Napa Cellars Merlot – A Napa Valley Merlot That Will Make You Forget About Over-Priced Pinot Noir

100% Merlot from Napa Valley, California.

SRP of $22 and available for as low as $16. Sample received courtesy Balzac Communications for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“Napa Cellar’s 2009 Merlot opens with aromas of fresh, ripe plums that intertwine with coffee and chocolate. Vibrant flavors of blackberries and spice join supple, mild tannins with a long, luscious finish. Enjoy with grilled red meats, hamburgers, tuna and swordfish, pizza and stews.

14.2% Alcohol”

It seems like ever since the movie “Sideways” Merlot has gotten a bad name; well, maybe even before that thanks to some of the poor quality wine that was being produced. Rest assured, there is still plenty of good Merlot out there — actually not just good, but really good and even great. (And it really can be great, take for example the Palarea Merlot.) This grape certainly hasn’t lost its ability to make truly tasty wines, and on top of that, you don’t necessarily have to pay Pinot Noir prices to get it. Want some proof? Crack open today’s excellent wine.

The 2009 Napa Cellars Napa Valley Merlot begins with great aromas of plum, blackberry, lots of pepper and spice and a little vanilla and cinnamon. The wine tastes big, rich and fruity. This is a fruit forward wine with lots of delicious blackberry flavor. It also has a little bit of olive. The wine finishes with a good kick of spice that is quite nice. The oak comes through a bit on the finish, but it is not overdone and toasty oak notes linger for quite awhile. This one is not quite as good day 2 so pop it open at your next party and impress your guests with a Napa Valley Merlot that they’ll think costs much, much more than $16.

Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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