{"title":"Merlot","description":"\u003cp\u003eMerlot, a red grape variety celebrated for its soft tannins and approachable fruit, is a cornerstone of winemaking around the world. It achieves some of its highest expressions on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, particularly in prestigious appellations like Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, where it forms the dominant part of many celebrated blends, contributing richness and plushness. Merlot also plays a significant role in Tuscany, where it is a key component in many Super Tuscan wines, and also stands alone to produce spectacular varietal wines. In Washington's Columbia Valley, Merlot thrives in the region's sunny days and cool nights, producing varietal wines that highlight its velvety texture and generous fruit profile. While Merlot is widely planted in California, some believe it reaches even greater heights in Washington State.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"poesia-saint-emilion-grand-cru-2020","title":"Poesia Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2020","description":"\u003cul data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSoil Type\u003c\/strong\u003e: Clay-limestone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eElevation\u003c\/strong\u003e: Situated on the Saint-Emilion plateau.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrape\u003c\/strong\u003e: Merlot and Cabernet Franc.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWinemaking\u003c\/strong\u003e: Aged in French oak barrels for nuanced complexity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFarming Practices\u003c\/strong\u003e: Organic, with a commitment to biodiversity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e: Dark fruits, floral notes, and elegant tannins.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePairing\u003c\/strong\u003e: Roast lamb, aged cheeses.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePoesia is a poetic expression of Saint-Emilion's terroir. The blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc results in a wine that is both powerful and elegant, with a finesse that is characteristic of the region's best Grand Crus.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Misa Colorado","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44509451944159,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PB110241.jpg?v=1699757029"},{"product_id":"peter-franus-los-carneros-merlot-2022","title":"Peter Franus Los Carneros Merlot 2022","description":"","brand":"Doug Krenik Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46704713269471,"sku":"","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P1210302.jpg?v=1737512626"},{"product_id":"venica-merlot-2021","title":"Venica \u0026 Venica Collio Merlot 2021","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Land\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCollio sits in the far northeast of Italy, tucked against the Slovenian border, where Alpine influence and Adriatic proximity converge to create one of the country’s most distinctive wine climates — cool enough for genuine freshness, warm enough for reliable ripening. The defining feature of the region is its soil, known locally as Ponca: stratified marl and sandstone of Eocene origin, ancient seabed thrust to the surface by the same tectonic forces that built the Alps. These stratifications break down under weather over time, creating a granular, then increasingly fine substrate that delivers strong minerality and acidity to everything grown in it. Collio is rightly celebrated for its whites, but the combination of Adriatic ripening influence, alpine freshness, and Ponca soils makes it arguably the best place in Italy for Bordeaux red varieties.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eGrapes were picked and destemmed after mid-September 2021, underwent approximately 10 days of maceration in the cellar, then aged for several months before bottling in July 2023. The wine matures in larger wooden barrels — used oak that adds structure without imposing flavor. The result is a Merlot that bears almost no resemblance to the extracted, oak-driven versions common elsewhere: ruby red, mid-bodied, and juicy, with red berries, blueberry, cherry, a touch of herb and fennel, and light, velvety tannins. Fruitiness and spice in balance, with a fine tannin structure and relatively light body — this is a wine for the table, not the cellar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe People\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDaniele Venica purchased Ronco del Cerò in 1930 and first planted Sauvignon Blanc there. Three generations later, great-grandson Giampaolo now oversees the estate alongside family members Gianni and Giorgio. The estate’s 40 hectares sit in Dolegna del Collio, the northernmost and coolest municipality of the DOC, on steep hillside vineyards surrounded by forests. Since 2011, Venica has been aligned with VIVA Sustainable Wine, a national sustainability program measuring the environmental impact of the full vine-to-wine supply chain. The winemaking approach is restrained by design — minimal intervention, stainless steel primary fermentation, no malolactic — with the stated goal of letting the Ponca speak. The Merlot sits outside their white wine fame but fits squarely within their philosophy: fresh, precise, and genuinely regional.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFood Pairing:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThis is a Merlot that wants simple, honest food — nothing fussy. Think a classic Sunday pasta with meat ragù, a charcuterie spread of cured meats and aged Montasio cheese, roasted chicken thighs with rosemary and garlic, or sausage with peppers and onions. The wine’s light body, fresh red fruit, and herbal edge make it equally at home with a rustic bean chili. Pour it slightly cool and don’t overthink it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Giuliana","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47069254156511,"sku":"","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6191362.jpg?v=1750372295"},{"product_id":"chateau-les-templiers-lalande-de-pomerol-2003","title":"Chateau Les Templiers Lalande de Pomerol 2003","description":"","brand":"Wilkie Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47431149945055,"sku":null,"price":62.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9211978.jpg?v=1758500730"},{"product_id":"lapostolle-grand-selection-merlot-2023","title":"Lapostolle Grand Selection Merlot 2023","description":"","brand":"Classic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47452781773023,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA012073.jpg?v=1759433379"},{"product_id":"sidekick-merlot-2022","title":"Sidekick Merlot 2022","description":"","brand":"Classic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47452782657759,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA012074.jpg?v=1759433354"},{"product_id":"lecole-no-41-estate-walla-walla-merlot","title":"L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Walla Walla Merlot 2021","description":"","brand":"Maverick Wine Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47458731819231,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA042110.jpg?v=1759621722"},{"product_id":"montes-merlot-classic-series-2021","title":"Montes Merlot Classic Series 2021","description":"","brand":"Grand Vin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48269467582687,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PC200496_fc2381b0-e48e-4649-a046-15dcdece1cad.jpg?v=1766280622"},{"product_id":"chateau-pipeau-saint-emilion-grand-cru-2021","title":"Château Pipeau Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2021","description":"","brand":"Old World","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338492588255,"sku":null,"price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PC310552.jpg?v=1767217061"},{"product_id":"domaine-de-galouchey-vdj-le-galouchey-2020","title":"Domaine de Galouchey VDJ Le Galouchey 2020","description":"","brand":"Stelvio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48370434179295,"sku":null,"price":52.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P1140618.jpg?v=1768445897"},{"product_id":"chateau-laroque-2025-bordeaux-en-primeur","title":"Chateau Laroque 2025 [Bordeaux En Primeur]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a Bordeaux Futures item. \u003cstrong\u003eEstimated Arrival Fall 2028\u003c\/strong\u003e. However, you'll never get a better price on this great vintage of Bordeaux. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Price does not include possible tariffs. Tariffs will be collected on arrival if we have to pay them - we are hopeful that they will no longer be in affect by 2028*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChâteau Laroque 2025 — Saint-Émilion Grand Cru\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScore references:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Decanter 96, Jeb Dunnuck 94–96, Vinous 93–95.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaroque continues to be one of the smartest Right Bank buys in Bordeaux. The estate’s limestone terroir gives the wine a cooler, more lifted profile than many modern Saint-Émilions, and the 2025 notes point toward fragrance, silky texture, chalky minerality, and real freshness. Expect dark raspberry and cassis fruit, floral lift, mint, white pepper, and a mouthwatering mineral finish. This is exactly the kind of Right Bank wine we want in a futures program: elegant, terroir-driven, and still priced within reach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-12 mt-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"d-flex mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow futures work\u003c\/strong\u003e: Many great chateaux of Bordeaux release a portion of wines from the latest vintage in the spring after harvest. Critics and other industry players flock to Bordeaux in April for barrel tastings to score the wines and judge the vintage as a whole. We are offered wines as they release prices over the next couple of months knowing that these won't arrive for 2+ years after we order them. However, once the wines release the prices will usually be much higher.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a retail shop we have to pay a few months after we order these wines, so we offer the bottles for sale to help fund that payment, and in exchange we take a very low margin. When the wines arrive the purchasers have the benefit of owning bottles which will age for decades at a great price. And any bottles which were not purchased from us go into our inventory where we are able to charge higher margin thanks to the futures price being so low. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTLDR: You pay for wines 2 years before you get them, but there'll never be a lower price. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Misa Colorado","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50110240129247,"sku":null,"price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/y_04b8d587-f28f-4342-8f54-5ea9ddfc03ef.jpg?v=1781284179"},{"product_id":"chateau-larcis-ducasse-2025-bordeaux-en-primeur","title":"Chateau Larcis Ducasse 2025 [Bordeaux En Primeur]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a Bordeaux Futures item. \u003cstrong\u003eEstimated Arrival Fall 2028\u003c\/strong\u003e. However, you'll never get a better price on this great vintage of Bordeaux. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Price does not include possible tariffs. Tariffs will be collected on arrival if we have to pay them - we are hopeful that they will no longer be in affect by 2028*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChâteau Larcis Ducasse 2025 — Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScore references:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Jeb Dunnuck 97–99, Neal Martin 95–97, Vinous 95–97.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLarcis Ducasse is one of the most compelling limestone Saint-Émilions in 2025. The best notes emphasize ripe red and black fruit, tobacco, graphite, crushed stone, rose, lavender, sage, and a long, mineral finish. What makes this especially appealing is the balance of power and finesse: there is depth and concentration, but also bright acidity, fine tannins, and a clear limestone signature. For this vintage we looked to limestone based right bank wines, as those on clay seemed to have a harder time dealing with water stress. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-12 mt-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"d-flex mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow futures work\u003c\/strong\u003e: Many great chateaux of Bordeaux release a portion of wines from the latest vintage in the spring after harvest. Critics and other industry players flock to Bordeaux in April for barrel tastings to score the wines and judge the vintage as a whole. We are offered wines as they release prices over the next couple of months knowing that these won't arrive for 2+ years after we order them. However, once the wines release the prices will usually be much higher.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a retail shop we have to pay a few months after we order these wines, so we offer the bottles for sale to help fund that payment, and in exchange we take a very low margin. When the wines arrive the purchasers have the benefit of owning bottles which will age for decades at a great price. And any bottles which were not purchased from us go into our inventory where we are able to charge higher margin thanks to the futures price being so low. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTLDR: You pay for wines 2 years before you get them, but there'll never be a lower price. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Misa Colorado","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50110263328991,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/y_06335199-cce9-4bc7-8f84-e310dec2ad4f.webp?v=1781284477"},{"product_id":"chateau-de-grandchamp-montagne-saint-emilion-2022","title":"Chateau de Grandchamp Montagne Saint-Emilion 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMontagne Saint-Emilion is a satellite appellation, one of the villages ringing Saint-Emilion that earned the right to hang the famous name after their own. Chateau de Grandchamp is the only estate on the hillside above Parsac, an old commune absorbed into Montagne in 1973. The soil is clay-limestone shot through with small traces of iron, and in 2022 that mattered more than anything else. Clay-limestone regulates water: it banks reserves and releases them slowly through drought. Bordeaux in 2022 delivered four heatwaves touching 40°C and almost no rain between budbreak and harvest. Vines on deep gravel and sand had scorched leaves and stalled berries by mid-July. The clay-limestone hillsides kept working. An 18th-century tower stands in the middle of the vineyard, carved with a pilgrim walking the route to Santiago de Compostela; that carving is the label.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMerlot leads, joined by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Gonzague Maurice has been adding Cabernet Franc as the climate warms, because it ripens later and holds acidity in hot years, which is exactly the problem 2022 handed him. Fruit is triaged twice, once in the vineyard and again in the cellar. Fermentation runs in small temperature-controlled concrete tanks, and aging splits between tank and one- to two-year-old barrels, so oak seasons the wine instead of coating it. Black cherry, plum skin, crushed violet, and a graphite streak, then dark fleshy fruit over fine-grained tannin and a savory, iron-tinged finish. The 2022 berries came in small and thick-skinned after the drought, which concentrates color and tannin, and harvest across Bordeaux ran 15 to 20 days ahead of normal. This is a hot-vintage Right Bank red that kept its freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGonzague Maurice farms 10 hectares of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon by hand, in densely planted rows. He has farmed organically since 2010 but walked away from official certification, deciding the cost and paperwork made no sense on wines priced this modestly. Grass is sown between the rows and plowing alternates row by row, which keeps the soil alive and pushes roots down. His stated goal in the vineyard is narrow and unglamorous: perfectly ripe, perfectly clean fruit. In the cellar he works to preserve that fruit rather than reshape it, which is why the wine tastes like Merlot grown on limestone rather than like a barrel. Imported by Polaner Selections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuck confit with green lentils and mustard, where the tannin scrubs the fat. Braised beef short ribs with carrots and bay, which the wine has the density to carry. A mushroom and thyme risotto finished with parmesan, since Merlot on limestone answers earthy umami better than it answers red meat. Or a wedge of aged Ossau-Iraty and a baguette, nothing else. This is the bottle to open on a Tuesday when dinner turned out better than expected.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sauce","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51241886286047,"sku":null,"price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8200158.jpg?v=1787347830"},{"product_id":"rootdown-merlot-cole-ranch-2021","title":"Rootdown Merlot Cole Ranch 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe smallest American Viticultural Area in the United States contains exactly one vineyard, and the nearest neighboring vines are a mile and a half away and 800 feet downhill. That is Cole Ranch, approved in 1983 as the country's thirtieth AVA, tucked into an unnamed mountain valley between Ukiah and the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. The valley runs roughly a mile long and half a mile across at its widest, ringed by Coast Range hills climbing from 1,400 to 1,600 feet. These vines sit at about 1,450 feet, 25 miles from the Pacific. Soils run from deep gravelly clay loam to shallow gravelly silty clay; the federal soil survey named Cole Loam, Maxwell Variant Clay, Pinole Gravelly Loam and Bearwallow Loam. Rainfall averages 40 to 45 inches a year against roughly 32 in Ukiah below, and the site runs cooler than its neighbors at both ends of the growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred percent Merlot, picked October 14, 2021 at 22.6 brix, which is a long hang for a site this cool. The block is dry-farmed on St. George rootstock, part of the original 1973 planting of Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. All of 1.8 tons came in. Fruit was fully destemmed and worked by pumpover, with malolactic finishing in neutral French oak; élevage was 100 percent neutral barrel with no additions. It landed at 13.5 percent alcohol, pH 3.56, total acidity 5.9 grams per liter, dry. Lucia reports 2021 as the surprise of the vineyard: clusters uniform, berries all one size, skins thickened by hangtime but neither bitter nor astringent. Statewide the drought year cut North Coast tonnage sharply and concentrated what survived. The glass gives bergamot and grapefruit peel over black cherry and red mulberry, then black tea, cocoa nib and pencil shavings, with firm tannin and genuinely high acid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike Lucia grew up in Healdsburg, took a viticulture degree from Fresno State, worked at Ridge, and became assistant winemaker at Copain in 2010, running the Tous Ensemble program until that winery sold. He started Rootdown in 2014 as a rosé project and widened it from there. In 2019 he acquired Cole Ranch, which means he did not buy a vineyard so much as an entire appellation. He farms it organically, works it with an electric tractor, and has grafted Jura varieties onto parts of the ranch, reasoning that the elevation, the cool nights and the gravelly soils have more in common with eastern France than with Napa. The 1973 Riesling, Cabernet and Merlot stayed. Of the last, Lucia is blunt: it thrives here, resists disease, and gives fruit worth taking seriously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoast duck breast with a sour-cherry pan sauce: the firm tannin cuts the fat cap while the acidity runs alongside the cherry instead of fighting it. Braised short ribs with olives and orange peel, where the bergamot and grapefruit notes lock onto the citrus and the tannin finds protein to bind to. A mushroom and farro gratin with thyme, in which the black tea and cocoa-nib earthiness reads as seasoning rather than fruit. Or a wedge of well-aged Comté, whose crystalline salt pulls that high acid into balance. At 13.5 percent it never tires the table. This is the Merlot for the people who gave up on Merlot, and the bottle to open in front of someone certain they already know what the grape does.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51319567188191,"sku":null,"price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9030248.jpg?v=1788538495"},{"product_id":"leonetti-cellar-merlot-2022","title":"Leonetti Merlot 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWalla Walla's reputation was built on Merlot before Cabernet, and Leonetti is the reason. The valley sits in Washington's southeast corner and spills into Oregon, in the rain shadow of the Cascades with the Blue Mountains rising to the east. The soils are wind-blown loess, fine silt piled many feet deep over gravel and sediment left by the Ice Age Missoula floods. Leonetti grows its fruit on its own Walla Walla estate vineyards, from the Loess Vineyard near the winery at about 1,000 feet to Mill Creek Upland in the foothills on the valley's eastern side. Winters are the risk. Merlot is the most cold-tender of the Bordeaux grapes, and the family buries the canes of its Loess Vineyard Merlot each winter to protect them from hard freezes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Leonetti Merlot 2022 is 100 percent Merlot from Walla Walla Valley, aged about 15 months mostly in once-filled and neutral French oak, with some large neutral botti in the mix. That restraint lets fruit lead. Alcohol is 14.5 percent. The 2022 vintage in Washington started cold: a mid-April blizzard pushed budbreak back two to three weeks, and cool weather lingered through bloom. Heat arrived in late June, but harvest still ran late, and an October running five degrees above average let the fruit ripen with lower sugar and higher natural acidity than recent warm years. Leonetti describes a densely colored garnet wine with blackberry, graham cracker, vanilla and a light medium-roast coffee note. Expect dense, sweet fruit through the middle, grippy tannin that softens with air, and a chalky, lingering finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGary Figgins grew up working his Italian immigrant grandparents' farm outside Walla Walla, then spent years as a machinist while making wine as a hobby. He planted his first vineyard in 1974. In 1977 he and his wife Nancy bonded Leonetti Cellar, named for those grandparents, Frank and Rose Leonetti. It was the first winery in the Walla Walla Valley, started in the family basement. Merlot earned Gary the nickname \"The King of Merlot\" from Seattle critic Tom Stockley. His son Chris, a horticulture graduate of Washington State University, joined the day after graduating in 1996 and became head winemaker in 2001. Chris moved Leonetti toward fruit from its own vineyards, and his sister Amy runs the estate as manager and partner. This is the winery the entire Walla Walla wine industry grew up around.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDecant it 30 to 60 minutes ahead. A grilled bone-in pork chop with a cherry and balsamic pan sauce matches the wine's dark fruit, and the tannin handles the fat. Braised short ribs over creamy polenta give the grippy structure protein to work against. Try a wild mushroom risotto finished with Parmigiano for an earthy, savory foil. For a backyard night, cedar-plank salmon with a brown sugar and black pepper rub works with the wine's sweet fruit. This is Washington Merlot for a Saturday dinner at home that deserves a real bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"empire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67940226859231,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA080485.jpg?v=1791502415"},{"product_id":"chateau-la-gaffeliere-saint-emilion-1er-grand-cru-classe-1970","title":"Chateau La Gaffeliere Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classe 1970","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1969, the year before this wine was harvested, workers at La Gaffelière uncovered the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa on the property, complete with mosaics showing vines. The estate sits at the foot of the limestone côte, with neighbors Château Pavie across the road and Ausone and Bélair-Monange above. Part of the vineyard is on the Coteau de Naudes, the hillside that gave the château its earlier name, where clay and limestone sit over the rock. Limestone gives Saint-Émilion red wine its firm acidity and long life, and Merlot on these slopes keeps a fresh, mineral line even in warm years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLa Gaffelière is Merlot-led with Cabernet Franc, and in the mid-1990s it was about 65 percent Merlot with the rest split between Cabernet Franc and a little Cabernet Sauvignon. 1970 was the first big, healthy vintage of modern Bordeaux. June and July were hot and dry, August brought timely rain, and September was warm. The harvest started late, on September 27, and the crop was large. Pomerol made the best wines, while Saint-Émilion had a more uneven year. This bottle comes from a private cellar, and its storage history and fill are unknown. After 56 years, expect a pale brick-garnet color, a nose of dried cherry, fig, tea leaf, truffle, leather and old cedar, a light, silky body with almost no tannin left, and a delicate finish. Stand it upright for two days, decant very gently just before serving, and drink it soon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Malet Roquefort family has been tied to La Gaffelière for more than three centuries, with the family's work on the estate traced back to 1705. The original holding was split in the 19th century; one part became Canon-la-Gaffelière, and the other was sold for decades as Château La Gaffelière-Naudes before the name was shortened to La Gaffelière in the 1960s. Count Léo de Malet Roquefort started working at the estate in 1955, the year it was ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé in the first Saint-Émilion classification, and the 1970 is one of his early vintages. His son Alexandre runs it today. In 2022 the family withdrew from the classification altogether.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 1970 Saint-Émilion needs dishes that let a fragile wine speak. Roast squab or guinea hen with a simple jus and wild mushrooms is the classic, because soft, gamey meat and earthy mushrooms match the tertiary flavors without overwhelming them. Try a plate of buttered tagliatelle with shaved black truffle, which meets the wine's truffle and forest-floor side directly. Veal tenderloin with morels and a little cream works because the wine's acidity still cuts the sauce. Open this one on a night that deserves a story, and share it with someone who will understand why the color matters.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilkie Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67950048280799,"sku":null,"price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA170562.jpg?v=1792285080"},{"product_id":"rias-sunny-side-red-2025","title":"Ria's Sunny Side Red 2025","description":"","brand":"Few \u0026 Far Wine Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68063033196767,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA170529.jpg?v=1792285080"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/collections\/image_7de4ef75-a56b-41bb-953f-02d5cdfb5b55.jpg?v=1740244486","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/collections\/merlot.oembed","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}