Merlot In Napa Valley - Will It Ever Be Taken As Seriously As Cabernet Sauvignon?

Merlot has always been caught in the shadow of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley. After all, Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine that has brought Napa Valley critical praise from around the world, and it's the wine that both collectors and casual wine lovers seek from here - it's the signature offering of this production zone.

Merlot, on the other hand has been too often thought of as a blending grape, one that can lessen the tannic grip of Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in a more approachable wine upon release. Yet, Merlot made as a varietal wine (it must be at least 75% Merlot to be labeled as such in California), can be a glorious wine as well, with the finest examples having the potential to drink well for a decade or more. Napa Valley producers such as Duckhorn and Rutherford Hill specialize in Merlot, while dozens of excellent Cabernet Sauvignon estates, such as Clos du Val, Miner and Lewis also craft notable offerings of Merlot.

Yet Merlot rarely causes the excitement that follows Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Yes, that image of Merlot being lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon will probably assure that Merlot is not taken as seriously as it should be. But there's also the Sideways problem.

Sideways, as almost every wine lover knows, was the 2004 film set in Santa Barbara wine country where the main character Miles (played by Paul Giamatti) at one point utters some rather strong language about his dislike of Merlot. While this could have been a clever throwaway line, it took on a life of its own in the wine industry, and actually caused sales decreases for Merlot for many years after; even today, sales of Merlot are not what they should be, as far as many vintners that work with this variety believe.

At Clos du Val Winery in the Stags Leap District in southeastern Napa Valley, winemaker Ted Henry crafts two different offerings of beautifully structured Merlot; a classic bottling and a Carneros version. He does believe that Sideways did have some effect on diminishing sales of the variety, but there are other reasons. "The over production of mediocre Merlot in California did the most to hurt the varietal’s reputation," he states. Henry is positive about Merlot's future in Napa.  "We have recently (in the last couple of years) seen Merlot return to where it should be in the marketplace. In general, Merlot can be a more affordable alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon on a wine list or store shelf. If this trend continues as I suspect, the sales of our Merlot will continue to grow nicely."

At Lewis Cellars in nearby Oakville, Randy Lewis has also seen a decline in Merlot sales. Has it come back? "I don't think so," he comments. "We don't make a lot of Merlot." Lewis does make a small amount of varietal Merlot, but also blends the variety with Syrah for his Alec's Blend bottling.

Dave Miner at Miner Family Vineyards in Oakville is a Merlot enthusiast and admits that sales haven't returned to previous levels, offering several reasons. "It hasn’t come back to the extent that I’d like to see it come back. I’m a huge fan of Merlot. I don’t know why, if it’s the movie or other things. To me, Merlot is much more of a finesse wine. Many people have been heading towards the bigger, more intense, more extracted wines." Could it be that scores have something to do with this, as most Merlots do not receive 95, 96 or 97 points, as with some of Napa's finest Cabernet Sauvignons? "Yes, I think that’s very true. I’ve never seen a Merlot get that kind of score. There are some Merlots out there that are riper and more heavy, but I think overall, it’s a balanced wine. I’d like to see it come back more. Our sales have been fairly slow."

While these producers admit a sales slump for Merlot, they are very positive about the wine's many special characteristics, as Miner remarks. "I think a good Merlot has power and elegance. It has more complexity than a Cab, especially young. So for me, it’s a better food wine as a younger wine than Cab. I still love Cab, but I love it ten years down the road, when it starts to get a little more nunace and complexity, that balance of earthiness and fruit instead of just kind of hitting you over the head with power."

Henry also has a lot of positive comments about Merlot. "The qualities of a Merlot in my opinion are all the fruit and less of the tannin found in Cabernet. The wines can indeed be powerful but have more of a fruity character and less of the layers of Cabernet Sauvignon. This is not necessarily a bad thing as Merlot can be a great stand alone or food wine just without the same highly complex varietal character that Cabernet Sauvignon possesses."

Another take on how Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon compare taste wise and quality wise comes from Dominic Chappellet of Chappellet Vineyards in the Pritchard Hill area of Napa Valley. "I recall our winemaker Phil Titus being in a room with a wine educator and a number of journalists. He said I have two wines in front of you – one is Merlot, and one is Cabernet. I want you to tell me which is which. Phil said that the replies were about 50/50." He notes that Merlot can be just as rich as Cabernet Sauvignon, and regarding what his team is looking for with Merlot at Chappellet, he says, "Intensity and flavor and consistency of flavor is what we need from the vineyard and after that, it’s making wine that expresses the character of the grape."

So given that many Napa producers believe that Merlot cannot compare with Cabernet Sauvignon, in terms of image and sales, the varietal continues to be of lesser priority for many area wineries. However, there are a handful of local estates that have made Merlot their primary focus; the two most notable are Rutherford Hill and Duckhorn Vineyards.

At Rutherford Hill, winemaker/general manager Bryan Parker notes that regarding image and sales, "we have been making high quality Merlot since 1972; we're known for this varietal, so that gives us an advantage." The winery offers several examples of Merlot, from their classic Napa Valley offering to a more intense and plush Cask Reserve, along with recent new releases from Napa appellations, Oakville and Howell Mountain. "We have great brand loyalty with consumers. They know when we release a wine under the Rutherford Hill label, they can count on it to be exceptional."

At Duckhorn Vineyards in St. Helena, winemaker Renée Ary offers six different Merlots from Napa Valley; as she notes, "each one is unique and showcases its terroir and climate incredibly well." Ary is continuing the vision of Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, who established the winery 40 years ago with an eye on the finest examples of Merlot from Napa, wines that, in the words of Ary, "could rival some of the best in Bordeaux."

The most famous of these is the Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, from a site in northern Napa along the Silverado Trail. Commenting on this wine, Ary says, "it is a single-vineyard wine that showcases the rocky soils of Three Palms and yields an incredibly complex and age-worthy wine." This has arguably become Napa's - and California's - most iconic Merlot, and the 2014 vintage was named "The Wine of the Year" by Wine Spectator.

Other Duckhorn Merlots include the Rector Creek estate vineyard offering, which is on par quality wise with the Three Palms, a Carneros Merlot, which Ary describes as "a great food wine," and the Napa Valley Merlot, a blend of fruit from great sites throughout Napa. The wines range in price per bottle from $56 for the Napa Valley offering to $110 for the newly released 2016 Three Palms Vineyard. Clearly, Duckhorn has found a successful path for Merlot, as Ary notes. "Our Merlot production has been on a steady incline and I don't see it dipping anytime soon." (Interestingly, Ary believes that the effect of Sideways was a positive for the winery, as "it helped to weed out some of the less-serious Merlot producers, and at the time, there were quite a few. It also freed up some great vineyard sites here in the valley.")

So for some Napa Valley producers, especially Rutherford Hill and Duckhorn, the road ahead for Merlot in Napa Valley looks extremely bright. "I’m excited about the future of Merlot in Napa" says Parker. "We continue to explore the region, searching for exceptional Merlot. It’s very exciting!"

For Ary, the outlook for Napa Merlot is a sunny one and credits many factors to the remarkable success of this varietal at Duckhorn. This includes sourcing fruit from the finest sites in the valley, as well as her love for the grape. "I love its versatility, in both winemaking and enjoyment.  Its supple mid-palate and softer tannin profile make it a great food wine and allow it to pair more easily with food than a denser, more structured cabernet. When used as a blending grape, Merlot can help fill in the mid-palate and build a softer framework. On its own, when grown in more well-drained soils, Merlot has the ability to stand up to some of the biggest Cabernets out there."

She also realizes that Dan and Margaret Duckhorn were responsible for the nucleus of Merlot at Duckhorn, and she never forgets their contributions. "I think that drive and passion, which ultimately led to Merlot as our focus and flagship varietal, is what has allowed us to be successful."

Notes on current releases of Napa Valley Merlot

Clos du Val Estate Merlot 2016 - Aromas of black cherry, cranberry, mace and tar. Medium-full with a rich mid-palate. Excellent persistence, elegant tannins, lovely varietal character and complexity. Ample oak. Nicely structured, this will be more appealing after a few years in the bottle, and should peak in 7-10 years, perhaps longer. The round tannins help its drinkability with rich red meats at present, however. Excellent

Chappellet Merlot 2016 - Aromas of black plum, tree bark and charred meat. Medium-full, this is quite ripe, with rich tannins, balanced acidity, ample wood notes and very good persistence. Give this time to round out - best in 5-7 years. Very Good

Miner Merlot Stagecoach Vineyards 2016 - Aromas of red cherry, currant, sage and tobacco. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Big mid-palate, beautifully ripe, tightly packed fruit, good acidity, firm tannins, well integrated oak. Excellent stucture, this is a Cabernet Sauvignon lover’s Merlot. Peak in 12-15 years. Outstanding

Lewis Cellars Merlot 2016 -Rich aromas of black plum, black cherry, licorice and purple iris. Mdium-full with excellent concentration. Layered mid-palate, outstanding persistence, good acidity, rich young tannins that are beautifully elegant. Superb structure and great varietal purity. Gorgeous wine, with high alcohol (15.5%), but you wouldn’t know it. Appealing now, but will improve over many years, with peak drinking in another 12-15 years. Excellent

Duckhorn Merlot 2016 - Aromas of red cherry, red currant and crocus aromas. Medium-full with very good concentration, Elegant tannins, nicely integrated wood notes, good acidity. Very nicely balanced wine with notable varietal character. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. Excellent

Rutherford Hill Merlot Oakville 2014 -Aromas of red cherry, red poppies and a note of turmeric. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Elegant tannins, excellent persistence, good acidity, impressive complexity and notable varietal purity. Wonderfully harmonious, this is approachable now and will drink well for another 5-7 years, perhaps longer. Excellent

Rutherford Hill Merlot Atlas Peak 2013 - Aromas of black cherry, tar and a hint of anise. Full-bodied with excellent concentration. Rich mid-palate, excellent persistence and firm, but balanced tannins. This speaks well of its origins, as this is a rugged Merlot, but one that has excellent harmony and varietal character. Combine that with the outstanding 2013 vintage in Napa, and you have a very special wine. Impressive now, but better in another 5-7 years, with peak drinking in another 10 years. Superb

Duckhorn Rector Creek Vineyard 2016 - Enticing aromas of cranberry, blueberry and a hint of chocolate. Medium-full with a rich mid-palate. Excellent varietal character, lovely ripeness, good acidity and excellent persistence. Beautifully structured, with medium rich tannins, this is delightful now, and will improve for another 5-7 years, with peak drinking in about 8-10 years. Outstanding

Duckhorn Merlot Three Palms Vineyard 2016 - Aromas of black cherry, cranberry and a hint of clove. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Generous mid-palate, rich, youthful taninns and that are perfectly balanced. Outstanding persistence, good acidity and well integrated wood notes. Outstanding complexity, this is a supremely well made and expressive Napa Valley Merlot, one that speaks beautifully of its origins. Impressive now, this should drink well for 10-12 years, perhaps longer. Superb