Merlot, post Sideways

[robert_creth]

I always saw the movie as magnifying the rise of California Pinot and establishing the Santa Ynez area as a major wine area.

[ToddFrench]

@Roy Piper

I have a minor obsession the last few years with Ch. L’Evangile. The 1998, 2003 and 2005. There is nothing like that in Napa. Pinot the heartbreak grape? LOL. It’s Merlot. There are dozens of excellent Pinot producers. How many great Merlots? Take away Merlots that are spiked with 15% Cab (the legal limit while being able to call yourself Merlot) and the number plunges.

I dream of making a wine such as L’Evangile. The sexiest Napa Merlot I ever had was the 1996 Pahlmeyer. That was made from Caldwell fruit, but I’ve never run into a Caldwell Merlot like it since. Realm’s “Tempest” is perhaps my fave of the last handful of years.

Personally, I think Merlot from Washington crushes Napa Merlot most of the time and at 1/2 the price, to boot. But someday I would like to try to make something from Napa that is Merlot-based because there is very little excellent Merlot.

L’Evangile has been a standout for me, as well, in the past few years. Remarkably so, sometimes.

[Andrew_Kaufman]

Three Palms Merlot anyone?

[Steve_L_Gellman]

Kapcsandy Roberts’s Reserve.

[Scott_Watkins]

@Andrew Kaufman

Three Palms Merlot anyone?

Yeah that was a good one with some age on it!

[M_Dildine]

@Larry P

Joel Peterson has been posting pics on his facebook feed this week, of Sangiacomo Merlot bubbling away in one of Once & Future’s open-top redwood fermenters:

Looking forward to tasting this!

[Marshall_Gelb]

@Jason Oliver

@Marshall Gelb

@Jason Oliver

Merlot is the standout at the winery I pour at (Murrieta’s Well) in Livermore. Hillside gravel with clay (sachau vineyard). Not a high alcohol fruitbomb. Robbie Meyer’s first full vintage of it (2015) is coming out this month.

Merlot seems to do quite well in Livermore. An interesting wine and winery is named 'Cuda. Excellent wine and they do a very nice job with other Bordeaux varietals as well. In addition, they are damn nice people.


Cheers!
Marshall

Marshall, Larry dino (cuda) is definitely a good guy and is making nice restrained bordeaux style wines. Winery is less than a mile from me. Nottingham and occasio make some good merlot as well.

Jason: I even fixed it to 'Cuda Ridge. A bit off topic but his malbec is also outstanding. Need to visit you next time in the area as my brother lives in Pleasanton.

Cheers!
Marshall

[JohnP]

Just had some 2011 Realm Tempest tonight. This is damn good Merlot, with a little cab and pv. Also, love Hourglass merlot!

[R_Nanda]

@Dale Williams

I probably drink 20X as much Pomerol as Cali Merlot, but I’ve had some awfully good Merlot from Mayacamas and Beringer Bancroft. Though I think the latest Mayacamas I’d had is 2003, and probably haven’t had a Bancroft younger than mid-90s. So I might be behind times. But still bid if I see older ones at auction.

Agreed. I’d add 90s Matanzas Creek Merlot to the list (made by David Ramey). Still drinking beautifully.

[Jason_Oliver]

Jason: I even fixed it to > 'Cuda Ridge. > > > A bit off topic but his malbec is also outstanding. Need to visit you next time in the area as my brother lives in Pleasanton.

Cheers!
Marshall >

Let me know when you are visting. Can get some wine/food at murrieta’s well and see other wineries.

[Andrew_Hamilton]

@Howard Cooper

I think people totally misunderstood the movie. Miles did not like Cabernet Franc or Merlot, yet his prize bottle of wine, his 1961 Cheval Blanc, is made of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I think this was a way to show that he was much more of a pathetic drunk than a true wine lover. I have always been amazed at how much this did to the sales of Merlot.

Maybe, or maybe it was just sloppy writing by people who aren’t as across wine as would be hoped given it’s a wine related movie. The below quote imho doesn’t add credence to the theory of Miles being a pathetic drunk instead of a true wine lover. (from the IMDB Trivia section for Sideways)

According to W. Blake Gray of the San Francisco Chronicle, the producers had originally wanted to use a bottle of Petrus as the treasured wine gathering dust in Miles’ apartment. But Christian Moueix, the chateau’s owner, read the script and decided to pass. So, instead it was a bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc.

Given they changed Miles’ treasured bottle from Petrus to Cheval Blanc makes me think it was sloppy writing instead of a subtle dig at the main character.

[Scott_Everson]

The were in California wine country and he didn’t want to drink shitty California Merlot, and not the good shitty kind but the shitty shitty kind.

[Howard_Cooper]

@Andrew Hamilton

@Howard Cooper

I think people totally misunderstood the movie. Miles did not like Cabernet Franc or Merlot, yet his prize bottle of wine, his 1961 Cheval Blanc, is made of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I think this was a way to show that he was much more of a pathetic drunk than a true wine lover. I have always been amazed at how much this did to the sales of Merlot.

Maybe, or maybe it was just sloppy writing by people who aren’t as across wine as would be hoped given it’s a wine related movie. The below quote imho doesn’t add credence to the theory of Miles being a pathetic drunk instead of a true wine lover. (from the IMDB Trivia section for Sideways)

According to W. Blake Gray of the San Francisco Chronicle, the producers had originally wanted to use a bottle of Petrus as the treasured wine gathering dust in Miles’ apartment. But Christian Moueix, the chateau’s owner, read the script and decided to pass. So, instead it was a bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc.

Given they changed Miles’ treasured bottle from Petrus to Cheval Blanc makes me think it was sloppy writing instead of a subtle dig at the main character.

As I understand it, the writer of the movie knows wine so had to know what he was doing. Certainly, if the bottle had been Petrus, it would have made the point on Merlot even more directly, but while the Merlot scene was huge, the Cab Franc scene was pretty gratuitous and not really needed in the movie. Why include it if not a dig at Miles?

Also, I find it hard not to call a guy who steals money from his mother pathetic.

And, there were scenes with Maya where it was clear that she had a much better palate than Miles did.

[Bdklein]

@Blake Brown

It makes sense. As the article states “It’s very often delicious. Its silky, cherry fruit and round texture give it an immediate appeal that tannic cabernet, its nearest wine rival, doesn’t have.”

.

Which to me is why it is a good wine to order by the glass at a bar/restaurant.

[John_Kight]

@Blake Brown

The aforementioned Ridge, Duckhorn, Masseto and Petrus are also good reasons why the varietal could never lose face with some.

Interesting that you’d throw in Masseto. I think Tuscany (including Bolgheri) makes some of the best Merlot in the world, certainly THE best outside of Bordeaux. Wines like Masseto, Messorio, L’Apparita, Redigaffi and Galatrona are all delicious but have exceedingly high prices. I will drink them all day long if someone else is bringing them to a tasting, but I’m not paying $100+ for Merlot (at least not outside of Bordeaux).

Some really world-class Italian Merlots are consistently overpriced on release but wind up widely available in the U.S. at much more affordable prices. Avignonesi’s Desiderio is terrific and, while it strives for a $55-$80 pricetag, its available right now at Costco in Dallas for $39. Feudi di San Gregorio’s Patrimo (actually from Campania, not Tuscany) which seeks $85-$110, but often winds up available for about $60-$65, there’s Frescobaldi’s Lamaione (looking for $100, but grab it for $70 or less). Castellare’s Poggio ai Merli carries a release price in the $70+ range, but can be found discounted to $45-$49.

In addition, at a much lower price point are wines like Poliziano’s “In Violas” (Cortona) for about $25-$30, Falesco’s Montiano (about $30-$40) and regular Merlot (about $15), and any number of delightful Bolgheri wines of undistinguished name…

I like hearing people gripe that Italian Merlot has no ‘sense of place’ as I find it pretty distinct and different from Merlot from anywhere else. I don’t think anyone would confuse a Lamaione or Poggio ai Merli for either a Right Bank Bordeaux or a Napa Merlot…

[Neal.Mollen]

@Andrew Hamilton

@Howard Cooper

I think people totally misunderstood the movie. Miles did not like Cabernet Franc or Merlot, yet his prize bottle of wine, his 1961 Cheval Blanc, is made of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I think this was a way to show that he was much more of a pathetic drunk than a true wine lover. I have always been amazed at how much this did to the sales of Merlot.

Maybe, or maybe it was just sloppy writing by people who aren’t as across wine as would be hoped given it’s a wine related movie. The below quote imho doesn’t add credence to the theory of Miles being a pathetic drunk instead of a true wine lover. (from the IMDB Trivia section for Sideways)

According to W. Blake Gray of the San Francisco Chronicle, the producers had originally wanted to use a bottle of Petrus as the treasured wine gathering dust in Miles’ apartment. But Christian Moueix, the chateau’s owner, read the script and decided to pass. So, instead it was a bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc.

Given they changed Miles’ treasured bottle from Petrus to Cheval Blanc makes me think it was sloppy writing instead of a subtle dig at the main character.

And why would Moueix have to be consulted, unless they wanted a free bottle?

[Larry_P]

Wait… are you guys saying that Miles is pathetic? Wow that puts a whole different spin on that movie.

[Robert_Page]

Anyone care to stack rank the following California Merlots? (assume current vintage)
Shafer, Ridge, Duckhorn, Switchback, Pahlmeyer (+wildcard of your choosing)

[Michael_Martin]

@Neal.Mollen

@Andrew Hamilton

@Howard Cooper

I think people totally misunderstood the movie. Miles did not like Cabernet Franc or Merlot, yet his prize bottle of wine, his 1961 Cheval Blanc, is made of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I think this was a way to show that he was much more of a pathetic drunk than a true wine lover. I have always been amazed at how much this did to the sales of Merlot.

Maybe, or maybe it was just sloppy writing by people who aren’t as across wine as would be hoped given it’s a wine related movie. The below quote imho doesn’t add credence to the theory of Miles being a pathetic drunk instead of a true wine lover. (from the IMDB Trivia section for Sideways)

According to W. Blake Gray of the San Francisco Chronicle, the producers had originally wanted to use a bottle of Petrus as the treasured wine gathering dust in Miles’ apartment. But Christian Moueix, the chateau’s owner, read the script and decided to pass. So, instead it was a bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc.

Given they changed Miles’ treasured bottle from Petrus to Cheval Blanc makes me think it was sloppy writing instead of a subtle dig at the main character.

And why would Moueix have to be consulted, unless they wanted a free bottle?

Product placement. They wanted to be paid $$$$$.

[Neal.Mollen]

So are you saying Cheval paid to be in the movie? I seriously doubt that. Really? Why in the world would a luxury brand that makes less than 8,000 cases a year pay to be shown in a movie that makes fun of merlot, where the lead (pathetic) character drinks it out of a paper cup in a burger joint?

Having a hard time wrapping my head around that