Cafaro Cellars 2011 Estate Merlot
Cafaro Cellars
Region: Napa Valley, CA
Just a drop south of the Stags Leap District, one can find a sleepy little boutique winery making minute amounts of amazing artisan wine. Cafaro Cellars has been there since 1986 quietly producing spectacular wine that only a handful of wine enthusiasts know about due to its ultra-small production. This Cab lovers Merlot is now available to you!
A glass of this sumptuous and juicy wine reveals fresh raspberry and black fruit aromas. It dances in the taster’s mouth and uncovers candied berry, plum, cigar box, and hints of mocha and almond. Take note of the easy tannins and luxuriously smooth finish. A very gratifying wine experience indeed!
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Grapes89% Merlot
6% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Petit Verdot -
RegionNapa Valley AVA, CA
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Production275 cases
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Alcohol
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AgeabilityDrink now or hold up to 5 years
Over the years, two phenomenons have contributed to the replacement of hundreds of acres of the beautiful and versatile Merlot grape with other varietals. The first is an onslaught of cheap commercial Merlot introduced to the market over the last decade or so. The other is a well-known movie about wine called Sideways. In the movie, the troubled main character, Miles, detests Merlot. For this reason, it became fashionable to hate Merlot, referred to as the "Sideways Effect". What wasn’t revealed in the movie, because a very important scene was left on the editing room floor, is that Miles actually loved Merlot. He only proclaimed to hate it because it was his ex-wife’s favorite wine.
Let’s set the record straight - Merlot is a first class wine. While it may appear to sit in the shadows of the king of red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, it is revered by the wine world. Merlot is a versatile grape bottled either by itself or more commonly, blended with other varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon to soften its harshness. In addition, Merlot is a very food friendly wine. Lucky for all of us wine lovers, Merlot is coming back on the scene with production and consumption increasing every year.
So the next time you’re thinking of passing on Merlot, first make sure your source is delivering a high quality product and give it a try.