Lovin' My (French) Merlot

[Busboy]

I'm sure it wasn't just Sideways. There's the oceans of truly awful merlot that were foisted on an unwary public, the kind of wine that made you ask: "if you can get a drinkable cab (probably Chilean) for twelve bucks, why pay more for a merlot that tastes like sweat socks?" Whatever the reason, merlot has become the white zinfandel of the 21st Century, spurned by people who know little more about wine than which animals are on what labels -- and that merlot sux.

Father-in-law had kicked us a long-neglected gift certificate at a good local wine shop in DC and, as he was visiting, we thought we'd cash it in, and gave the salesman carte blanche. He recommended a '98 Certan de May (Pommerol) (vintage not beloved by RP, fwiw) as drinking well and on sale, and we bought two bottles for $49.99 each.

Wow! A little light but strikingly delicious. I'll spare you you any attempt at tasting notes until we open the second bottle, but certainly one of the best and probably the most eye-opening bottle I've had all year. Made me wonder why it's been so long since I brought a bottle of something like this home.

It also made mewonder if anyone else had any suggestions for mid-priced (or less) French merlots. Apparently you don't have to drink Petrus (or Trotanoy) to have a good time. I need more. Much more.

[little ms foodie]

btw- regarding Miles and Sideways, Cheval Blanc is a mainly merlot based wine..........

[wkl]

cheval blanc does have merlot in it ,but also cab franc, another grape miles dissed.

Edited December 5, 2006 by wkl (log)

[Craig Camp]

btw- regarding Miles and Sideways, Cheval Blanc is a mainly merlot based wine..........

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The predominate grape variety in Cheval Blanc is cabernet franc.

[Craig Camp]

Wow! A little light but strikingly delicious.

What a lovely compliment. However, if a wine is strikingly delicious why would you want it to be heavier - something that would certainly obliterate some of the nuances you found so delicious. Weight should be less important than being "strikingly delicious" as a great wine is only great at the table.

[Brad Ballinger]

Made me wonder why it's been so long since I brought a bottle of something like this home.

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Well, how often do you get those gift certificates? In general, drinking a good bottle of Bordeaux will elicit this type of comment.

Certan de May, by the way, isn't meant to be a heavy powerhouse. But it will take some time to cevelop/come around (what you called "tight").

[Busboy]

Wow! A little light but strikingly delicious.

What a lovely compliment. However, if a wine is strikingly delicious why would you want it to be heavier...?

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um...because Robert Parker told me I like "massive, alcoholic, jammy fruit bombs"?

Or maybe because the too-rare good bottles of wine I've been drinking lately have been Rhones.

On thinking about your post, it did occur to me the "light" impression was kind of a first impression, and not one that I worried about once I started drinking it.

Certan de May, by the way, isn't meant to be a heavy powerhouse. But it will take some time to cevelop/come around (what you called "tight").

It seemed pretty un-tight (open? loose?) to me. The salesman reccomended it specifically as being ready to drink, at one point offering up anpther vintage which, he implied, might be a "better" year but which was coming along more slowly.

Generally speaking, is it true that (as I have heard) merlot-based wines mature more quickly than cabs?

[wkl]

fwiw, cheval blanc's blend over the last several vintages according to parker reviews:

1994-50/50

1995-50/50

1996-more cab franc than merlot (no % given)

1997- 70% merlot 30% cab franc

1999- 59% merlot 41% cab franc

2000-53% merlot 47% cab franc

2001-60% merlot 40% cab franc

2002 50/50

2004 55% merlot 45% cab franc

2005-53% merlot 47% cab franc

[wkl]

busboy, here is a list of moderately priced merlot dominated bordeaux.these are all available in the mid atlantic market:

2003 Chateau Turcaud about $11

2003 Chateau Gachon, Montagne Saint Emilion about $21

2002 Chateau Villars, Fronsac, about $22

2003 Chateau Cruzeau, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, abot $24

2001 Chateau Gueyrosse, Saint Emilion, about $25

2001 La Croix Saint Andre, Lalande de Pomerol, about $30

[JohnL]

Wow! A little light but strikingly delicious.

What a lovely compliment. However, if a wine is strikingly delicious why would you want it to be heavier...?

←

um...because Robert Parker told me I like "massive, alcoholic, jammy fruit bombs"?

Or maybe because the too-rare good bottles of wine I've been drinking lately have been Rhones.

On thinking about your post, it did occur to me the "light" impression was kind of a first impression, and not one that I worried about once I started drinking it.

Certan de May, by the way, isn't meant to be a heavy powerhouse. But it will take some time to cevelop/come around (what you called "tight").

It seemed pretty un-tight (open? loose?) to me. The salesman reccomended it specifically as being ready to drink, at one point offering up anpther vintage which, he implied, might be a "better" year but which was coming along more slowly.

Generally speaking, is it true that (as I have heard) merlot-based wines mature more quickly than cabs?

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You people kill me!!!!

Always complaining how Parker is soooo influential then constantly citing him.

I am not sure what he has to do with a discussion of the 98 Certan de May. Unless every discussion about every wine is an opportunity for a snarky comment or two!

FYI (for the record) Parker's assessment was that the wine is: Good--showing some degree of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.

And he is in agreement with you (or you him) that the wine is a "little light" noting that there was a lack of concentration in the mid palate.

By the way very similar to Tanzer's initial impressions (though he revised his opinion upward at a more recent tasting).

So what's the big deal.

I would love to see that e-mail or memo or ---where Parker tells you what you like.

We could have a discussion about tasting terms here--weight, lightness, finesse (actually finesse is not a reconized descriptor (but we all know what folks mean) body, mouthfeel.

I think that it is probably concentration of flavors that applies here. Certan de May is usually not a "big" wine (mouth feel) though your point of reference is important to what you are trying to convey.

Most reviews I have seen seem to be in agreement that in 1998 Certan de May did not live up to expectations--this was a very strong vintage for the right bank (I bought a lot of them).

The 98 is also not up to snuff in comparing Certan vintage to vintage.

That is not to say (and no one has) that the wine is not a good wine that is enjoyable to drink.

Your wine salesman seems to be passing on a tried and true means of obtaining good values--"off" vintages can provide some very nice wines for early drinking at nice prices.

Looks like you got a good deal.

Finally. The ultimate example of Merlot would be Petrus--to make the point attempted in the references to Cheval Blanc.

Petrus is app 95% Merlot.

There are a number of very fine merlots made here in the USA: Havens, Truchard, Beringer, Pride etc--lots of styles--make good merlots.

Look for wines from Pomerol and St Emilion as well as Canon Fronsac etc.

[wkl]

well i actually cited parker to show that cheval blanc recently has had more merlot than cab franc. so sorry, if that "kills you". your post was actually pretty rude john.

all anyone has tried to do was respond in a helpful manner to busboys questions and experience. i listed some wines from lalande de pomerol, saint emilion and fronsac that i have experince with.

by "you people" do you mean every on this board or just the folks you box quoted? you box quoted brad and craig who are two of the most knowledgable posters on this forum.neither one mentioned anything about robert parker.

if the retail shop you work in is anything like all the others in this country, i am sure you run into people who take occasional swipes at parker. do you treat them the same way you treated the folks you box quoted?if so, i hope i never stumble into the shop where you work. suprising, because you are the one always posting in favor of better service and sales skills in the retail end of the wine business.

[Brad Ballinger]

Putting on my host/moderator hat here to suggest we keep the conversation about French merlot-based wines and not devolve into (yet another) Parker apologists v. Parker bashers thread.

[Busboy]

Wow! A little light but strikingly delicious.

What a lovely compliment. However, if a wine is strikingly delicious why would you want it to be heavier...?

←

um...because Robert Parker told me I like "massive, alcoholic, jammy fruit bombs"?

Or maybe because the too-rare good bottles of wine I've been drinking lately have been Rhones.

On thinking about your post, it did occur to me the "light" impression was kind of a first impression, and not one that I worried about once I started drinking it.

Certan de May, by the way, isn't meant to be a heavy powerhouse. But it will take some time to cevelop/come around (what you called "tight").

It seemed pretty un-tight (open? loose?) to me. The salesman reccomended it specifically as being ready to drink, at one point offering up anpther vintage which, he implied, might be a "better" year but which was coming along more slowly.

Generally speaking, is it true that (as I have heard) merlot-based wines mature more quickly than cabs?

←

You people kill me!!!!

Always complaining how Parker is soooo influential then constantly citing him.

I am not sure what he has to do with a discussion of the 98 Certan de May. Unless every discussion about every wine is an opportunity for a snarky comment or two!

FYI (for the record) Parker's assessment was that the wine is: Good--showing some degree of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.

And he is in agreement with you (or you him) that the wine is a "little light" noting that there was a lack of concentration in the mid palate.

By the way very similar to Tanzer's initial impressions (though he revised his opinion upward at a more recent tasting).

So what's the big deal.

I would love to see that e-mail or memo or ---where Parker tells you what you like.

We could have a discussion about tasting terms here--weight, lightness, finesse (actually finesse is not a reconized descriptor (but we all know what folks mean) body, mouthfeel.

I think that it is probably concentration of flavors that applies here. Certan de May is usually not a "big" wine (mouth feel) though your point of reference is important to what you are trying to convey.

Most reviews I have seen seem to be in agreement that in 1998 Certan de May did not live up to expectations--this was a very strong vintage for the right bank (I bought a lot of them).

The 98 is also not up to snuff in comparing Certan vintage to vintage.

That is not to say (and no one has) that the wine is not a good wine that is enjoyable to drink.

Your wine salesman seems to be passing on a tried and true means of obtaining good values--"off" vintages can provide some very nice wines for early drinking at nice prices.

Looks like you got a good deal.

Finally. The ultimate example of Merlot would be Petrus--to make the point attempted in the references to Cheval Blanc.

Petrus is app 95% Merlot.

There are a number of very fine merlots made here in the USA: Havens, Truchard, Beringer, Pride etc--lots of styles--make good merlots.

Look for wines from Pomerol and St Emilion as well as Canon Fronsac etc.

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I think reviews are interesting and often educational for non-professionals like me and, in this case, RP's note came with a little bit of a moral: no one's taste is more important than your one. Not even critics with a Legion of Honor.

I should thank the critics who found it an underperformer -- they are probably responsible for making the bottle affordable for me. And now that I've tried the underperformaer, maybe I can save a few pennies and see what an overachiever tastes like.

In the mean time, I'll check out some of WKL's recommendations (Thanks).

Anecdote:

Years ago I was at a tasting being held by a small but decent shop in Denver (Love Pharmacy -- liquor and drugs) but the reps (not store employees) had brought mostly cruddy wine. What I remembered someone asked one of the pourers/salespeople if he had any Merlot -- this being when Merlot was hot, hot, hot -- and he said "no, we only do French wine, and the French don't use Merlot."

Didn't buy anything from him.

[menon1971]

A little levity: Does any recall the commercial of the 1990s where someone presents some insipid bottle of mass produced CA merlot and one of the other guests says "merlot, I love merlot" to which the presenter replies "who doesn't." I think this is the kind of wine to which Miles was referring, the kind that is designed for people who really don't like red wine and order it in lieu of diet soda.

Most of the worlds great grape varietals can be used to make every think from the banal to the sublime: red zin, gamay, petit syrah, etc.

[Craig Camp]

fwiw, cheval blanc's blend over the last several vintages according to parker reviews:

1994-50/50

1995-50/50

1996-more cab franc than merlot (no % given)

1997- 70% merlot 30% cab franc

1999- 59% merlot 41% cab franc

2000-53% merlot  47% cab franc

2001-60% merlot 40% cab franc

2002 50/50

2004 55% merlot 45% cab franc

2005-53% merlot 47% cab franc

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According to Oxford Companion to Wine, Cheval Blanc is a 36 ha. vineyard planted to 66% cabernet franc, 33% merlot and 1% malbec.

It seems Jancis and Bob agree on one less thing. The cepage would certainly change from year to year, but they are either throwing out a lot of cabernet franc or someone's numbers are incorrect.

[wkl]

i guess this qualifies as thread drift but.........

i was suprised at the stated %'s for merlot to cab franc, as i always thought this wine to be predominantly cab franc.

trying to google some info wasn't much help. the cheval blanc web site is, um, strange.... tanzers' reviews don't state the percentages. maybe someone else knows definitively.

Edited December 5, 2006 by wkl (log)

[russ parsons]

i'd hate for people to think it was only the french that made good merlot. check out my buddy rob sinskey's from carneros. incredibly elegant (and, yes, a little light). but great, well-defined fruit and absolutely delicious.

[JohnL]

well i actually cited parker to show that cheval blanc recently has had more merlot than cab franc. so sorry, if that "kills you". your post was actually pretty rude john.

all anyone has tried to do was respond in a helpful manner to busboys questions and experience. i listed some wines from lalande de pomerol, saint emilion and fronsac that i have experince with.

by "you people"  do you mean every on this board or just the folks you box quoted? you box quoted brad and craig who are two of the most knowledgable posters on this forum.neither one mentioned anything about robert parker.

if the retail shop you work in is anything like all the others in this country, i am sure you run into people who take occasional swipes at parker. do you treat them the same way you treated the folks you box quoted?if so, i hope i never stumble into the shop where you work. suprising, because you are the one always posting in favor of better service and sales skills in the retail end of the wine business.

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I guess you missed all the little faces I peppered my post with.

Or you are being a tad oversensative here.

By the way as for:

"you people"--you know who you are!

[Busboy]

i'd hate for people to think it was only the french that made good merlot. check out my buddy rob sinskey's from carneros. incredibly elegant (and, yes, a little light). but great, well-defined fruit and absolutely delicious.

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Next gift certificate...

[JohnL]

fwiw, cheval blanc's blend over the last several vintages according to parker reviews:

1994-50/50

1995-50/50

1996-more cab franc than merlot (no % given)

1997- 70% merlot 30% cab franc

1999- 59% merlot 41% cab franc

2000-53% merlot  47% cab franc

2001-60% merlot 40% cab franc

2002 50/50

2004 55% merlot 45% cab franc

2005-53% merlot 47% cab franc

←

According to Oxford Companion to Wine, Cheval Blanc is a 36 ha. vineyard planted to 66% cabernet franc, 33% merlot and 1% malbec.

It seems Jancis and Bob agree on one less thing. The cepage would certainly change from year to year, but they are either throwing out a lot of cabernet franc or someone's numbers are incorrect.

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I suspect both are probably correct.

Cheval Blanc makes a second wine Petit Cheval: about 3,000 cases per year.

Also the selection process is very strict lots of thinning and pruning a green harvest and low yields (around 35hl per hectare)--a lot of grapes probably are thrown out--though only those not worthy of the second wine which can be quite good IMOP. (it ain't cheap either).

there are only about 9,000 cases per year of the first growth wine made.

Other wines with a relatively high percentage of merlot are Pichon Lalande Comtesse and Palmer.

It is interesting to compare the Comtesse with her sibling: Pichon Baron (a wine that is much higher in Cabernet Sauvignon) from the same vintage.

[Brad Ballinger]

i'd hate for people to think it was only the french that made good merlot. check out my buddy rob sinskey's from carneros. incredibly elegant (and, yes, a little light). but great, well-defined fruit and absolutely delicious.

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Russ,

I've had Rob's Merlot on a couple of occasions. But that was a loooong time ago. I've also liked what he called his Claret. But to show you just how long ago I mean, I had his Carneros Claret, and not the Stag's Leap Distric Claret, which I believe is more recent. Pretty sure he doesn't make the Carneros one anymore. I've also enjoyed his Pinot Noir wines on occasion, and know that's his passion from speaking with him years ago.

[Boris_A]

maybe someone else knows definitively.

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Cheval Blanc:

- vineyard composition according to Clive Coates (in his "Grand Vins", 1995): roughly 65% Merlot and 35% CF, with very small quantities of CS [planted on demand of the INAO only] and some Malbec [never used for the "Grand vin". No comments on actual wine composition.

- vineyard composition according to René Gabriel (a fine Swiss expert for Bordeaux; in his "Bordeaux Total", 2004): about 50%/50% Merlot/CF.

- wine composition according to Gabriel: usually about 65% CF and 35% Merlot, but in 1999, 55%M and 45%CF; in 1997 70%M and 30%CF. He quotes Pierre Lurton: "When CF comes to perfection, we use it up to 70% in the blend".

As a general comment, Gabriel thinks that the usually higher percentage of CF is the collectors "life insurance" for old millésimes of this wine.

It seems that - at least until younger vintages - Cheval Blanc is/was a usually a CF-dominated wine.

[dinwiddie]

Actually, I know that I can always get my wife to agree to having a Bordeaux if I suggest something from St.-Emilion. And there are some very good CA Merlots that don't cost an arm and a leg, the '01 Chateau St. Jean and the '02 Whitehall Lane come to mind. If you are willing to pay more, Pride always makes a great one.

[GordonCooks]

FWIW, most of the 98 St Emilions ar quite drinkable, plentiful, and cheap.

[Brad Ballinger]

For those readers of this thread who've had their interest in merlot piqued even a little, here is a previous thread on the topic that mentions Merlot wines from several different countries: CLICK.