Merlot with Chicken in a Mushroom Wine Sauce

October ever year is a nationwide feature on the Merlot grape for the event sponsored #MerlotMe and I’m always happy to be a part of sampling such a variation of Merlot from around the world.  Over the years I have sampled Merlot from the same producers with different vintages and this year I had the fortune of trying 4 new wineries.  I had been traveling this past week so a few were delivered while I was gone so I will add them over the next week so make sure to come back and revisit.  We’re going to dig right into the wines highlighting each bottle of Merlot and the winery.   

The Wines 

The 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot was my pick of the tasting.  Family owned since 1980 originally purchased by Koerner and Joan Rombauer the vineyards span both Napa Valley, Sonoma, Lake County and the Sierra Foothills.  The winery practices a number of sustainable initiatives and their main aim is to produce “distinctive, fruit-driven wines”.     

Made from 83% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4$ Petit Verdot this wine spends 15 months in 40% new French oak.  The color was a beautiful ruby, rather translucent in the glass.  Lush, ripe raspberries with aromas of vanilla.  Velvety on the palate with supple tannin showing juicy berries, raspberry and black cherries with vanilla notes.  ABV 14.5% SRP $48 

The 2019 Oberon Napa Valley Merlot is part of the Michael Mondavi Family.  Their focus is on Napa Valley Bordeaux varieties.  Owner and winemaker, Tony Coltrin, is a Napa Valley resident born in St. Helena and has been part of wine harvesting for over 45 years.  The majority of the blend is Merlot with 89.4% coming from Oakville vineyards and 8.6% Syrah from Dry Creek with 2% Zinfandel from Middletown.  The wine spends extended maceration with a long malolactic fermentation spent in 45% new French oak.   

Translucent ruby in color with raspberries, plums and blackberries on the nose.  I picked up a hint of green pepper in the beginning, but this wine needed to aerate as the tannins were quite tight in the beginning.  Rich with blackberries and currants with great acidity.  ABV 13.9% SRP $23 

 
The 2020 Ironstone Vineyards Merlot is from Lodi, CA.  Owner, John Kautz, started off as a grape supplier covering over 7,000 acres across the Sierra foothills and Lodi.  He was one of the top 10 grape growers of California.  In 1988 he started producing his own wines under Kautz Wines and then brought in Steve Millier as the winemaker when it became Ironstone Vineyards.  In 1989 the family built the new winery on his wife’s family’s ranch in Murphy, California.   

Translucent ruby in the glass with notes of dark cherries, blackberries and toasty vanilla.  Rich, lush fruit and smooth on the palette with supple tannin and good acidity.  I’m surprised this wine was only $14.99 a bottle.  ABV 14.5%  

This is my 3rd vintage trying the wines from L’Ecole, but the first year I was able to do a side-by-side of their Columbia Valley Merlot and Walla Walla Valley Estate Merlot. 

The 2018 L’Ecole Columbia Valley Merlot is their black labeled bottle where the grapes are sourced from a variety of vineyards including Dionysus (old vines), Candy Mountain, Ferguson, Seven Hills, Klipsun and Pepper Bridge vineyards.  The wine is made of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.  They produce about 5,300 cases and are typically found more in distribution.  The winemaker, Marcus Rafanelli, stated that the biggest difference between these 2 Merlot is that the Columbia Valley shows more of the varietal expression where the Walla Walla Valley is more terroir driven.  

The Columbia Valley Merlot was aged 30% in small new oak barrels for 18 months.  This wine was ruby in color with a tingle of purple.  Expressive fruit on the nose and palate showing cherries and black cherry.  The fruit shines on this wine and is an approachable, bright with moderate tannin.  ABV 14.5% SRP $25 

The 2018 L’Ecole Walla Walla Valley Estate Merlot is sourced equally from 2 very different certified sustainable estate vineyards, Fergus and Seven Hills.  The Ferguson vineyards sit on a 15 million year old salt lava flow and the vines grow in soil that is comprised of basalt with is very mineral rich in iron.  These grapes are made from lower yields and are richer in structure.   Those from Seven Hills are in a warmer climate with wine blown, mineral rich loess soil.  The red grapes here are the first harvested and these grapes lend more of an elegance to the tannin. 

The wine is made from 84% Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Between the two wines this was the beefier, more structured wine.  Ruby in color with a pretty nose violets, wet rock and red fruits.  The fruit wasn’t as purely shown in this wine and had some gripping tannin up front that seemed to smooth on the finish.  Would definitely pair this with a lamb or steak.  ABV 14.5% SRP $37 

Due to lack of time I didn’t have the opportunity to sample a multitude of dishes in time for my blog this week, but since I used a Coravin I plan on experimenting with these wines throughout the month.  Keep an eye on my social media.  I chose to pair these wines with a chicken-based dish simmered in a mushroom white wine sauce seasoned with thyme.  I think the baby bella mushrooms were the perfect complement to these Merlot and made the pairing.   

Join my fellow Merlot wine and food lovers as they share their delish pairings.  Catch us live on Twitter this Saturday @ 11am EST at #WinePW as we chat more about Merlot.  

• 2012 Ridge Estate Merlot + Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Bonterra and Creamy Lasagna Soup by Our Good Life
• California Dreamin’ for #MerlotMe Month, Part I by My Full Wine Glass
• Celebrate #MerlotMe with a Wine that Hits the Mark by Supporting Veterans by Exploring the Wine Glass
• Experiments with Salmon and Merlot by Somm's Table
• Ground Beef and Kale Recipe with #MerlotMe Wine by Cooking Chat
• I Melt for Merlot and Chocolate by What's in That Bottle?
• Kicking off #MerlotMe with 2 Rutherford Hill Merlots and Decadent Burgers with Chocolate! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Merguez Sausages and a Debut #MerlotMe Wine from Gürbüz by The Quirky Cork
• #MerlotMe and Meaty Asian Sandwich by Chinese Food & Wine Pairings
• Mushroom Madness Paired with Merlot by Always Ravenous
• October Means #MerlotMe Paired With Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Merlot Chicken by Wine Predator........Gwendolyn Alley
• One of the Oldest Foods on Earth + 2019 Bonterra Organic Merlot by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Tri-Tip Steak and Duckhorn, a #MerlotMe Classic by Food Wine Click!
• Won't You Please #MerlotMe? by A Day in the Life on the Farm

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.

It's All About Variety in the Land of the Lodi Wine Region

I’ve had the luxury of trying wines from Lodi over the last few years and one word comes to mind and that is diversity.  Lodi had always been mostly been known for its zinfindel, but times have changed and new wineries are popping up with new winemakers that are experimenting with grapes from all around the world.  In the wines I’m sharing today are some Italian varietals including vermentino and aglianico along with some other great wines. 

I was part of an online virtual tasting on the wines of Lodi that can be viewed for your own enjoyment.  It was conducted by Snooth and leading the tasting was author, speaker and TV host, Leslie Sbrocco.  She was joined by Stuart Spencer, Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission as well as owner and winemaker of St. Amant Winery.  Also as part of the panel was Adam Mettler, named Winemaker of the Year in 2016 by the Wine Enthusiast Magazine.  He is Lead Winemaker at Michael David Winery featured today as well as Winemaker at Mettler Family Vineyards also featured today. 

Where exactly is Lodi?  It’s located between San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  This is an area that has more of a Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool nights.  The area is cooled off by the San Joaquin and Sacramento River Delta.  

Lodi Wine AVA's ~ Copyright of the Lodi Wine Commission

The excitement of trying such a vast array of grapes was best described by Leslie, ”it’s like taking a trip around the world in our glass”.  The Lodi wine region features grapes found in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, France and beyond.  It’s mostly a red wine region with about 2/3 of its acreage planted to red grapes.  This region has experienced so much growth in the past 20 years that Stuart mentioned when he first started with the Commission that there were about 8 wineries in 2000 and today there are over 85+ wineries.  

Some fun facts to show more of Lodi’s growth in the wine industry is that its total wine production makes up 20% of California’s state production.   If that isn’t something to get excited about than I don’t know what will.   

The Wines

2018 Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Ingénue 

This is the 2nd wine I have had from this winery and both have been quite impressive.  Located in the Mokelumne River AVA, this winery started about 10 years ago.  Acquiesce only grows white wines in a land of red.  They’re obviously proving what this region can also do with reds.  This wine is a blend of southern French grapes including 35% clairette blanc, 35% grenache blanc, 20% bourboulenc and 10% picpoul.  An aromatic wine, dry and delicate with luscious fruit.  SRP $32 

2018 m2 Winery Vermentino 

Not too much information on this winery’s website, but they produce small lot artisanal wines that opened their winery and tasting room in 2006.  Vermentino is a grape that is mostly found in Liguria, Sardinia and Tuscany.  This vermentino comes also from the Mokelumne River AVA.  Pale in color, but juicy, crisp acidity showing notes of green apple, orange and citrus with some minerality.  SRP $20 

2018 LangeTwins Winery & Vineyards Aglianico Rosé 

Aglianico is a grape that hails from the Campania and Basilicata regions of Italy.  Not too common to see it elsewhere, but here is produced in a rose style.  For a grape that usually produces big, rich tannin filled wines I was surprised to see what its capable of in a different style.  This is only the 2nd vintage produced for this winery.  Dusty rose colored with aromas of fresh picked strawberries this wine had a round mouthfeel.  Light bodied and delicate with nice acid and minerality on the finish.  Thrilled to start the season with rose’ and especially this one!  SRP $20 

2016 Mettler Family Vineyards Pinotage 

Pinotage is a grape originating in South Africa and is a cross between the pinot noir and cinsaut grapes.  Deep in color, this medium bodied wine showed rich, dark fruits.  Supple with a toastiness and notes of spice.  SRP $25  

2016 PRIE Winery Carignane 

Carignane is a spanish grape also found in southern Rhone France.  These vines at Prie Winery are 120 year-old vines.  A complex, full-bodied wine with many layers and a silkiness to it.  Packed with red berries and vanilla with a balanced acidity.  These last couple wines are screaming for the BBQ season coming upon us.  SRP $29 

2016 Michael David Winery Ink Blot Cabernet Franc 

Located in the Mokelumne River AVA.  Usually blended with a little cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot.  Ink blog named after the big, dark inky colored varieties growing here.   This is Michael Davids Winery first cabernet franc that they have ever produced.  Cabernet franc originates in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux France and here is produced in a much bolder style.  Packed with rich, lustful dark fruits, notes of chocolate, vanilla with good length. SRP $35  

Not all of these wines are available online or in stores so it’s the perfect reason venture out to the Lodi and try them for yourself.  I need to make it out there myself one day!

To see some of my older articles featuring a wide variety of wines from the Lodi wine region you can check out:  
Italian Grapes in Lodi with Harney Lane’s Primitivo  
Wine Diversity in the Land of Lodi  
Wines of the Lodi with Harney Lane Winery & McCay Cellars

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*Wines were received as samples, but opinions are always my own.