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.

Merlot Pairings for #MerlotMe Month

It's been a whirlwind start to October.  October holds a number of reasons to celebrate for me.  For personal reasons it's my birthday, wedding anniversary and one of my favorite holidays.  On the flip side it’s Italian Heritage Month and #MerlotMe month.  This year I was completely honored with the samples that I received from participating wineries.  This meant lots of sampling and brainstorming for pairings to go with each.  On top of it all I leave Sunday for my 10th trip back to Italy for a press trip to the island of Sicily.  Happy Birthday to me! 

So what is #MerlotMe month?  October is International Merlot Month and the hashtag #MerlotMe was created to spread love across the wine world for this beloved grape.  #MerlotMe is celebrating it’s 7th year since it was started and our Wine Pairing Weekend group has teamed up to provide a wide variety of samples pairings to go with merlot.  Let’s get started! 

Thirteen bottles later I wondered what was the best way to tackle this.  To say the least lots of cooking, crazy kids running around the kitchen and lots of wine pouring.  It was a feast of merlot!  I paired up 2-4 bottles per dish and although they really all were great in their own way I had my favs of each night.  There was no method to the wine pairing selection as many of these wines were new to me.   

As a sipper to get things started I began with the 2018 Rutherford Hill Merlot Rosé.  Rutherford Hill is located in Napa Valley and is part of the Terlato Family Winery.  Although we’re in the heart of fall here in New England it doesn’t mean that we need to stop drinking rosé.  This was a dry rose’, refreshing, very smooth on the palette with lots of peach and some citrus.  A slight tingle of acidity on the finish leaving a nice crisp lingering flavor.  ABV 13.5% SRP $34 

Merlot Pairing #1 ~ Pulled Pork 

I’m not ashamed to admit that being short on time this past week called for a slow cooker night.  Having participated in a number of these #MerlotMe events I felt pork was the way to go with a couple of my dishes this year.  Going lighter on the sauce with the pulled pork allowed these wines to shine.  With lots of vegetables from our CSA farmshare I was able to prepare some zucchini with a couple of my dishes as I’m trying to encourage my little ones to eat them.  #failure 

• 2015 Rutherford Hill Merlot – This merlot is blended with cabernet sauvignon and syrah.  Ripe black cherries on the nose.  Medium-bodied with moderate tannin and beautiful cherries and plums on the palette with some vanilla.  A well-balanced wine.  ABV 14.5% SRP $34   
• 2017 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot – This wine comes from Paso Robles made of 82% merlot, 16% malbec and 2% cabernet sauvignon.  Aromas of cherry and blackberries.  I enjoyed the fruit on this one.  Medium-bodied and balanced displaying violet, blackberries with a touch of tannin and oak on the finish. ABV 14% SRP $15 

• 2017 Decoy Merlot – Decoy falls under the Duckhorn Vineyards brand and this Sonoma County wine comes from quality that can be enjoyed in its youth.  Made of 96% merlot with 4% cabernet sauvignon aged in 100% french oak.  Lots of licorice and herbal notes on the nose.  An interesting palette, almost a cherry cough syrup taste.  Not what I’ve experienced in the past with this brand.  ABV 14% SPR $25  
• 2016 Seven Hills Winery Merlot – Coming from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington. The nose was initially lighter making it tricky to decipher some of the aromas, but with time opened up to green pepper, raspberry notes.   Bright fruit, plums, currants and blackberry with nice acidity and spice.  A nice silkiness with some tannin and oak showing up on the finish.  I actually didn’t taste this one with the pulled pork as it came in too late, but I wish I had a chance to pair it with a dish.  ABV 14.% SRP $25 
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Merlot Pairing #2 ~ Classic Meatloaf 

Nothing says home cooked meals like some comfort food.  What I love about meatloaf is that you can always play with the way its prepared with adding ingredients or how it is dressed on the top. Nothing far outside the norm on this dish, but I loved how these 2 choices went so well with it. 

• 2017 Bonterra Merlot – It's been years since I’ve had a Bonterra unfortunately and won’t be the last.  Made from organic grapes and a SRP of $16 this was definitely a favorite of mine in the lineup.  With a small blend of petite syrah and malbec added the wine was aged 1 year in French and American oak.  With aromas of plums and blackberries on the palette this wine was rich in dark fruit with toasty, vanilla and spice nuances.  ABV 14% 
• 2016 L’Ecole Walla Walla Valley Merlot – I enjoyed both of the merlot wines from L’Ecole in  Washington state.  This wine hails from 2 of L’ecole’s prime vineyards, Ferguson and Seven Hills Vineyard.  A dense wine rich in dark fruits and tobacco notes with a solid backbone of acidity.  ABV 14.5% SRP $37 

Merlot Pairing #3 ~ Boneless Pork Chop with a Fig Sauce and Risotto 

I love when a dish comes out like I was hoping and this was my favorite pairing of all.  The fig sauce stole the show and combined with the pork and these wonderful merlot selections it was a win wine all around.  Although it was a close call on my favorite pairing of the three the Duckhorn inched out to lead the pack.   

• 2016 Seavey Vineyard Merlot – This merlot from Seavey Vineyard in Napa Valley is blended with 5% cabernet sauvignon and aged 100% in french oak.  Lots of layers to this full-bodied wine.  Aromas of blackberries and blueberries.  Silky and round on the palette with a hint of green bell pepper.  ABV 14.% SRP $65 
• 2016 Duckhorn Merlot – Duckhorn is a wine I’ve tried over the last few years and always seems to impress.  Duckhorn Vineyards is located in Napa Valley and this wine is a blend of grapes from their own estate as well as select independent growers.  Plums, raspberries with toasty notes a rather full-bodied wine with elegance.  ABV 14.5% SRP $56 
• 2015 Markham Vineyards Merlot – Another winery I’m familiar with in prior years and I was a big fan of the red fruit aromas in the glass on this one.  A wine with structure displaying black cherry and ripe raspberries, vanilla, tobacco, cedar notes and moderate tannins.  ABV 14.5% SRP $55 
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Merlot Pairing #4 ~ Turkey Burger topped with swiss cheese and sauteed portobello mushrooms 

I wish I paired this dish with angus burgers instead of the turkey burgers as they turkey lends a certain taste to the dish and I feel the other flavors would have paired better.  The portobello mushrooms were a must though as this always seems to be a natural pairing with merlot.   

• 2018 Casillero del Diablo Merlot Riserva  - This was the only wine I tasted out of country coming from The Central Valley appellation in Chile.  It was noticeable the difference in taste where the other wines were more fruit forward.  Medium in body displaying blackberries, currants, raspberries and spice with vanilla and oak showing on the finish.  ABV 13.5% SRP $12 
• 2016 L’Ecole Merlot - This other merlot from L’Ecole comes from the Columbia Valley, the largest in eastern Washington state.   A blend of 78% merlot, 16% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 3% malbec. Aged for over 18 months in small oak barrels.   In comparison to the L’Ecole Merlot from the Walla Walla Valley I found this wine to shower brighter red fruits.  Nice acidity and well balanced.  Both beautiful wines and this one only priced at $25.  ABV 14.5% 
• 2014 Northstar Merlot - A second time for me featuring this wine in a different vintage.  Also coming from the Columbia Valley of Washington state.  Made of 76% merlot and 24% cabernet sauvignon.  More towards fuller bodied lending on the side of dark fruits including lush black cherries and plums with some herbal notes and spice.  ABV 14.5% SRP $41 

Plenty of merlot food and wine pairings with my fellow food and winelovers below.  Join us live on Twitter this Saturday 11am EST with #WinePW and enjoy some Merlot throughout the month of October.  I can't wait to hear some of your favorites!

• Jane at Always Ravenous posts Food Pairings with Merlot.
• Jill at l’Occasion offers Foolproof Pairing for #MerlotMe Month.
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla says This Food-Friendly Varietal Takes You From Savories to Sweets, Snacks to Cakes.
• Deanna at Asian Test Kitchen has 6 California Merlots Paired with Mexican Food Favorites.
• Lori at Dracaena Wines makes Onion Pastry on My Plate Makes #MerlotMe So Great.
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm is on A Month Long Merlot Extravaganza.
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog is Exploring Meatless Merlot Pairings for #MerlotMe.
• Kat at The Corkscrew Concierge tells us Merlot is the Perfect Dining Companion.
• David at Cooking Chat matches Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash with a Napa Merlot.
• Pierre and Cynthia at Traveling Wine Profs pair A Very Well-Traveled Merlot with Vietnamese Bò Kho.
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares It’s #MerlotMe month. Where’s the Umami?
• Rupal at Syrah Queen is Celebrating Merlot with L’Ecole No 41.
• Sarah at Curious Cuisiniere gives us Hachis Parmentier and Merlot Pairing.
• Nicole from Somm’s Table is Exploring California in 5 Merlots.
• Cindy at Grape Experiences says Game Day? #MerlotMe with Ham and Cheese Sliders.
• Gwen at Wine Predator compares California vs. France #MerlotMe with Squash, Chard, and Bow Tie Pasta.
• Susannah at Avvinare matches Brazilian Merlot with Mushroom Risotto.
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! writes Young Professionals Explore Merlot.

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*All wines were provided as samples, but opinions are strictly my own.