Decoy Unlimited 2021 Alexander Valley Merlot

This offers nicely balanced red fruit with minimal oak, solid acidity and decent tannic structure. Not an easy thing to find in a Merlot, and a Merlot at this price. Black cherry, black berry, huckleberry, red currant, light cedar and vanilla notes dominate and this is a very comprehensive wine. Mainly Merlot, there are small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Malbec. It was aged for 14 months in French oak, only 40% of which was new, hence the light wood touch. What this ultimately offers is a robust Merlot that is well worth the price. ORIGIN: Alexander Valley, Sonoma. ALCOHOL: 13.9%

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Vintage:

2023

Current Price:

$30.00USD

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Whitehall Lane 2021 Malbec

Vintage:

2021

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A+

Current Price:

$45.00USD

It’s not that Malbec is a forgotten grape, it’s that it doesn’t get the love it deserves, and too often wineries seem to want it to taste like Cabernet. Enter Whitehall Lane, who makes this impressive Malbec that you will love - a Malbec that tastes like a Malbec should. The fruit is supported by a tannic structure that provides an earthiness and rusticity to it. Blackberry brambleberry, huckleberry and boysenberry all work together to create a rich wine that’s not over the top but not subdued either. The mid-palate reveals the wines’ acidity with notes of sandalwood and cocoa powder.

Line 39 2019 Merlot

Vintage:

2019

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Current Price:

$11.00USD

I’ve long reviewed wines based upon a simple principle: Is the wine I’m tasting commensurate with its price? Many expensive wines are not worth the price, and similarly, many inexpensive wines are not worth their price tag. So to find this Merlot, for 11 bucks, well, it’s worth every penny, and more. Line 39 did an exceptional job of making this wine and crafting a solid, dependable and tasty wine. Though not overly complex, it offers what every wine should: definable fruit, integrated oak, good acidity and tannic structure.

Duckhorn 2020 Three Palms Merlot

Vintage:

2020

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Current Price:

$125.00USD

Though this has become an iconic wine, the beauty of this wine and many others is vintage variation, which produces subtle changes, depending on weather patterns and how the fruit is grown. This is Duckhorn’s most dense and deeply rich Merlot of the past few years, and in fact this is a Merlot dominant iteration (98% Merlot, 2% Malbec). More dark and brooding than previous vintages this one has a beautiful depth to it - deep and rich, blackberry pie, Huckleberry compote, blueberry jam, and light strawberry.

Cuvaison 2019 Merlot Arcilla

Vintage:

2019

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$70.00USD

Though Cuvaison is best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they have an impressive overall portfolio of wine that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Case in point, their 2019 Merlot is nothing short of outstanding. This is a medium bodied wine that drinks like a full-bodied wine with lots of swagger. Black cherry notes dominate along with plum, blackberry, light blueberry, cocoa powder and fresh sawed cedar wood. This is 100% Merlot and shows that with excellent fruit, you can make a Merlot that doesn’t need the addition of other grapes to make it better.

Decoy Unlimited 2021 Alexander Valley Merlot

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