I’m not the biggest fan of Merlot, since the variety normally makes somewhat anonymous wines for my palate. Not necessarily bad wines, just wines that lack any kind of character and distinction, coming across as simply generic red wines that taste like, well, red wine. And way too often Merlot is vinified way too soft with too little acidity, too much alcohol and tons of glossy new oak on top of everything. Not my cuppa.
I used to think there are two good places where they make good Merlot: Pomerol and Italy (mainly Friuli and Tuscany). However, after my semi-recent Pomerol tasting, I realized that they don’t make good Merlot in Pomerol anymore. What I liked was old-school Merlot from before the millennium, and they don’t make wines like those anymore.
So all that remains for good Merlot is Italy. I’ve had enough Italian Merlots to know that they know how to make them good there - often the levels of alcohol are within reasonable limits; the wines show more acidity than most Merlots from anywhere else; often oak use is quite sensible; and best of all, Italians are not afraid of tannins!
So that’s why I was intrigued by the tasting. I was a bit skeptical because I’m not the biggest fan of hot, solar vintages - 2015 is definitely among them - and I didn’t know most of the producers or any of the wines in the lineup. There was a high chance I might’ve not liked 2015 Merlots even from producers I knew, but here was a bunch of wines I knew nothing of, so this was going to be a gamble.
Finally I decided to take a flyer, and I guess the outcome was pretty much as I anticipated. I liked a few wines - one or two were even very nice - but most of the wines were quite meh, and there was even one rather disagreeable one! All in all, this did not bolster my trust in the 2015 vintage in Tuscany. I know they still make better Merlots in Italy than in Pomerol, but at least now I know to stick to the producers I know and vintages that are to my liking!
- 2015 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Cont'Ugo - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri (14.1.2025)
100% Merlot from the estate vineyards in Bolgheri. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel tanks for 20 days. Aged in French oak barriques (1/3 new) for 8 months, then the best lots were selected, blended and aged for further 4 months in oak. 14,5% alcohol.
Slightly translucent black cherry color. The nose feels clean, dark-toned and savory with aromas of cherries and loose tobacco, some dark plummy fruit, light woody notes, a little bit of alcohol, a sweeter hint of dried figs and an aged touch of gamey meat. The wine feels quite ripe, pretty balanced and rather dry on the palate with a moderately full body and somewhat evolved flavors of fresh dark fruits and juicy dark berries, some woody tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light sweet notes of dried dark fruits and ripe black cherries, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of licorice. The overall feel is pretty firm with its quite high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dark-toned, somewhat warm and quite grippy with a long, savory aftertaste of tobacco and juicy dark fruit, some gamey tones, a little bit of woody oak, light sweeter notes of dried figs, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of loose tobacco.
A firm, dark-toned Merlot with good sense of structure, but not that much character. The wine comes across as quite balanced and enjoyable, but I wonder if the wine is already getting quite tertiary - at least the gamey overtones and sweeter nuances of dried fruits suggest so, even if the wine doesn't come across as that evolved otherwise. A pleasant but ultimately quite forgettable example of Tuscan Merlot.
(89 points) - 2015 Poliziano Merlot Cortona in Violas - Italy, Tuscany, Cortona (14.1.2025)
100% Merlot from Cortona. Fermented and macerated with the skins in tronconical oak vats for 3 weeks. Aged in French oak barriques for 16-18 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Deep, slightly translucent blackish-red color with a youthful, subtly purple hue. The nose feels dry, somewhat dusty and a bit reticent with vague aromas of blackcurrants, some ripe dark fruits, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of blueberry and a faint touch of balsamic VA. The wine feels sinewy and somewhat Bordeaux-ish, but also quite understated on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and dry flavors of fresh blackcurrants, some woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of leafy forest floor, light gravelly mineral notes, a hint of loose tobacco and a lifted touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is enjoyably structured, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, grippy and rather short with a somewhat understated aftertaste of ripe redcurrants, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of tart red plum, light notes of loose tobacco, a hint of dusty wood and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A somewhat understated and closed Tuscan Merlot. I enjoyed the rather serious and structure-driven overall feel of the wine - that was surprisingly stern for a 2015 Tuscan red - but the fruit department felt so underwhelming that it was very hard to get a full picture of the wine. I wonder if we caught the wine in a slump, or if it was so mildly corked that nobody picked any obvious TCA aromatics, but the fruit was muffled? At least the wine didn't become any more corked - nor particularly more expressive, either - over the next 24 hours.
(88 points) - 2015 Fertuna Maremma Toscana Messiio - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana (14.1.2025)
100% Merlot from 10-15 yo vineyards in Maremma. Fermented and macerated in Allier oak tonneaux. Aged in French oak barriques (new and 2nd use) for 12 months. 13,5% alcohol.
Moderately translucent cherry-red color. The nose feels very heady with a huge - almost Chilean - smack of sweet cassis along with rich aromas of blueberries, some crunchy redcurrants, light woody tones, a little bit of juicy black cherry, a cool, green hint of eucalyptus and a touch of toasty oak spice. The wine feels dry, juicy and not that Chilean on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries, some woody tones, a little bit of tobacco, light crunchy notes of crowberries and fresh bilberries, a hint of earth and a touch of blackberry juice. The overall feel is pretty firm and tightly-knit, thanks to the high acidity and rather grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, youthful and pretty tannic with a rather long aftertaste of cassis and fresh blueberries, some crunchy red plums, a little bit of earth, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of crowberry and a touch of toasty oak spice.
An enjoyably sinewy and tightly-knit Tuscan Merlot that smells like Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. It does taste like it too, not just as much. I guess this wine could've been pretty lovely with a less exuberant style more in line with the typical Tuscan Merlot style. Now the wine felt more like a generic red wine that could've come from anywhere - I wonder if the producer is using some commercial yeast that is popular in South America as well? I really hope the wine loses that over-the-top cassis character with additional aging, because it did put me off quite a bit.
(85 points) - 2015 Val Delle Rose Maremma Toscana Aurelio - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana (14.1.2025)
A blend of organically farmed Merlot (95%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Aged for a year in oak. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 20,000 bottles.
Dark, luminous and slightly translucent ruby red color with a subtly evolved plummy hue. The nose feels quite typical of Merlot - in other words, it doesn't really smell of anything distinctive. There are notes of ripe dark fruits, some woody tones, a little bit of licorice and a fragrant hint of exotic spices. The wine feels juicy, quite balanced and a bit mellow on the palate with a rather full body and vibrant flavors of ripe dark fruits, some licorice root, light woody tones, a little bit of black raspberry, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of fresh red cherry. The overall feel is quite round and a bit soft, thanks to the medium-plus acidity, but fortunately the moderately grippy tannins bring enough sense of firmness to the structure. The finish is juicy, dark-toned and quite grippy with a medium-long aftertaste of ripe dark plums, some licorice, light woody tones, a little bit of fresh red cherry, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of brambly black raspberry.
A pleasant, balanced and pretty tasty Merlot that would be a rather good wine, if it weren't so generic in taste and round in structure. The wine is lacking badly in character - it feels like the winery has tried to make as inoffensive wine as they can - and even though the firmness from the tannins save quite a bit, I still can't get enthused wine with this kind of overall softness from the lack of sufficient acidity. While a serious and well-crafted effort in its own right, in my books this wine is just decent. Not bad, pretty decent, nothing more.
(86 points) - 2015 Motta Fabio Bolgheri Superiore Le Gonnare - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore (14.1.2025)
A blend of Merlot (85%) and Syrah (15%). Fermented spontaneously. Aged in barriques for 15 months. 14% alcohol.
Deep, moderately translucent and slightly evolved dark ruby red color. The nose feels quite fragrant, characterful and subtly sweet-toned with aromas of ripe black raspberries and wizened black cherries, some fresh red plums, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of dusty wood, a touch of Asian spices and a vague whiff of something green - perhaps a tiny bit of acetaldehyde? The wine feels balanced, savory and even a bit airy on the palate with a medium body and quite dry flavors of black raspberries and licorice root, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of ripe redcurrant, light sweeter notes of wizened cherries and ripe red plums, a woody hint of old oak and a touch of earth. The combination of rather high acidity and firm, textural medium tannins keep the wine enjoyably balanced and sufficiently structure-driven. The finish is dry and moderately grippy with a long, savory aftertaste of licorice and ripe redcurrants, some woody tones, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light meaty notes, a hint of earthy spice and a touch of minty greenness.
A sophisticated, balanced and harmonious example of Tuscan Merlot where the pieces are in right places and the wine shows good sense of elegance. Perhaps not the most characterful red wine out there, but that just seems to be typical of the variety; for a Merlot this is a very decent effort, coming across as enjoyably structured and tasty for the solar 2015 vintage. Nice stuff.
(91 points) - 2015 Castello di Castagnoli Merlot Hortulus - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (14.1.2025)
100% Merlot. 15% alcohol.
Quite deep and rather opaque dark cherry-red color. The nose feels open and quite fruit-forward with aromas of crushed red berries and fresh cherries, some ripe red plums, light perfumed floral tones, a little bit of licorice, a hint of juicy blackberry, a lifted touch of VA and a whiff of barnyardy funk. The wine feels silky, dark-toned and subtly sauvage on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and juicy flavors of dark fruits and licorice root, some brambly notes of raspberries and loganberries, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light wild notes of phenolic spice and farmhouse funk, a hint of juicy blackberry and a touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is a bit on the round side, thanks to the medium-to-moderately high acidity and quite ripe medium tannins, although the never once comes across as too soft. The finish is juicy, somewhat grippy and quite warm with a long, dark-toned aftertaste of dark plums and ripe blackberries, some phenolic spicy notes, a little bit of licorice, light brambly black raspberry tones, a hint of farmhouse funk and a touch of acetic VA.
A fun, characterful and a bit wild Tuscan Merlot where the slightly funky and somewhat phenolic nuances add nice depth and complexity to the flavor profile without making the overall feel too natty. As the overall feel is a bit round and mellow, I think the wine would've benefited from a higher level of acidity, and a bit more tannic firmness couldn't have hurt, either. Nevertheless, this was a pleasant and thoroughly enjoyable effort - although with the bretty and volatile tones there is always the possibility that the wine will turn mousy with enough air. I'd recommend pop'n'pour rather than extended aeration, just to play it safe.
(90 points) - 2015 Col di Bacche Cupinero - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (14.1.2025)
A blend of Merlot (96-98%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (2-4%) from Maremma. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel tanks for 18-21 days. Aged in French oak barriques (new and once used) for a year. 14,5% alcohol. Annual production 10,000 bottles.
Rather deep and quite opaque dark plummy color. At first the nose feels dark-fruited, but also a bit odd and a bit stuffy. However, with a little bit of air the nose clears up revealing somewhat understated aromas of ripe dark plums, some black cherries, light sweet blackcurrant tones, a little bit of funky animale character, a hint of forest floor and a spirituous touch of alcohol. The wine feels ripe, juicy and a bit warm on the palate with a full body and quite sunny flavors of black cherries, ripe redcurrants and licorice root, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of wood, light stony mineral notes, a hint of earthy forest floor and a touch of old leather. The overall feel is pretty round and gentle, thanks to the medium-plus acidity and quite ripe, resolved medium tannins. The finish is juicy, rather dry and a bit warm with a quite long aftertaste of dark plums and black cherries, some licorice root, light notes of forest floor, a little bit of stony minerality, a woody hint of savory oak spice and a touch of meaty umami.
A fruity, rather round and a bit indistinct Merlot. Not really a bad wine, but offers nothing that would make me take notice - despite the subtly funky non-fruit nuances, the overall feel still is quite generic and lacking definition, whereas the structure feels pretty soft and mellow, not offering that sense of sinewy firmness on normally looks for in Tuscan red wines. Nothing special to write home about.
(84 points) - 2015 Paolo Conterno Anforti Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (14.1.2025)
A blend of Merlot (85%) and Sangiovese (15%) from vineyards averaging 20-25 years in age. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 15-20 days. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. 14% alcohol.
Youthful, luminous and quite opaque black cherry color with faint purplish highlights. The nose feels open, quite fragrant and rather dark-toned with aromas of ripe cherries and fresh dark plums, some exotic spices, light floral notes of violets, a little bit of toasty oak spice, a brambly hint of black raspberry and a touch of juicy blueberry. The wine feels quite ripe, pretty firm and even a bit concentrated on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and bright flavors of ripe black raspberries and juicy dark plums, some mineral notes of wet rocks, a little bit of toasty oak and fragrant exotic spice, light floral nuances of violets, a hint of licorice root and a faint sweet touch of lifted VA. The structure relies more on the assertive and considerably grippy tannins than on the slightly soft yet moderately high acidity. The finish is ripe and juicy yet dry and pretty tannic with a long aftertaste of sweet black cherries and ripe black raspberries, some licorice tones, a little bit of toasty oak and exotic spice, light floral notes of violets, a hint of stony minerality and a faint touch of balsamic VA.
A characterful, somewhat ripe and a even a bit concentrated yet still surprisingly balanced and sophisticated Tuscan Merlot (-heavy blend) that remains surprisingly light on its feet for the variety, the level of ABV and the elevated ripeness. Maybe the level of acidity could be a tad higher, but this is still pretty harmonious stuff for the genre. Furthermore, the wine comes across as surprisingly youthful for its almost 10 years of age. I'm sure the already quite understated toasty oak tones will integrate even further with the fruit as the wine ages. A serious effort, I'm liking this.
(92 points) - 2015 Azienda Agricola Urlari l'urlo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (14.1.2025)
100% Merlot. Fully destemmed. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 2 weeks. Aged in new oak barriques for 15 months. 14% alcohol.
Quite deep and fully opaque plummy color. The nose feels quite dull and unpleasant with aromas of meat stew, some kombu kelp, a little bit of rubbery air balloon, light licorice tones and a hint of dark plums. The wine feels dull and somewhat understated on the palate with moderately full body and rather unpleasant flavors of game, some rubbery tones, a little bit of asphalt, light plummy tones and a hint of wood. The overall feel is pretty firm, but it is thanks to the rather grippy tannins, not to the somewhat soft medium-plus acidity. The finish is short, grippy and somewhat hot with a dull, meaty aftertaste of game and meat stew, some rubbery tones, a little bit of kombu kelp, a little bit of dark plummy fruit and a hint of asphalt.
This was pretty horrible stuff. For some reason a few people seemed to like this wine, but to me, there was nothing enjoyable here. It wasn't corked, that's for sure - but I'm not sure what on earth was going on here. The wine was just very meaty and heavily umami-driven with very little fruit to speak of. I guess the wine might've been suffering from excessive reduction - that could've explained the rubbery notes - but the wine didn't seem to change with air. At all. The wine was exactly the same on day 2. To me, this was just bad. Or maybe an off bottle - we'll see if I get to taste this wine somewhere again so I can re-assess the whole thing.
(60 points) - 2015 La Villa di Ilaria Giacomo "A mio padre" Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (14.1.2025)
100% Merlot from the Pargolo and Casa Rossa vineyards where the average vine age is about 15 years. 14,5% alcohol. Annual production approximately 2500-3000 bottles.
Luminous and rather opaque black cherry color. The nose feels open and somewhat evolved with aromas of fresh bilberries and chokeberries, some dark plummy fruit, a little bit of oak spice, light inky tones, a hint of elderberry juice and possibly a faint aldehydic touch of sharp greenness. The wine feels silky, juicy and somewhat airy on the palate with a moderately full body and slightly evolved flavors of fresh dark plums and ripe cherries, some ripe bilberries, a little bit of earth and gravelly minerality, light notes of roasted carob, a hint of gamey meat and a faint touch of aldehydic greenness. The wine comes across as a bit warm and rather tannic with slightly gentle medium-plus acidity. The finish is dry, grippy and slightly warm with a rather long aftertaste of crunchy crowberries and chokeberries, some sweeter notes of ripe black cherries and dark plums, a little bit of earth, light chocolatey carob tones, evolved hints of meaty character and dried fruits and a woody touch of savory oak spice.
A decent and quite expressive Tuscan Merlot, but I'm not entirely sure if all the pieces are where they should be. The wine feels still relatively youthful - there are some oaky notes and the tannins still need time to resolve - yet the fruit department is already showing some tertiary qualities and I think there was even a tiny bit of aldehydic greenness, which distracted from the pleasure a little. Furthermore, the acidity felt slightly low and soft for my preference. While not bad, the wine didn't really manage to leave a particularly big impression on me. I guess the wine was never meant to be a particularly impressive wine and cellaring it for some 10 years was beyond its capability to age? Or then we just had a slightly off bottle? I don't know. However, I feel the wine isn't going to improve with further aging.
(87 points) - 2015 Rocca di Montegrossi Geremia Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (14.1.2025)
A blend of organically farmed Merlot (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). Macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks. Aged in predominantly old French oak barriques for approximately 24 months. Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Almost fully opaque yet not dense or inky blackish-red color. The nose feels open, fragrant and somewhat sweetish with layered, attractive aromas of ripe cherries and blackcurrants, some blueberry juice, a little bit of woody oak and exotic spices, light balsamic notes of VA, a floral hint of elderflowers and a touch of eucalyptus. The wine feels ripe, silky and open-knit on the palate with a full body and nuanced flavors of fresh black cherries and bilberries, some ripe red plums, light floral notes of elderflowers, a little bit of wild strawberry, savory hints of licorice root and woody old oak and a touch of eucalyptus. While not stern or tightly-knit, the overall feel is still wonderfully balanced and structure-driven with the rather high acidity and ample, powdery and moderately ripe tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat grippy with a long, fruit-driven aftertaste of bilberries and black cherries, some dark plummy fruit, light crunchy notes of blackcurrants and fresh wild strawberries, a little bit of licorice root, a woody hint of savory oak spice and a green touch of eucalyptus.
A sophisticated, harmonious and quite attractive Merlot-driven Tuscan red that has lots of everything, yet nothing in excess. Shows good sense of flavor intensity and structure. As the overall feel is still relatively youthful for its almost 10 years of age, I'd say the wine can easily not only keep but also evolve and improve for another 5-10 years, maybe even more - although the wine doesn't really call for any additional aging, as it drinks so well right now. Terrific stuff, recommended.
(93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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