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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/777147
WINE SELECTIONS • MERLOT 42 Beverage Dynamics • January/February 2017 www.beveragedynamics.com ABC Fine Wines & Spirits Orlando, FL Brad Lewis Director of Wine Sales ABC Fine Wines & Spirits Stuart, FL Josh Beerman Andina Restaurant/ Pearl Wine Shop Portland, OR Ken Collura Director/Sommelier Atlantic Liquors Rehoboth Beach, DE John Driscoll Wine Manager Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits Annapolis, MD Phil Altherr, GM Katie Harper, Wine Sales Berbiglia Wine & Spirits Kansas City, MO Ralph J. Bondon Vice President/Owner Beverages & more! Concord, CA Wilfred Wong E-Commerce Cellar Master Bocanova Oakland, CA Gerardo Acevedo-Vanni GM/Sommelier Bottle Bargains Northport, NY Ryan Armstrong Store Manager Bottle King Liquors Livingston, NJ Steve Carpentier General Manager Bowery & Vine Wine & Spirits New York, NY Bill Beard Manager Brown Derby Stores Springfi eld, MO John Riley Retail Fine Wine Buyer BTG Wine Bar Salt Lake City, UT Louis Koppel Sommelier Bullfrog Wine and Spirits Fort Collins, CO Chuck Carlson GM/Certifi ed Sommelier Cordially Yours Wine and Spirits Depew, NY Jeannine Babcock Director Wine & Spirits Cotuit Liquors Marston Mills, MA Dan O'Brien President Crestwood Liquors Coventry, RI Matthew A. Reay VP Marketing/Merch. Flute New York, NY Herve Rousseau Owner The Fridge Liquor Manhattan, KS Keith Spreckels, Jr. Wine Buyer Frugal MacDoogal's Nashville, TN Jack Mantle Wine Department Great Domains & Estates Windsor, CA Larry LaScola General Manager Hakkasan Group London, England Christine Parkinson Group Head of Wine Happy Harry's Bottle Shop Grand Forks, ND Dustin Mitzel General Manager Haskell's Minnetonka, MN Ted Farrell President BEVERAGE DYNAMICS NATIONAL WINE PANEL dried fruit and a nice splash of vanilla. The pal- ate has plenty of weight, with the cherry shining through, accented by some vanilla and choco- late notes. A very long fi nish. ($45) (95) Chateau Fontbernard 2010 (Montagne Saint-Emilion). A truly classic Right Bank Rouge, 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvuignon. Soft, bright aromas and fl avors of cherry, red currant and plum meld with hints of spice, sweet tobacco and fi nish with supple tannins. There are some lovely earth/mineral notes surrounding the whole that defi ne the appellation. The 2010 is very ap- proachable now, but will cellar nicely for three- to-fi ve years. ($18.99) (95) Maison Nicolas Merlot 2015 (Pays D'oc I.G.P., France). Maison Nicolas has long been famous for importing excellent French wines that represent great quality and value. This Mer- lot has lovely fl oral/black fruit aromas. It is soft and ripe on the palate with hints of blackberry, coffee and allspice. The fi nish is long with a perfect balance of fruit/acids/tannins. Although a modern style, there's a hint of terroir that says "Languedoc!" An unbeatable value! ($10.99) (94) Frog's Leap 2012 (Napa). An elegant, superb Merlot. Full-bodied dark fruit with hints of plum and raspberry. Complex and balanced, with perfectly integrated tannins, make this one delicious drink. ($42.95) (94) B.R. Cohn Merlot Petricka Vineyard 2013 (Sonoma Valley, CA). A single-vineyard, sin- gle-variety Merlot. No blending involved. Dark ruby in the glass, the nose is dominated by dark fruit, with plenty of black cherry and boysen- berry. The palate is very similar, with fi ne tannins and an attractive fi nish. ($36) (94) Matthiason Red Hen Vineyard Merlot 2011 (California). A complex and fascinating wine that walks the line between new and old world. It has a cool, fi nessed character wherein red currant, bing cherries, graphite, espresso bean and cacao nibs are on display. Incredibly pure. For my taste, this is best Cali Merlot I can recall. ($77.99) (94) Nor thstar Merlot 2012 (Washington). The epitome of great Washington Merlot. Dark cherry and vanilla fl avors work so nice together. The perfect balance of oak makes the fi nish long and memorable. Big, bold and built to last. Lay this wine down to enjoy for years to come. ($35) (94) J.Lohr Cuvee Pom, 2013 (Paso Robles). The ultimate expression of Merlot from J.Lohr. This is their homage to the great Pomerol blends from Bordeaux. Winemaker Steve Peck starts with a classic blending of Merlot and Malbec, then subtly blends in trace amounts of Caber- net and Cabernet Franc. Paso Robles sourcing offers a truly viable alternative to Napa for ex- ceptional fruit. Aged 18 months in French oak. ($59.99) (93) Columbia Winery Merlot 2014 (Columbia Valley, WA). A large percentage of Merlot, com- plemented by 11% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot. Intense dark ruby in color, the nose is dominated by red fruit, with touches of plum and spice. The palate follows suit, with the hints of spice com- ing to the forefront. Clean and balanced fi nish. Quite a bargain! ($16) (92) Charles Krug 2012. A "Cab-lover's Mer- lot." Great structure. Lots of mocha, currant and vanilla to hold up to a grilled steak. ($24) (92) Luisa Merlot 2014 (Isonzo del Friuli, Veneto, Italy). Pure Merlot, with a minimum of oak exposure, from nor theastern Italy. Quite dark in the glass, the black fruit components dominate, due to the fermentation and aging in steel. Lovely and supple, a great Merlot for those who want to taste the grape, and not so much the barrel. A great wine, at a great price. ($23) (91) Alexander Valley Vineyards Homestead Red 2014 (Alexander Valley, Sonoma). Merlot is the foundation for this delightful red blend. Each component's vilifi ed separately, and then winemaker Kevin Hall adds Zinfandel, Gren- ache, Mourvedre, Cab and Syrah to round out the blend. Lighter in style, very balanced, easy drinking, with concentrated fruit fl avors. Oak aging for 13 months ties the whole package together. Very versatile wine for almost any food group, but fantastic with Texas BBQ. ($20.00) (91) Duckhorn 2013 (Napa). Founded in 1976, and one of the original cult Merlot-producers.