lindo Alta Vista merlot. Fri Feb 22 15:38:24 -0800 2008 3307967 14083 cooknKate 2 3430960 It's not that I have never "looked south" when it comes to Merlot. It's that I've never had any Merlot worthy of note from Argentina or Chile. YMMV. Cheers, Jason Sun Feb 24 18:38:08 -0800 2008 3425559 28122 zin1953 3 3434257 not to be clueless but I am YMMV? Mon Feb 25 17:08:34 -0800 2008 3430960 14083 cooknKate 4 3434356 Sorry. "Your Mileage May Vary." Mon Feb 25 17:42:08 -0800 2008 3434257 28122 zin1953 1 3444287 I just had a 2006 Montes Malbec (not the upline Alpha) that was excellent. The $8.99 price tag was a bonus. Thu Feb 28 11:52:05 -0800 2008 3307967 156760 karmalaw 2 3445515 Montes makes a decent pinot as well. Thu Feb 28 17:50:35 -0800 2008 3444287 11117 SteveTimko 3 3445786 there are some very nice pinots from the patagonian region of Argentina too. Thu Feb 28 19:37:42 -0800 2008 3445515 156760 karmalaw 1 4122533 My very favorite Merlot right now is Horse Heaven Hills Columbia Crest 2005. I've tried a lot of suggestions but this is fantastic, affordable wine for every day. Cheers! Wed Oct 22 18:04:26 -0700 2008 3307967 234477 lushbutterfly 1 4122666 Hm-m-m. I must have missed this thread, but just in time for Halloween, it has come back to life. For the record (excluding some form Pomerol, that are just not than available to me) I am a big fan of two: Dan Duckhorn's Napa Merlot Beringer Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch Merlot In a pinch, Joseph Phelps' Napa Merlot will work, as will Groth's. Hunt Wed Oct 22 19:03:26 -0700 2008 3307967 11329 Bill Hunt