Notes on a blind tasting of merlots – the guidelines were that a wine must have at least 50% merlot content.
First, some starters.

2008 Philipponnat Champagne Grand Blanc Extra Brut – a nice nose with some maturity, lemon and brioche, a clean sophisticated wine on palate and with a lengthy finish. Very pleasant. I did up some Phyllo cups filled with crème fraiche and topped with either smoked salmon or caviar to accompany it.

2016 Zorah Voski – this white had us going in circles until the elevation and general area was defined and I guessed Mt. Ararat. Initially the nose was strongly of sulphur, but that dissipated and allowed the underlying fruit to peek out. Interesting blend of native Armenian grapes, Vosceat and Garandmak (I got to add to new grapes to my life list at once!). Fascinating blend of mineral and fuit flavours, good length and terminal acidity.

2007 Tinhorn Creek Merlot – a late release wine from a BC winery, this was a wine I bought on first release maybe 12 years ago, decent and unassuming. It has held very well – now lighter in colour and with a warm nutty nose and dry finish.

2006 Leonetti Merlot – corked

1973 Sterling Vineyards Merlot – although I have very few 1970s American wines left in my cellar, I have had tremendous luck with them over the years. This was a good one! It has become a medium orange colour with light edges, has a really nice claret nose and there was adequate fruit on palate. Medium length.

1996 Pahlmeyer Merlot – my wine, bought around 2000 when a very small amount came up to BC. When I researched it, I found that RP gave it some of his most effusive prose and declared it the very best merlot from California that he’d tasted. In fact I’ll quote his review:

Quote:
The wine is opaque black/purple-colored, with a knock-out nose of plums, black cherries, chocolate, raspberries, licorice, and toasty new oak. Viscous in the mouth, with superb purity, this is a riveting, mind-boggling Merlot that sets a new reference point for this varietal in California. It can be drunk now, but has the potential to last for 15 or more years. 97 points


Well, it is now a quarter of a century old (and the first bottle I have opened – I like them with age), and this one was still in fine shape, and more to my taste with some of the baby fat and (to me, excessive) sweet fruit having toned down. Still very dark in colour, with a nose of sweet fruit with some cola and lots of blueberry and spice and a very long finish. Lovely wine. Thank you Helen Turley! No rush at all on this one.

2010 Sette Ponti Orma Toscana IGT – Bolgheri super Tuscan made near Ornellaia, this wine had exactly 50% merlot (the rest CS and CF). It showed a warmish nose of spiced blackberry with hits of anise and vanilla. As I type this I am tasting the last if this and it is holding up well despite being open for a day. I suspect that it is just coming together and has a lot of life ahead.

2010 Craggy Range Sophia Gimblett Gravels – a wine in a heavy bottle with a heavy price, this was ark, with a cocoa/cedar nose, fairly full bodied and with medium length finish, Very nice.

2002 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière – dark with a warm merlot nose, blackberry/blackcurrant fruit, softening tannins, ready to drink.

2011 Tenuta Santa Maria Merlot Decima Aurea – this Bertani wine had a slightly bricky edges, a mocha cocoa nose that betrayed the fact that half the fruit was made appassimento style as they do for Amarone with dried grapes. It did not, however make this wine seem very Amarone-ish. It had a dry finish with enough acidity to have been a tip off of origin.

1993 Château les Roques Loupiac – I pulled this old sweet white from the cellar to go with cheese, with a certain amount of trepidation, anticipating that it might underwhelm, but that was far from the case. Less sweet and concentrated than a Sauternes, this was ideal with the cheese and proved to be in fine shape. Wish I had more!