We Asked 13 Sommeliers: Which Merlot Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?
It’s been about 20 years since Miles exclaimed, “I’m not drinking any f*ing Merlot,” in the 2004 hit film “Sideways,” and the grape’s reputation is still recovering. But despite the on-screen hate, Merlot is still a star in our eyes. It’s a central component in prestigious wines of Bordeaux, particularly in bottles from the Right Bank. At the same time, Merlot can be one of the most approachable and easy-to-love wines, with its fruit-forward characteristics and plush mouthfeel.
Even though the grape often lives in the shadow of its more famous counterpart, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot-based blends from Bordeaux, Napa, and beyond, can still fetch a hefty price; Merlot from esteemed Pomerol estate Petrus can easily fetch thousands of dollars. But for every unattainable wine out there, there’s a great, affordable bottle just waiting to be discovered. Bordeaux is home to a treasure trove of cost-effective Merlot, and there’s expressive Merlot to be found in more off-the-beaten-path regions like Virginia or Slovenia.
If you’re ready to re-enter the Merlot game — or if you never left — here are 13 of the best values to seek out, according to wine pros.
The best bang-for-your-buck Merlot, according to sommeliers:
Château Vieux Faurie Cuvée Gabrielle Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2019
Early Mountain Vineyards Foothills Red
Land of Saints Merlot
Domaine des Maréchaux Bordeaux Supérieur 2020
Robert Sinskey POV
Domaine Les Carmels Les Caprices Merlot
Château Arbo Montagne-Saint-Émilion 2020
Mersel Wine Love Letter Merlot
L’île Rouge Petite Terre
Keenan Merlot Napa Valley 2019
Wild Arc Farm Merlot 2022
Vignai da Duline Ronco Pitotti Valori Friuli Colli Orientali Merlot
Kmetija Štekar Goriška Brda Slovenia Merlot
“Château Vieux Faurie Cuvée Gabrielle Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2019 is my absolute favorite bang-for-your-buck Merlot. Coming from Saint- Émilion, this Right Bank Bordeaux is a blend of 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. With 2019 being a warm, dry year, you will find this wine soft, lush, and ready to enjoy now. It’s also worth mentioning that Château Viuex Faurie is 1,000 feet away from the prestigious Château Cheval Blanc whose wine you generally find at around $800 to $1000-plus. I have been lucky enough to discover this special wine through one or our direct importers, Celeriers Cellar. The owner is a Bordeaux native and we are happy to benefit from his hometown connections.” —Nicole Sullivan, beverage director, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia
“For a serious bang for your buck, I gravitate to Early Mountain Vineyards’ Foothills Red. It retails for under $25, and is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng, Tannat, Cabernet Franc. Folks might balk at a Bordeaux blend from Virginia, and it’s certainly not a classic representation, but it’s a truly delicious everyday red. It’s zippy and energetic, with lots of red and dark fruit, some underlying dried herbs, and a little dusty graphite to it that is so characteristic of Merlot. It’s ready to drink and hits way above its price tag.” —Emmeline Zhao, partner and sommelier, Figure Eight and Cora, NYC
“Land of Saints is made by winemaker Angela Osborne from the Santa Barbara wine region. The area is known for Pinot Noir, but has so many microclimates. The microclimate of Happy Canyon AVA produces great-quality Bordeaux varieties. Land of Saints delivers a cool-climate Merlot, displaying the more refined, and fresher side of Merlot. It has plentiful ripe blackberry and a touch of plum balanced out by a medium-bodied structure. With dark cherry, soft tannins, and a touch of spice at $25 per bottle, this wine is an awesome value.” —Kali Kopley, owner, Pico, Los Alimos, Calif.
“The Domaine des Maréchaux Bordeaux Supérieur 2020 is a fresh take on Bordeaux. It has all of the dark fruit you want out of Merlot and a touch of spice, without being overly oaked or tannic. It’s supple enough to drink on its own or to cut through fatty meats at the table. Definitely over-delivers for the $17 price point!” —Ben Bohen, beverage director, Community Wine and Spirits, NYC
“I really love the POV from Robert Sinskey in Napa Valley. This is a Right Bank-inspired Bordeaux blend with a kiss of California sunshine. The suppleness of Merlot pairs nicely with a touch of new oak and varietal kicks from Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc.” —Daniel Yeom, general manager, Esters Wine Shop & Bar, Los Angeles
“Domaine Les Carmels Les Caprices Merlot flies in the face of convention within Bordeaux: organic viticulture, no oak, and gently extracted. The duo behind Les Carmels, Yorick and Sophie Lavaud, are a young couple from Bordeaux who are equally talented winemakers as they are connected to the land. They farm six hectares of vines in the satellite appellation, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux (a sub-region of Entre-Deux-Mers), and the rest of their holdings are untouched forests and pastures where they plan to plant an orchard. The attention to detail in the farming and low-intervention results in a pure, fresh and super-drinkable wine with structure and depth.” —Jason Nochimson, wine buyer, Jersey Wine and Spirits, Jersey City, N.J.
“The 2020 Château Arbo Montagne-Saint-Émilion Merlot — blended with about 12 percent Cabernet Franc — hails from one of the northern satellite appellations of Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux’s right bank. It’s in these lesser-known areas that we see the beginnings of a burgeoning ‘grower Bordeaux’ movement. Château Arbo is a husband-and-wife [team] farming just six and a half hectares and making wines that are slightly lighter and designed to be more approachable in their youth — [an approach] typical of this new grower style in the region. This is a Bordeaux I can see younger drinkers in New York getting behind.” —Ross Cohen, head sommelier, Time and Tide, NYC
“I often enjoy Merlot blended with other grape varieties, so look to regions like Bordeaux for great classic examples. I am, though, giving a recommendation that is anything but classic: Mersel Wine Love Letter Merlot from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. The zone is coastal and [provides a] backdrop for the freshness, vibrancy, and minerality expressed in the wines that come from it. Winemaker Laila uses semi-carbonic maceration, a common practice in Beaujolais, so you can expect a similar juiciness and a floral profile with high-toned fruit. Laila uses thoughtful farming practices and low-intervention winemaking to ensure that the wine is not missing a drop of life or personality.” —Tia Polite, sommelier, Indienne, Chicago
“The L’île Rouge Petite Terre is a natural Bordeaux made with carbonic maceration. It’s bright with juicy, red fruit. Thirst-quenching Merlot? Yes! Serve chilled and gulp.” —Nick Ferrante, wine director, Bar Bête, Brooklyn
“Merlot is such a sleeper [for] someone who seeks a full-bodied red wine. You often see a far better price-to-quality ratio on Merlot [compared to] Cabernet Sauvignon with many similar characteristics. My favorite budget Merlot is the Keenan Merlot Napa Valley 2019. This wine is bursting with delicious, dark berries and cocoa with a kiss of vanilla. It’s a benchmark expression of the grape without breaking the bank!” —Alexandria Sarovich, founder, Own Rooted Hospitality, Healdsburg, Calif.
“Todd Cavallo of Wild Arc Farm is one of the most thoughtful, proactive, forward-thinking winemakers I have ever met. His wines are personal, vibrant, and always engaging, and this wine is no different. The Wild Arc Merlot is velvety and suave, but energized with acidity and made in our backyard in the Hudson Valley!” —Ian Garrity, sommelier, Cosme, NYC
“This is a little off the beaten track, but hands down, my favorite Merlot comes from Friuli from producer Vignai da Duline. Federica and Lorenzo own a small vineyard in Colli Orientali and fervently believe in allowing nature to do its thing — walking through their vineyard feels like taking a walk through the forest. What makes their Merlot so special is that these are pre-phylloxera vines, and because of their tiny little microclimate, these vines were spared the disease. As a result, they’re super-old and clonal varieties that we don’t see anymore. That translates into wine that is intensely concentrated but lifted with gorgeous fruit. They only bottle this in magnums, which makes it feel extra celebratory and suitable for the holidays. It’s not the easiest to find, but worth seeking out online. And when you compare it to Right Bank Bordeaux, it is an absolute steal!” —Annie Shi, partner and beverage director, King and Jupiter, NYC
“Zero-zero Slovenian Merlot? Yes, please! At first sip, the Kmetija Štekar Goriška Brda Slovenia Merlot is clean, juicy, and fruit-forward. After decanting, there is a hint of stem to help bring out the tannins and give the wine more texture. Rustic and dusty, this wine is approachable and wonderfully structured. It’s a Merlot you can drink a little too much of a little too easily, but you’ll never forget. And, it is priced just right!” —Sean Stearns, wine rep, M4 Wine, Michigan
*Image retrieved from photomario1 via stock.adobe.com
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