Yesterday, we reviewed the Godwin Family Vineyards 2004 Merlot and we found it to be quite impressive.  “The wine does a nice job of mimicking a Pomerol, but with a traditional California style all it’s own”, is what I said of that wine.  You can read more on the 2004, but it’s time to review the 2005.  Does it offer the same experience as the 2004?  Let’s find out.

I was expecting a balanced wine offering smooth, lush tannins, well integrated with a core of plum fruit that is typical of California merlot.  For the most part the Godwin 2005 did not disappoint, but it didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations set by it’s predecessor.

Throughout my initial sampling of the 2005, the wine put out some hints of ammonia; although, this dissipated as the wine had time to open up.  Ammonia can be an indication of some extra nitrogen from the fermentation process.  It’s not unusual in some vintages for nitrogen levels to be supplemented.  When the fermentation process becomes “stuck” or sluggish, due to low nitrogen levels, some winemakers may add a supplement such as di-ammonium phospate (DAP), which is an ammonium source.  The result is accelerated fermentation, but with the potential of some off-putting aromas.

Now, this is not to suggest that this is what caused these aromas.  It’s simply one potential explanation.  The point here is that some aromas in fine wine, (or odors as others may choose to refer to them) stem from the winemaking process, and given appropriate time to aerate, wines are capable of shedding these aromas and providing a perfectly fine wine experience.  And this was certainly the case with the Godwin 2005.

It has all the great balance and structure of the 2004, but with less intensity.  The fruit is also there, but again with less intensity.  It offers a different aroma structure than the 2004, which was more fruit dominant, but the 2005 is still nuanced and complex.  So while I rated the 2005 highly, it doesn’t rate as highly as the 2004.  Nature made the 2004 very good.  Winemakers made the 2005 very good.  But when it comes to winemaking, nature always wins.

A  Salute!

Wine: Godwin Family Vineyards
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 14.8%
Rating: 88
Price: $35.00

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Occasionally here at Cheapwineratings.com we receive wines that don’t necessarily meet our criteria, meaning they’re not exactly “cheap”.   But if we believe these wines may still represent a value to our consumers who may be looking for something a little more special, we’ll certainly pass on our perspective.   So when Godwin Family Vineyards sent us a pair of their Sonoma Valley merlots, one from the 2004 vintage and the other from 2005, both at the “suggested” $35 price point, we didn’t pass up the opportunity to sample and review the wines.

Godwin specifically uses the words “Bordeaux varietal” on the back label to reference the blend.  While completely accurate, it’s use coupled with a comparison to Pomerol wines should give you an indication of the style that Godwin is aiming for.  And at $35 a bottle, if they can “rival” the quality and style of French Pomerol, then it would definitely represent a strong value.   Godwin sources merlot grapes from two different vineyards.  While 5% of the grapes come the Stagecoach vineyard near Atlas Peak in Napa, 95% of the blend is made up of grapes from the Nelson Vineyard in the foothills around Sonoma Mountain.  Winemaker Kerry Damskey ferments the blend in open top tanks for 21 days.  Then the wine sees 23 months in 100% French oak barrels, about half of which are new.  Production is relatively small at 650 cases.

The 2004 vintage was favorable in Northern California, and while crop yields were about 20 – 50% below normal in some cases, the grapes ripened well, particularly Sonoma-grown merlot, which faired very well in 2004.  Sugar levels in the grapes achieved 10% even as most grapes in Sonoma in 2004 were harvested early.  The result is a wine with a not-so-Pomerol-like 14.8% alcohol by volume.   But it seems to work well with the style that Godwin has produced.

The wine has an absolutely wonderful nose that I would have enjoyed all day long.  It’s quite complex, offering rich blackberry and black currant, with sage and cedar.  Initially, the wine offers hints of fruitcake or sweet bread that dissipate and get lost as the wine opens up.   The wine is quite opaque with a rich purple plum color with garnet hues.  On the palate, the wine doesn’t offer overwhelming fruit, but it is well balanced against the lush tannin and acid.   It may have displayed some characteristic plum at one point, but the fruit at the moment is decidedly darker with blackberry and currant.  The finish is long and expansive with lush cedary tannins lingering for what seems to be minutes.

The wine does a nice job of mimicking a Pomerol, but with a traditional California style all it’s own.  Which is to say big alcohol and rich tannins.  But when you’re blessed with such ripe fruit as you get from the region, it’s hard not to exploit that.  Still I have to applaud the winemaking here, as I found this a very enjoyable wine, both with food and as a quaffer.

But is it a value?   Well, I’ll leave that ultimately up for you to decide.   But if I were you, I would buy a bottle and stick it in the cellar for a few more years.  And if you happen to find the 2004 Godwin Family Vineyards Sonoma County Merlot for less than the suggested $35.00 retail, first let me know, and second, buy 2!

A  Salute!

Wine: Godwin Family Vineyards
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 14.8%
Rating: 91
Price: $35.00

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

As we wrote in our 2009 roundup of 15 Good Merlots Under $15, “merlot can be exciting and merlot can be exceptional”.  I agree with this, but let me go on record here by saying I’m hard on merlot.  Maybe it’s because I’ve tasted so many fat & jammy, cookie cutter examples that I’ve grown a little weary of the varietal, particularly with less expensive versions.  Now that’s not to suggest that you can’t find a diamond in the rough.  You certainly can, but the task is made much harder with a varietal that the industry, the domestic vintners in particular, have all but typecast.

So here we go again, in an ongoing effort to hunt down an exceptional, noteworthy merlot for under $15, we’re rounding up a few arrivals to Cheapwineratings.com, and seeing if one of these gets to wear the crown for most distinguished merlot, in an also-ran varietal category.

First up is Crane Lake 2008.  This wine is rather light and jammy, but it shows a little character in the mid-palate, where it’s smooth fruit pleases.  Unfortunately the wine turns mildly astringent in the finish and throws off the balance a bit.  A decent offering, but it doesn’t get the crown.

Wine: CraneLake
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 84
Price: $4.99

Find Crane Lake Merlot with Snooth

Next is the Concannon 2007.  I was expecting big things from this wine, judging from the heft of the bottle and the overall impressive packaging.  But the Concannon disappointed.  It has a rather rustic style, which can be distinguishing, but the wine is overwhelmed with tannin and alcohol, making it appear “hot” and out of balance.

Wine: Concannon Conservancy Livermore Valley
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 82
Price: $14.99

Find Concannon Conservancy Livermore Valley Merlot with Snooth

On to the Glen Ellen 2008, a winery that it could be argued is as mainstream as they come.  But its humble class status belies the true nature of this wine.  I was pleasantly surprised by the Glen Ellen.  The wine offers up abundant plum fruit, tinged with cherry.  It’s slightly jammy, but is the most balanced wine of the bunch, with nicely integrated tannins.  This is a good example of traditional California merlot, but it’s not my style.

Wine: Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve “Concannon Vineyard”
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 87
Price: $5.99

Find Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve “Concannon Vineyard” Merlot with Snooth

Monthaven Winery’s 2008 merlot is by default the most distinguished wine here simply because it comes in a 3 liter bag-in-the-box.  There are many advantages to this, not the least of which is being able to enjoy the wine well after it has been opened.  In fact I’m still enjoying this same wine now over a month in.  And don’t let the packaging fool you.  This is a legitimate contender, offering a rich and textured palate with well-integrated tannins.  The finish is a bit dry, but the wine shows an abundance of ripe plum and blackberry fruit, along with some pleasant herbal notes.  You need to try this wine, if only to see how good bag-in-the-box can be.

Wine: Monthaven Winery
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $24.00 (3l)

Find Monthaven Winery Merlot with Snooth

Then we have the Motos Liberty 2008.  While the Motos, it could be argued, is one of the more distinguished wines here, offering up a nice nose of strawberry, plum and mild vanilla, turning herbal and cedary on the palate, the wine lacks intensity, and finishes with mild astringency.  A good effort overall, but it finished mid-pack.

Wine: Motos Liberty
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $10.99

Find Motos Liberty Merlot with Snooth

Historically, Napa Ridge has offered solid value across their line-up of wines.  And their 2007 Merlot is no exception.  This example offers rich black fruit and integrated oak on the nose.  On the palate the wine is quite lush, offering jammy plum fruit and good structure.  This wine could actually fool you into thinking it was much more expensive than it actually is.

Wine: Napa Ridge
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $12

Find Napa Ridge Merlot with Snooth

Our last entry is Turning Leaf’s 2008.  This wine initially offers a rich nose of banana and oak, but that fades to unripe plum and strawberry.  The wine is nicely balanced with tropical notes and oak, but turns slightly tannic.  This might appear as a flaw with some traditional merlot drinkers, but it actually provides this merlot with some distinction.

Wine: Turning Leaf
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $7.99

Find Turning Leaf Merlot with Snooth

So there you go, 7 merlots worthy of a try.  I can’t say there is a wine worthy of the crown in this bunch, but there are some favorites.   The search continues…….

A  Salute!

Disclosure: These wines were received as samples.

I really want to like this wine.  The overall look of the packaging is clean and simple but the blazoned red “181” on the black label is striking.  I also like the choice of tapered meritage-glass for the bottle.  It looks premium and very up-market.  As I review the wine, I find myself taking a few extra sips, as if I’m waiting for the wine to suddenly unleash a torrent of fruit and complexity.  But it never really comes.

I still really want to like this wine.  181 takes a more austere approach to crafting this Merlot from Lodi.  It’s a more muscular style of merlot one that I’m rather partial to.  181 claims the clones used trace their roots back to Pomerol in Bordeaux, and that they are quite suitable for the red clay soils of clay station vineyards in Lodi, which are similar to Pomerol.  The color in the glass is more ruby, and more transparent than you’d expect from a more muscular merlot.  On the nose, the wine offers sweet plum laced with raspberry, but with mineral qualities like salt and chalk.  The tannins are active but remain relatively pleasant, sometimes bordering on lush, particularly in the finish.

I applaud this more muscular style of merlot.  It represents a truer Bordeaux style, and a nice departure from the overly jammy-style that I believe has flooded the market.   But I have to admit, I’d prefer just a little more fruit on the mid palate.  I still like this wine, though.

A  Salute!

Wine: 181
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 86
Price:$12.99

Find 181 Merlot with Snooth

Here’s what some others thought of the 2008 181 Merlot:

• Taylor Eason
• Jennifer’s Review
• Gabe’s View

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Let me actually start this review with a disclaimer.  There’s a lot of discussion among wine reviewers/wine bloggers about potential “conflict of interest” related to their reviews.  The conflict scenario is typically an instance when a review is done for a wine and the reviewer has received something of value from the producer of the wine (i.e. advertising dollars, expense-paid trips, etc.)

It certainly makes sense that someone would be skeptical if a reviewer is getting paid by a producer to publish a review, of course the perceived conflicts are often more subtle than that.  While reviewers try to avoid conflicts, they also often like to get paid for their work.  I’m not talking about payola, but advertising and such.  Some reviewers have policies against accepting advertising from wine producers, or won’t do reviews for any wine producers that purchase ads from them.  Others accept ads and proclaim that their editorial integrity is free of influence from ad dollars.

My policy is one of transparency and disclosure, and hence this disclaimer.  Every prior wine review I have ever done has been such that I was not paid to do the review, nor was there any financial gain for me if you purchased the wine.  That is slightly different with this review.  I’ve partnered with the folks at Barclay’s Wine for this review.  They didn’t produce this wine, but they sell it.  They also didn’t pay me to do this review, but if you click the link at the end of this review and buy the wine, I will get a commission for that.

Some may scream, “conflict of interest” but I think that the conflict would exist if I reviewed it, posted a link and didn’t tell you about the business relationship.  When Barclay’s approached me about this I made it clear that 1) my reviews need to have integrity and I would approach the review like any other wine and publish my true opinions (good & bad) about the wines; and 2) I would be transparent about my relationship.  I think you, the consumer, can make your own decision about whether to trust this review or dismiss it because of the business relationship.

My commitment to my readers is that I will always disclose if I have a relationship like this one related to a review and I will follow the same process to review these wines that I do with any others.

OK, enough disclaimer… let’s talk about this wine.

Randall Harris is a Washington wine label that’s been around for about 14 years, but Randall Harris isn’t a vineyard or a winery.  The label is produced by Randy Leitman as a negociant.  That means that Leitman doesn’t grow the grapes or even manage the fermentation of the wine, but rather he purchases the wine from another producer and sells it under his own label.  Knowing that, I wouldn’t expect a lot of consistency from one vintage to another, but would choose vintages of this label carefully.  Fortunately, this vintage is an enjoyable Merlot.

This is not a big, fruity Merlot as much as a floral, spicy one.  If your preference is big and fruity, then this isn’t the Merlot for you.  When you first open the bottle it’s a touch on the vegetal side, but opens up to be more floral.  The nose has a really nice rose and black pepper aroma layered over blackberries, vanilla and a subtle apple pie with allspice.  The palate is mostly cherry and blackberry flavors, and it’s velvety-smooth.  The finish lingers a bit, but it’s not exceptionally long.  This wine goes fantastically well with rich cheeses (I enjoyed a little cheddar with it).  It’s a nice, elegant Merlot.

Wine: Randall Harris
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $11.50

OK, now for the shill part…

Buy Randall Harris Merlot at Barclay’s Wine.  You can also purchase Randall Harris Merlot as a part of a Washington State Wines Pack.

Over the past several weeks I’ve posted a number of reviews for Merlot.  I feel sorry for Merlot.  It’s gotten an undeserved reputation as a boring wine.  This is mostly due to the movie Sideways, and American’s tendency to foolishly be influenced by anything they see on screen.  Let me set the record straight, Merlot can be exciting and Merlot can be exceptional.  If my word isn’t enough and you need to see this message on screen, then check out the movie Merlove… it’s all about Merlot and explores how great it can be.

After I do a series of reviews I like to do a summary to see how all the wines stacked up, and to give you a quick reference for some you may want to try.  Here’s the results of the latest Merlot reviews.

Top Picks

One of the things I enjoyed about this series of reviews is that there were quite a few that I liked a lot.  Another thing that I enjoyed is the variety in the style of these different Merlots.  And the top three, each with a score of 89 points, all present a slightly different style.  I recommend any of these depending on your preferences.

My personal favorite brings a little dirty characteristic to the wine.  The 2006 Oyster Bay Merlot has perfumey floral, herbal and fruit aromas that I found to be enjoyable and interesting.  The palate goes from raspberry, to cherry, to licorice.  It’s a great Merlot for $14.99.

If your preference is a big and juicy Merlot, bursting with plum, cherry, blackberry and cocoa flavors then try a Chilean Merlot.  All the Merlot from Chile that I tried was big and juicy, but the best was the 2005 Cono Sur Visión Merlot for a very affordable $11.99.

And finally, if elegance is what you seek then go with the 2005 Alexander Valley Vineyards Merlot.  You’ll find clove, violets, dark cherry and raspberry on the nose, with licorice, ripe fruit and black pepper on the palate.

Best Value

The honor of “best value Merlot” goes to the 2006 Red Truck.  It’s a fairly simple and predictable Merlot, but still good.  Raspberry and plum are the main features in this wine, but a touch of vanilla adds a little bit of interest.  And at $7.69 how can you complain about a tasty Merlot?

The Ratings

Here’s how the top 15 good, cheap Merlots stack up.  These are ordered first by rating, then by price.

I logged on tonight planning to post a summary of all the Merlot reviews I’ve done recently, in order to show how they all stack up to each other and help you pick the best bargains.  When I pulled up my tasting notes database I saw that I had neglected to post a review of one of the best Merlots I’ve had recently, the Cono Sur Visión from Chile.

I’ve had a few different wines from Cono Sur recently, including an organic Pinot Noir that I recently reviewed, and I have yet to be disappointed.  They seem to be consistently producing great wines at reasonable prices. And there are plenty of wines to try from Cono Sur as their wine portfolio is massive!

Chilean wine keeps coming up as a theme on this site as well.  A testament to the great value wines coming from that region as a whole.  Tomorrow night I’ll be attending a “virtual wine tasting” with a number of Chilean wine producers and other wine bloggers to sample and learn about some more Chilean wines.  I doubt I’ll have anything posted on the blog about it as quickly as tomorrow night, but I’ll be feverishly taking notes for a review or two in the next few days.

Getting down to details on this specific Merlot, it comes from the Colchagua Valley in Chile.  Mostly red wines are produced in this region, due to the warm climate.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted variety here, followed by Merlot.  Although it’s the second-most planted variety in the region, Merlot in Colchagua Valley has suffered from weak root systems, resulting in dehydration.  Careful site selection and proper rootstocks are key to successful Merlot from this area.

Despite the challenges of the region, Cono Sur got this one right.  This is one of the biggest, juiciest Merlots I’ve ever tasted.  The nose is very herbal with eucalyptus, smoke, plum and cherry.  The palate is rich and mouth filling, with plum, cherry, blackberry and cocoa.  It’s well structured and well balanced.  The tannins are smooth and not overpowering at all.  This is a very nice Merlot, especially for the price.

Wine: Cono Sur – Visión
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 89
Price: $11.99

Find Cono Sur Visión Merlot with Snooth

Today it’s nothing fancy.  Just a quick and dirty review.  This Merlot is one of the best sellers at one of my favorite wine shops.  It’s a great price, and so I wanted to see what made this so popular.  To be honest, that still seems to be a mystery to me.

I would call this an average, commercial Merlot.  The nose is OK, although it lacks intensity.  It has some classic plum, strawberry, earthy beet and sage aromas.  But I also got a hint of sulfur on the nose, for which it gets a ding.  The palate is fairly bland, although there’s nothing offensive about it.  The fruit is a little weak—what’s there is plum and cherry.  It’s slightly bitter on the finish and slightly heavy on the tannins in general.  But the acidity is good.  This is a drinkable Merlot, but nothing I would seek out.

Wine: Blackstone
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 82
Price: $7.98

When I see a wine named “Fat Bastard” I don’t know what to expect.  My first impression is that wine is all about marketing shtick and has no real substance.  But then I think that perhaps the winemaker just has a good sense of humor.  There’s no real way to know without giving it an objective tasting.

Fat Bastard is even more odd for a name of a French wine, given how traditional and majestic the names and labels are on most French wines.  I mean, I could see this coming from Australia, but France???  There’s something I like about the elegance of the traditional marketing of French wines, but it can also be intimidating to those who are new to it.  I remember a time when I avoided the French aisle due to that.  So, I have to give the producers of Fat Bastard credit for making a French wine more approachable from a marketing perspective.

According to the story they tell, the name comes from a joke between winemaker Thierry Boudinaud and wine entrepreneur Guy Anderson.  One day when when they were tasting wine samples Thierry commented that a wine tasted like a fat bastard, and the name stuck.

As a brand, Fat Bastard offers seven different varieties of wine, all from the Languedoc region in Southern France.  And all of their wines are priced for budget-conscious consumers.

This is a nice Merlot, although it is fairly simple.  On the nose it’s mostly blackberry and plum with a very soft beet aroma.  Yes, beets as in the root vegetable.  And if you’ve never had roasted beets with a good, full-flavored red wine I suggest you give it a try, the pairing can be outstanding.

There isn’t much intensity on the nose, so it is a delicate bouquet.  Contrarily the palate has a good amount of concentration, with plenty of ripe blackberry and plum flavors.  It has a very well rounded and full mouth feel with rich silky tannins that linger into the finish.

It is a very approachable Merlot and a very good wine for the price.

Wine: Fat Bastard
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $9.99

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Although New Zealand and Oyster Bay are both best known for Sauvignon Blanc, it’s the Oyster Bay Merlot that has captured my attention.  I first tasted this Merlot at the first ever North American Wine Blogger’s Conference last October.  At that conference there was an open tasting of 100 wines from New Zealand.  Most of the wines were Sauvignon Blanc, but there were a few red wines in the mix.  I tried this Merlot from Oyster Bay and it instantly had a “wow factor” for me.  I had been tasting grassy Sauvignon Blanc prior to this one, so I wasn’t sure if the wine truly was as good as I thought or if my senses had become tainted by all the other wines.  So… I took note of the wine and planned to pick some up to taste later.

When I returned from the conference I set out to find a bottle of this Oyster Bay Merlot and sure enough, I couldn’t find it anywhere.  Isn’t that always the case when you know of a specific wine and you set out to find it?  I stopped in several of my favorite wine shops and had no luck.  I had given up on finding this wine, when one day I was casually strolling through the wine section at a Kroger grocery store and bam! there it was.  Finally, I can check this thing out with a formal review.

The Oyster Bay brand was created by Delegat’s Wine Estate in 1990 and has gotten numerous accolades over the years.  They are best known for their white wines from Marlborough, but also have some vineyards in Hawkes Bay, where this Merlot is produced.  Hawkes Bay is the second largest wine growing region in NZ and the top producer of red wines in the country.

This is one of the most interesting Merlots I’ve tasted in some time.  There’s a lot going on in this wine.  The nose is filled with herbal, floral and fruit aromas.  Raspberry, violets, sage and spice blend together in a dirty perfume that will have you smelling the wine over and over because it’s just wonderful.  The palate is filled with ripe raspberry and cherry flavors along with a hint of licorice that leads into a relatively long finish.  The tannins are just right.  To me, this is a very good Merlot with a lot of character—but it may not be for everyone.  Some may find this too dirty for their tastes, but I’d suggest giving it a try to find out how you like it.

Wine: Oyster Bay
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 89
Price: $14.99

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