Cheap merlots Long .com says... Andy, What I have found in many of the Merlot samples tasted from WA-OR was a lot of herbaceous and vegetal tones, that I did not like. I would liken these to the elements from Monterey Cabs from the 70's through early 90's. Most of the fruit character was lacking, or very weak, and it seemed that when the winemakers went for more extraction, the tannins got quite rough. The tastes that I found were reminiscent of under-ripe fruit, though the cause could certainly have been something else. When I drink a Merlot, I'm looking for good fruit character and soft, velvety tannins. I have found scant few of these from that area. Do they exist? I would hope so. Have I experienced any? No. Have I tried all of the producer's products? Not even close. Since I don't gravitate to Merlot as a varietal, it's not a wine that I'll sit down, line up a dozen, and taste over an evening. Have I tried quite a few? Yes, at both trade tastings and social events, where the wine was being poured. Am I missing something, or is it just *my* taste? Quite possibly. Ian Hoare has also taken me to task for my comments. He sited his recent experiences with Walla Walla Merlots as an example of my error. I certainly respect Ian's opinion, as I do yours. One problem that I find with most Merlots is that many producers rushed to get quanbreasties of the wine on the market, and it seemed, to me at least, that they did not put their best efforts into the product. This is a worldwide phenomena, and is not solely reflective of WA-OR. I find that the majority are just not wines that I enjoy. Are there producers, who ripen the grapes adequately, craft wonderful wines from them, that reflect the character of the grape? I believe that there have to be, but I have not found a single one, that I really, really enjoy. The same cannot be said for some of the CA producers. Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps, Beringer Howell Mountain, Dunn, and several others have knocked my socks off. The same can be said for a handful of Pomerol producers, though I have to question whether I could ever afford a Le Pin, or Pétrus on my wine budget. I notice that the '00 Ch. Le Pin is fetching ~US$2000-btl. Whether it is growing conditions, the winemaker's decisions on harvest, or style, or a corporate rush to sell lots of wine, I have not encountered any Merlot "winners" from WA-OR. I hope that both you and Ian will prove me wrong. If I have to eat crow, then what better accompaniment, than a great, fruit- driven WA-OR Merlot! The only requisite is that the wine is available in the AZ-US area. I'll gladly hold a tasting and publish the results. For the sake of my budget, please keep the recommendations to about 12, regardless of price - save for the Le Pins, please. As a side note: today is Food & Drink day in the local newspaper. As it happens, Mark Tarbell, a local restauranteur and wine writer, who studied both extensively in France, listed a WA Merlot in his "On Wine" column, named, "A night of tasting yields 7 WINNERS." Caps mine He rates the '02 14 Hands Merlot as one of the winners, and scored it 90 pts on his rating scale. This is a value-priced Merlot at US$11-15. I will have to give this one a shot, especially for the sake of my defense of recent statements. However, he goes on to state: "The aroma is lovey, deep, and nicely wooded, with a little mint, and herbal in the finish." (© Mark Tarbell-Arizona Republic) For me, "herbal" is good, where "herbaceous" is not so good, though they can be deemed close on the nose, or in the mouth. I have found far too much "herbaceous" in the Merlots that I have tasted from WA-OR. I hope to be proved wrong by your and Ian's suggestions. There is little more fun, than a tasting with a purpose. I'd also like to have some good examples of Merlot, especially from WA-OR in the cellar. Thank you both for your comments. Hunt 
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