AMERICAN WINE

Vivid ruby in color, cherry, cassis, and succulent herbs on the fragrant nose are joined by a slowly building tobacco nuance. Plush and supple in texture, showing good depth to the lively bitter cherry and black currant flavors. A smoky note appears on the finish, which features velvety tannins and lingering dark berry character.

A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Petit Verdot.

ANTONIO GALLONI 93 POINTS - "The 2017 Merlot Cuvee 37.2 has really turned out beautifully. Racy and opulent to the core, with terrific persistence, the Merlot has so much to offer. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, mocha and licorice all build in a super-expressive, inviting wine that will drink well right out of the gate. The blend is based on a core of Merlot from Kenefick Ranch and Cabernet Franc from Rutherford."

Do you want to get a real glimpse into the characteristics and style of the 2017 vintage in Washington, then you don't need to look any further. Delille has been somewhat under the radar, but if the quality in this Merlot blend doesn't open your eyes, we don't know what will! "D2" is the main highway that runs through Bordeaux, so being that this is a Merlot-based blend (just like the right bank of Bordeaux), the name is apt. This year, the wine is a blend of 66% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot .

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - ""Opens with supple and expressive red currant, green olive and clove flavors, then shifts gears and takes on increasingly muscular yet polished tannins on the long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028.""

This bold blend captivates with 76% Merlot (Vogelzang Vineyard) and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon (Dierberg Star Lane Vineyard) showing a classy, distinct representation of its growing region. The wine offers red plum and dark berries, sagebrush, cracked pepper, and cigar box all interwoven seamlessly with a supple, lush, layered mouthfeel. Balancing freshness with structure and great depth of flavor, hints of pencil lead, incense, and vanilla bean coming from oak, aged 22 months in 100% French oak, 40% new oak.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: "A classic expression of Napa Valley Merlot, this wine offers alluring aromas of lush cherry, raspberry, cocoa and freshly baked pie crust. The cherry and raspberry notes are echoed on the silky palate, where fine-grained tannins and flavors of ripe plum, blueberry, licorice and subtle baking spice draw the wine to a long, elegant finish."

Select lots of grapes are chosen from Ferrari Carano's vineyards in Sonoma County to create this beautifully-balanced and medium-bodied Merlot. This is a velvety Merlot with a complex nose of maple, cinnamon, and black cherry followed by an enticing mouthfeel with flavors of black plum compote, boysenberry, toast and vanilla. This wine has impressive length and a lasting, elegant finish.

JEB DUNNUCK 95+ POINTS - "Billed as the estate's Right Bank blend, the 2017 Epinette is all estate and 53% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. It's a rich, powerful, Chateau Pavie-like wine that has classic Red Mountain minerality as well as notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, violets, sagebrush, and white truffles. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully concentrated, with building tannins, it's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years."

ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 93 POINTS - "Saturated bright medium ruby. Pungent scents of blackberry, cassis, licorice, minerals, graphite and bitter chocolate, with a hint of violet lift. Then plush, savory and deep in the mouth, with the Merlot creaminess to the fore. Very broad, concentrated flavors of dark berries and graphite minerality saturate the palate and blow past the wine's substantial, dusty but fine-grained tannins on the long back end. This big boy maintains its shape, no doubt partly due to the firming influence of its Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot components. This highly successful Right Bank blend shows more of a Pomerol than a Saint-Emilion plushness of texture, supported by solid tannic structure."

Winery's Tasting Notes: "Produced entirely from grapes we cultivate at our Home Ranch in eastern Santa Ynez Valley, our Estate Grown Merlot is a sumptuous red wine boasting fragrant black cherry and dark plum aromas mingled with appealing vanilla, milk chocolate and light herbal scents."

This is a Cabernet lover's Merlot! With wonderfully complex aromas of cherry, cedar, cocoa powder and a hint of tea leaves, this wine’s firm tannins and food-friendly acidity make it the perfect partner with a variety of hearty meals.

JEB DUNNUCK 90 POINTS - "Slightly more expensive, the 2017 Merlot Walla Walla Valley (79% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon) comes from the estate and reveals a similar purple hue as well as plump, round, opulent notes of black cherries, blackberries, dried tobacco, chocolate, and loamy soil. Ripe, rounded, beautifully textured, and balanced, it has the class to keep for a decade or more if you're so inclined."

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "The 2017 Merlot (there's 11% Petit Verdot) also comes from the Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Juicy, ripe, and sexy, with plenty of chocolate, black cherries, and earth aroma and flavors, it's textured, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully done."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Merlot Howell Mountain reveals pretty baked plums, blueberry pie and blackberry compote notes with touches of cloves, star anise, cracked black pepper and black soil plus a waft of underbrush. Full-bodied, the palate is densely packed with crunchy black fruit layers, framed by very ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and peppery."

Tasting notes from winemaker Heidi Barrett: "Ruby red color with aromas of red plums and cherry fruit layered with hints of toasty French Oak. Some dried spices in the nose as well, cardamom and five spice. Very soft and supple across the palate with red fruit character dominating the flavor profile. Barely there silky tannins add structure and texture without heaviness. Balance and length are good with persistent flavors lasting several minutes. Yummy."

The Parcel 41 Merlot shines ruby red in the glass, with shimmering purple undertones. The nose is dark and alluring, with aromas of black currant, saddle leather, and milk chocolate, with a subtle and delicate floral note. The mouth is soft and substantial, with round, mouth-filling tannins layering smoothly with the densely packed flavors of chocolate-covered cherries, spicy black plum, and smoky espresso. This wine is a crowd pleaser and will pair well with a meal of pan roasted pork chops with thyme and currants, served with bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts and a wild rice pilaf.

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "Containing 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Merlot offers up pronounced notes of plum preserves, baked blackberries and black forest cake with suggestions of baking spices, licorice and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and velvety textured, the palate is laden with dark fruit and spice layers, beautifully defined by a refreshing line, finishing with great persistence. 4,404 cases produced."

If Merlot has dropped out of favor, why the heck do we sell so much of this? It's because you can't stop a good-- make that great-- thing! Rombauer has earned an insatiable following for their reds and whites, but this new vintage of Merlot might be their best Merlot release yet! The grapes are pulled from several well-respected vineyards in Napa Valley's Carneros region, including Rombauer's own estate vineyards. Aged for 16 months in a French oak for that perfect balance of structure and opulence, this delicious Merlot is crafted from cool-climate grapes with a warm climate personality.

Aromas of fresh, ripe blueberries, ripe plum and black currant intertwine with notes of cedar, vanilla and pie crust. This medium bodied wine is plush with flavors of plums, blueberries and figs upfront, leading to juicy red fruit on the midpalate. Delicious now, its depth and structure provide long cellaring potential.

Along California's Central Coast, the Paso Robles appellation of San Luis Obispo County provides an ideal climate for growing Merlot. A dry climate with warm days allows for complete maturation of the grapes and creates ripe fruit flavors. The maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean creates very cool nights, which preserve the natural acid balance of the grapes.

San Simeon Merlot expresses rich flavors of blackberry and cassis. Aromas of black fruit greet the nose, while barrel-afing contributes nuances of brown sugar and oak spcies. Well-integrated tannins offer texture and a plush mouthfeel. A small percentage of Petit Verdot was added for additional complexity.

This vintage exhibits a beautiful, dark ruby color and enticing aromas of black cherry, bramble berries, cocoa, cedar, and rose petals. The palate is supple with generous red and black fruits accentuated by vanilla and spice, finishing with both supple fruit and polished tannins. While drinking well at release, it will improve considerably with bottle age, and should cellar well for up to ten years from vintage.

Deep dark in glass with gorgeous aromas of blue fruit, pie crust and a touch of coconut husk. On the palate the rich texture combines well with the full-bodied tannins and ripe plum and cassis flavors. Layers of fruit intertwine with subtle secondary flavors of briar, cigar box and touch of graphite minerality.