Washington Merlot is easy to love. It’s smooth, rich and luscious with plenty of structure. It’s not usually as expensive as its big brother Cabernet Sauvignon.
In Washington state, Merlot has long been a star. For a decade-long stretch starting in the mid-1990s, it was the state’s No. 1 red wine grape. And even though Cabernet Sauvignon is the star, Washington Merlot continues to play an important role. Last year, Washington winemakers crushed 36,000 tons of Merlot. While this was well behind Cabernet Sauvignon, it was more than twice as much as Syrah.
Here are a dozen Washington Merlots we’ve tasted in recent weeks. Ask for them at your favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly.
Lots of love for Merlot. Several of your recently are new to me. I am looking forward to trying them. Several of my favs, in addition to Kyra’s Estate Merlot, wonder if you had the opportunity to try them…are: Dunham Cellars, Januik, Kontos, LongShadow’s “Pedestal”, Pepperbridge, Reininger, Seven Hills, Sineann, and of course, Leonetti Cellar, L’Ecole!?!
Hi, Bill. We do taste a lot of these wines. However, this group included Merlots we’ve tasted in the past few weeks.
To Whom It May Concern:
I really enjoy your website and this story and review in particular as I enjoy well made Washington Merlot. I’m blown away by the quality and value of the Columbia Winery 2012 Merlot. This is a juicy, plummy wine that gets better after being open for at least three days. I hope other wineries take note as this a great example of Merlot, especially at this price point. I can’t wait to see the evolution of Sean Hails (Columbia Winery Winemaker)wines over these next few years. A very promising future for this winery indeed!
Best,
Jeff Curry
Gig Harbor, WA
Thanks, Jeff. We appreciate the great feedback.
We’ve now tasted the Columbia wines three or four times, mostly under blind tasting conditions, and they are delicious. Add in the price point, and I think Gallo has a winner here.