If you only ever read the headlines, you’ll miss much of what’s happening in the wine world today: Merlot is on par with Pinot Noir in terms of the most-consumed varieties in the United States, and it's outpacing Pinot Noir in sales. With polished and structured bottlings from California and Washington state, our latest Tasting Highlights shows why wine fans should consider stocking up on West Coast Merlots. Each of these wines notched 90 points or more on our 100-point scale, with an average price of $36.
Sonoma’s St. Francis Winery has been a champion of Merlot from its early days. Founder Joe Martin was the first to plant the grape in Sonoma Valley in the 1970s. The winery’s Behler Estate was the first vineyard Martin purchased for his new winery, and its grapes form the base of St. Francis' handsomely structured reserve bottling. The top scorer in this lineup, this Merlot shows refined red currant, mocha and tomato leaf notes.
This selection also features Goldschmidt's Merlot Alexander Valley Chelsea Goldschmidt Guidestone Rise 2022, which is polished and elegant with red fruit and floral notes. Read on to get our score and full tasting note for this West Coast Merlot and six others!
Tasting Highlights' wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors' most recent ratings—including scores and full tasting notes—to WineSpectator.com members.
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