What was the last merlot you drank that really kicked butt?

[KurtNYC]

Trying to buy a present for a wine drinker and the best I could come up with is a 2001 Frog's Leap Merlot.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[mr_hat]

1. Never. I don't get the Merlot thing.

[plcdude]

2. Redwood Creek

Frei Bros have excellent wine one of my favorites.

[villager]

3. it was probably a syrah

;-)

[Stevendsmith]

4. Frog's Leap is very good

Not sure what's available in NYC--a city I love!--so I can't be of much help.

I'm about an hour from Napa, and I'd recommed the Frog's Leap.

[KurtNYC]

10. No problem finding that here

but wine in general goes at about 130 - 160% of list. Taxes or just the local mark-up - I don't know. I found some at $46 a bottle and think it should be more like $30 - $35.

FL was pretty impressive I thought.

[Squatch]

5. Go with a Loring Pinot Noir instead

Or a Tandem Pinot. They use gamay and grenache which results in that big "fruitbomb" of a wine.

Merlot is blah

[KurtNYC]

7. Might have to have some of that for ME

2002 Loring Pinot Noir - Clos Pepe Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills.
Very dark purple ruby in color - obviously quite extracted. Huge nose that seems almost over-filled with aromas of black cherry, strawberry compote, grilled bread, lots of espresso, plus some flint and mineral notes. Thick and chewy in mouthfeel, with loads of black cherry and strawberry fruit, accented by flavors of stem, rhubarb, and grilled toast. Excellent balance, and very smooth on the palate, yet there's no mistaking the backbone on this wine. Packed to the rafters with fruit, this beauty is approachable on release, but will further reward patience and cellar time.

http://www.grape-nutz.com/tastings/loring03_10.html

[Squatch]

17. I've got a bottle of the Loring 2003 Clos Pepe in my cellar...

Looking forward to opening it in a couple years.

[ScrewyRabbit]

6. Murphy-Goode is generally pretty good in that dept.

[Zinfandel]

8. Merlot's, just don't do it for me...

Merlot is a wine that pleases a wide range of people, mellow wine.

To me though, Merlot lacks the character, depth and complexities of a good Cab or Zin. A fine Cab or Zin is like an adventure in taste just sipping them (just my personal taste).

[KurtNYC]

11. The giftee's love big fruit foward wines - Barberas, Pinot

There is plenty of crap merlot out there. I'm wary of the heavily blended stuff that just lacks focus but I have had some excellent merlot.

What's a great Zin for $30?

[Zinfandel]

14. Well, for around fourteen bucks, Costco sells...

a very nice Zinfandel...

Rancho Zabaco (Dry Creek Valley) 2001

Costco also sells a couple of "Old Vine" Zin's for a bit more money, and well worth it.

[KurtNYC]

15. I've had that

Liked it.

[Shakespeare]

16. ZINS and other big, bold reds!!!!!!!

Yum. I can recommend a few specific zins that are in the $35 range, and some more to look for generally.

Fetzer--yes, big, mass-produced Fetzer--makes some mind-blowing limited production wines that you can only get at the winery. If you're interested, you can call their tasting room directly, but I'd imagine some of the better wine shops in NY carry these. Here's the list, along with a few others:

Mariah (owned by Fetzer) Poor Ranch zin (Mendocino County) or Ink Grade (Napa) zin, both around $35, and outstanding fruit-bomb zins.

Fetzer also makes a new Mendocino appellation cooperative blend (a group of wineries in the county have joined together to create a Chianti-like blend that's specific to the Mendocino county) called Coro. It's a Zin/Petite Sirah blend (has smaller amounts of other reds such as Barbera blended in), and it's my current favorite.

Other great zins:

Any of Ravenswood's vineyard-designate or limited release zins.

Same for any of Rosemblum's vineyard-designate zins.

Geyser Peak's Sandy Lane Vineyard zin (from their outstanding Block Collection).

All of the above range from $25-35 per bottle, and are wonderful wines for anybody who likes a big, fruit-forward red.

Fun stuff!

[KurtNYC]

19. Thanks

to you and everyone who responded!

That gives me a lot to work with. I'm going to be buying in Indianapolis (to avoid carrying it around and on the plane) so I wanted some good options in case I didn't find stuff I had personal experience with.

[Shakespeare]

21. one more....

Clos du Bois makes a limited production Tempranillo (a spanish varietal very similar to a zin) that's outstanding (and only around $20-25).

Robert Parker gave an earlier vintage of this wine (the current release is a 2002 or 2003) a 93 rating, which is most impressive.

I loved it so much that I'm stopping by the winery this weekend to pick up a few more bottles.

[Zenaholic]

9. Gerorge Debuff

And you get the added bonus of it being French.

[lojasmo]

12. columbia crest estate

[skygazer]

13. Stag's Leap

About $30 a bottle. Very nice merlot. Good depth, nice finish, no bitterness like some merlots.

Nice bottle too.

[flvegan]

18. Fat Bastard!

Makes a fine Shiraz. Twelve bucks, fun to say. 'Specially for gift giving..."here, Fat Bastard." as in "here is some Fat Bastard wine. Enjoy."

[dbt]

20. That new Redneck Wine!

Merlot Haggard.

:smoke:
dbt

[SOteric]

22. Clos du Bois is uniformly good,

if your friend likes the fruitier wines, the MacDowell Syrah is a nice red with dark cherry undertones.