Do Not Always Drink the Usual

If you have ever seen the documentary “John Cleese: Wine for the Confused,” three key ideas for drinking wine should stand out: price does not dictate quality, no one should tell you what you like, and be willing to try varietals and bottles you do not commonly drink.

Popular culture has indicated to me more than once that merlot is an inferior grape—ever seen “Sideways?”—and that real wine enthusiasts only drink superior varietals, such as pinot noir. (They also like to overuse the word “varietal”). To be honest, merlot has never really been my go-to grape as I tend to gravitate toward zinfandels and shirazes. And when I do go elsewhere, it is usually not in the direction of that picked-on grape, merlot.

So, this past week of holiday activities, I decided to try two merlots that were new to me. The first was a 2005 Tin Roof Cellars Merlot from California, and the second was a 2005 Sterling Vintner’s Collection Merlot, from California’s Napa Valley. The first bottle retails for around $10, and the second tends to run a few dollars higher. Both turned out to be decent bottles meriting a second round.

The Tin Roof was served with Christmas dinner and was well received by those of us drinking the red. It has a fruity nose with notes of raspberries and blackberries. When drinking it, I noticed that it was not a full-mouth wine, but it had a drier finish that really balanced out the fruit flavors. I wouldn’t call it a sweet or an overly fruity wine, but both qualities were present. The fruit flavors, unlike the nose, leaned more towards plums and pomegranates.

The Sterling, which we had at an Italian restaurant our last night in Phoenix, was the bolder of the two bottles. This bottle paired well with everyone’s meal—we all had hearty pasta dishes with red sauces. One should not scoff at this merlot.

It has a very pleasant nose rich with fruit aromas, but the heart of this bottle is in its drinking. The fruit forward rush is a balanced blend of ripe cherries and berries. This wine has a very smooth delivery that covers the entire mouth. It has a playful bite; a zest that does not linger. This is a full-bodied wine that can stand with many of the more complex wines one might usually consider better than a “simple” merlot.

I am glad that I took Cleese’s advice and went outside the box, um… bottle, and tried something new. I would like to try both of these bottles again, but I will be more likely to go for the Sterling first. It would be interesting to try it next to some of the other wines I have recently reviewed. Perhaps a flight of the best is in order in the weeks ahead. But for now, I’ll enjoy this wine alone for what it is: a reliable red and a great value.