Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/777147
MERLOT • WINE SELECTIONS www.beveragedynamics.com January/February 2017 • Beverage Dynamics 43 HMGI Restaurant Group Charleston, SC Bill Netherland Wine Director Holiday Wine Cellar Escondido, CA Jim Kern Manager/Wine Buyer Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits Silvis, IL Kevin Miller Wine & Spirits Manager K&L Wine Merchants Redwood City, CA Bryan Brick, Sales Consultant Legal Sea Foods Boston, MA Sandy Block VP, Beverage Operations Liquor Barn Louisville, KY Michael Sorg, Wine Manager Liquor Boy St. Louis Park, MN Peter Herlofsky III Wine Manager Maggie Wine Consulting Poughkeepsie, NY Maggie Gephard President Mainstreet Wines & Spirits Countryside, IL Nancy J. Sabatini Dir. Wine Ed. & Sales Malloy's Finest Wine & Spirits Naperville, IL Bruce Jaroski Wine Director Mills Fine Wine & Spirits Annapolis, MD Peter Finkelstein Wine Consultant North Ridge Wine Ellicott City, MD Brad Boarman Owner Prime Wines & Spirits Kenmore, NY Rick McLeod Wine Manager Premium Wine & Spirits Williamsville, NY Dave Cleveland General Manager Prestige Wine & Spirits Orchard Park, NY Jeff Vignaux General Manager Spec's Wine, Spirits and Finer Foods Houston, TX Hermen Key VP, Retail Development The Boerne Cork and Keg Boerne, TX Tom Geoghegan, Owner The Liquor Store & Wine Loft Jackson Hole, WY Nate Mylott Manager/Buyer The Little Nell Aspen, CO Timothy Baldwin Director, Food and Bev. Total Wine & More Claymont, DE Cristina Pearce Senior Buyer Towne Spirits and Fine Wine/Elite Beverages Noblesville & Indianapolis, IN Arnie Lewin Wine & Spirits Director Trig's Cellar 70 Minocqua, WI Dennis J. Kohl Beverage Consultant Vino 100 Michael A. Schaefer, CWE Dir., Business Development Vino Loco Wine & Tapas Englewood, FL Joyce Colmar Managing Partner Willowbrook Spirit Shoppe Cromwell, CT Christopher Cambareri Owner The Wine Seller Ridgewood, NJ Don Carter Owner/Sommelier Yankee Discount Liquor East Haven, CT Deepak Pattani, Owner Yankee Wine Newtown, CT Steve Small General Manager Winemaker Renee Ary utilizes estate fruit in conjunction with other top sites in the valley to produce this state-of-the-art offering. Classic valley fruit enhanced with Cabernet and Cab Franc is aged for 15 months in French Oak. Warm, rich, full-bodied. Pure velvet for begin- ning to end. ($57.99) (90) Boomtown 2013 (Washington). Medium bodied with lots of dark, lush fruit. Long fi n- ish and perfect with your favorite grilled meat. ($16.95) (90) Magana Navarra Merlot 2011 (Spain). A wine made only in the best vintages and only nine times since 1979. This exemplifi es the darker, denser expression of Merlot with caramelized cher- ries, smoke, rich loam and bay leaf. Somewhat gritty tannins should integrate with time. ($66.49) (90) Joel Gott Merlot 2014 (Paso Robles). Consistent quality with other Gott wines. Hints of vanilla with blanced blackberry and dark choco- late. Soft, juicy fi nish. ($16) (90) Markham Merlot 2013 (California). A fruit bomb with hints of chocolate. While this wine starts out very juicy, the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon adds a very tannic dry fi nish. Overall, a great versatile wine to pair with steak, burgers or roasted chicken dishes. ($22) (90) 90+ Cellars Lot 92 (California). Good value for everyday sipping. Medium-bodied with hints of plum and cedar. Great with mush- rooms! ($10) (90) Chateau Lyonnat Saint-Emilion 2010 (France). This beautifully produced Bordeaux is just bursting with deep rich fl avors. Big dark berry and licorice are the most prevalent. Tannins in this have mellowed with age. Wood and smoke mingle nicely on the fi nish. Drinking at its best now. ($20) (90) Perimeter Merlot 2013 (Washington State). Sweet red fruits on the nose with a pal- ate of raspberry, cherry cola and a hint of va- nilla. Lush and round, there is some spice and a lovely strawberry vanilla fi nish. ($14) (90) La Croix Belle Merlot Cotes du Thongue 2014 (France). Quite seductive and a real sur- prise. Silky, ripe, smooth dark plums are framed by hints of spices and fresh tealeaves. The per- sistent, fresh, polished fi nish is where this really satisfi es. ($16) (90) Racine Merlot IGP 2015 (France). Very nicely balanced with good crunchy fruit fl avors of blackberries and cassis with an underlying fresh- ness that provides lift. Makes an excellent choice for appetizers or a poultry or pork course. ($14) (89) Chateau St Michele Merlot, Indian Wells Vineyard 2014 (Washington). Berry and red fruit aroma, with fl avors of blackberry and cherry. Tannins are moderate and the fi nish is medium in length and pleasant. Has some Syrah blended in. ($18.99) (89) Seven Falls Wahluke Slope Merlot 2012 (Washington). With a warm and generous per- sonality, this wine offers up ripe plum, dark choc- olate and cloves. The fl avors are complimented by a pleasant, velvet-like texture. ($15.49) (89) J.Lohr Estates Los Osos Merlot 2014 (Paso Robles). Winemaker Steve Peck has produced a another classic Paso Merlot. Rich, full-bodied, with plummy dense fruit. 15% Malbec adds com- plexity, while aging in American oak for 12 months completes the formula. Rich black fruit fl avors complement the hints of bitter chocolate, and lead to a long lingering fi nish. ($18.99) (89) Rios 2014 (Chile). A surprisingly fresh take on Merlot. Leaner European style with lovely currant and mineral nuances. Perfect with your favorite cheese plate. ($16.95) (88) Duckhorn Decoy 2014 (Sonoma). Wine- maker Don Labored sources from over a dozen prime sites in Sonoma, including the famed Rid- geline vineyard. Rich, complex and silky smooth with a touch of Malbec and Cab Franc added to lend complexity. Aged 10 months in oak, this wine is a tremendous value. ($26.99) (87) Sebastiani Merlot Sonoma County (Cal- ifornia). Red fruit aroma. Flavors are Cassis and cherry, with a hint of chocolate. Tannins are of medium intensity with a medium-long fi nish ($15.99) (87) Toad Hollow Merlot 2014 (Sonoma County, CA). Berries, plum and spice on the nose. Currant, plum and cassis fl avors. Tannins are a little higher than most Merlots. This is more of a Cabernet-drinker's Merlot. ($12.99) BD