This week Great Northwest Wine lined up 13 of its taste-tested Merlot favorites, and two from our family of wineries were included in the recommendations. We think you’ll like them, too!
Copyright 2013 Great Northwest Wine
Read the full list of recommendations here,
House Wine 2011 Mountain Merlot
Best Buy! Rating: Excellent
Walla Walla wine rocker Charles Smith launched The Magnificent Wine Co. brand in 2004 as a value label, and two years later he partnered with Seattle-based Precept Wine. There’s no pretense about these wines, which are widely distributed, easy to pick out on store shelves and open with a twist of a cap. This easy-to-enjoy Merlot sends out aromas of dark cherries, plums, pomegranate, milk chocolate and vanilla, and there’s some hedonism awaiting inside. Think of juicy black cherries supported by blackberry and blueberry, backed by ripe tannins and some chocolate undertones. There’s a bit of residual sugar, which makes it more appealing to those just getting into red wine and backyard fare such as smoked pizza and sliders.
Pine and Post 2011 Merlot
Best Buy! Rating: Excellent
There’s not a lot of complexity from this lower-tier Precept label, but the yummy factor is rather high with this release, which includes Charbonneau and Wallula vineyards in its pedigree. Aromas bring hints of red currant, lime, vanilla, rose hips and lilac. The flavor profile is smooth with flavors of blackberry, strawberry, blueberry and chocolate. The amount of fruit-forward finesse has it drinking more like a Southern Oregon Pinot Noir than many Merlots from Washington.