Beautiful Washington Merlots

For more than 20 years, Merlot was Washington’s No. 1 red wine grape. That changed a few years ago when Cabernet Sauvignon finally eclipsed Merlot (and ultimately passed Chardonnay and Riesling, too).

But during the ’90s and much of the ’00s, Merlot helped build and solidify Washington’s reputation as a world-class wine region. Now it seems we’ve cast aside the noble red Bordeaux variety aside for trendier grapes, including Cab, Tempranillo, Grenache and Mourvèdre.

Let’s not forget the wine that helped get Washington to where it is today.

Here are nine Washington Merlots we’ve tasted in recent weeks that are worth tracking down.