Merlot, Once Fashionable, Becomes Reasonable

Fashions in wine move on. Merlot, which at one time was the hottest red varietal going, has joined Chardonnay as “yesterday’s news” because there is too much of it and because it got too popular too quickly; once “everyone is drinking it,” the cognoscenti inevitably move on. Yogi Berra, that great American philosopher, once described this phenomenon as it affected a New York City restaurant: “That place is so crowded, nobody goes there anymore.”

It’s not that the wine has changed. Merlot is just as attractive as it has always been. It is especially popular with beginning wine drinkers because it is filled with ripe, round flavors: succulent red-cherry fruit with tea leaf or herbal notes and sometimes a hint of chocolate. It is also easier to drink at an early age because of its supple texture--its tannins are typically more moderate than those in bigger reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Syrah.

Interestingly, Merlot’s fall from fashion has come about even as plantings have simply exploded in California and Washington. As a result, there are more affordable Merlots on retail shelves than ever before. True, most top-quality, limited-production Merlots are still pricey, but even the very best are being offered at far more attractive prices than you’d pay for Cabernet Sauvignons of similar quality.

$ * * 1998 Chappellet Vineyard, Napa Valley, $22. I tasted this wine and was somehow reminded of Claude Rains’ famous line from “Casablanca”: “Round up the usual suspects.” This wine is a classic Merlot with ripe cherry fruit, sweet oak and hints of herbs. Its texture is attractively supple, and its tannins, while moderate, provide a nice bit of “grip” and also suggest that four to six years of aging will make a good wine that much better. You could search a long time and not find a Cabernet that offers this much for the money.

$ * 1998 Columbia Crest “Grand Estates,” Columbia Valley, $10. This wine and its slightly more expensive sister bottling labeled simply “Columbia Crest” offer about as much straightforward, ripe cherry Merlot flavor as anyone could possibly expect for the money. Add some oaky richness and a hint of milk chocolate and you get two very fine Merlots from Columbia Crest, both of which are perfect for current drinking and neither of which will set you back more than a sawbuck.

$ * 1998 Estancia Estates, California, $15. Very rich oak is a featured player in the ripe aroma and broad, softly tannic flavor of this tasty youngster, yet the telltale cherry fruit of Merlot always is in evidence. There are hints of chocolate and sweet toast in the mix as well, and the wine is lifted by its youthful brightness. Enjoy it now and over the next several years.

$ * 1998 Fetzer Vineyards “Barrel Select,” Sonoma County, $11. Joining Columbia Crest in the club of incredibly affordable, nicely fruity, easy-to-drink Merlots, this wine is perhaps a bit riper but still maintains its direct, inviting style. It has a bit of background astringency to balance its supple underpinnings and could age a couple of years if you are inclined to buy a bunch and put some away. But, there is no real need to practice patience here. This one is enthusiastically recommended for current drinking.

$ 1998 Huntington Cellars, North Coast, $10. This ripe, briary and somewhat blustery bottling makes a firmer, tougher statement. It may not win many admirers for style points, but it does have pretty good fruit and a suggestion of suppleness, and it offers a sturdy contrast in style to the softer, more open versions in this list.

* * 1998 Niebaum-Coppola, Rutherford, Napa Valley, $36. You might not think a $36 wine belongs in an article about affordable Merlots. But Niebaum-Coppola’s Cabernet, Rubicon, sells for twice the price, and we find as much or more to like in this wine as we do in Rubicon. This is first-class Merlot by any measure. It relies first on the grape’s rich and supple fruit, of which it has an ample supply. And it comes with a certain muscle uncommon in Merlot (but not uncommon in Niebaum-Coppola’s upscale offerings). It will also age into something much better; this is one of the few Merlots I would hide away in the back of my cellar for five years or more.

* 1997 Seven Hills Winery “Seven Hills Vineyard,” Walla Walla Valley, $25. I will admit to being a sucker for the rich, supple, fleshy Merlots coming from the Walla Walla growing area on the Washington-Oregon border. This youthful offering fixes on ripe cherry and raspberry fruitiness with a roasted cream, vaguely vanilla-bean kind of richness that fits the wine’s texture perfectly. Incidentally, the vineyard, owned independently from the winery, is the property of Norm McKibbin, who also owns the Pepperbridge Vineyard. McKibbin is, in my estimation, one of the most thoughtful, meticulous vineyard owners in the area.

* 1997 Smith & Hook Winery, Santa Lucia Highlands, $16. The Santa Lucia Highlands near Monterey are better known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay than for Merlot, and despite this wine’s success I am guessing that Merlot is never going to be a big player there. Nonetheless, Smith & Hook has done well by this cherry-flavor, herb-and tea leaf-seasoned bottling whose soft, supple texture and pleasing richness make it a wine to remember.

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Symbols

* * * A world-class wine, superb by any measure, the top 1% to 2% of all wines tasted.

* * An exceptional wine, well worth the effort to find, 10% to 12% of wines tasted.

* An admirable wine, tasty, focused, attractive, about 25% of wines tasted.

No Rating: The best are quite pleasant and can be good buys when moderately priced.

$ Good value for the money.

x Below average quality, to be avoided.