Cabernet Sauvignon vs Merlot---Movie Sideways Issue

Then what happens....?

Petrus is 100% Merlot. Not all Merlots are created equally. Paloma Merlot reminds me of Trotanoy. Most New World Merlot reminds me of Miles' comments.

Petrus' vineyard today is 95% merlot, 5% cabernet franc. Up to the mid-1960s it was around 80% merlot, 20% bouchet (= c.f.).

M.

I think he's referring to the mass marketed, inexpensive Merlots made by many California makers for the US market. These wines tend to be over ripe, soft, flabby and sweet. Even though Merlot tends to be a finnicky grape to grow correctly, there's a lot of it planted in California and it gained popularity in the 90's due to it's easy approachability, soft tannins, sweet fruit and it's easy to pronounce Merlot. There are some good producers of Merlot like Lambert Bridge, Duckhorn, Pride, Chimney Rock and Arietta but these are in a different league. Bi!!

Sawyer Cellars, Matanzas should also be on list.

Don't forget Sterling! They pretty much put Merlot on the map here in California with their 1973 IIRC.

To be honest, I sometimes have a difficult time telling the difference between Merlot and Cabernet when poured blind. That's possibly because each is usually blended with the other these days.

Tom S

in article vjZId.8690$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net, Richard Neidich at snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net wrote on 1/23/05 6:45 PM:

I have, for quite a while, found that the California Merlots I like taste more like Cabernet or Cabernet-based meritages. But one thing I've come to enjoy about wine is learning to appreciate the specific wine varieties on their own merits. The fact that I (and many others, apparently) keep comparing Merlots to Cabs makes me wonder just what the "gold standard" for Merlot might be. Are the best Merlots all as close to Cab attributes as they can be, and still be classified as Merlot??

BTW, I would add A. Rafanelli Merlot to the list. Then again, I love it because it is very Cab-like.