Merlot is the star of this Francis Ford Coppola bottle

Merlot is a wine grape that gets a bad rap, but it’s hard to understand why. Everything about it seems tailor-made for international stardom, from its luscious velvety texture and decadent blackberry-jam flavors to its concise, pronounceable name. The world’s most sought-after and expensive wine, Château Petrus from Bordeaux, is made entirely of merlot. Yet, somehow, this French grape has never fully recovered its cachet after being mercilessly spoofed twice in 1990s pop culture, first in an episode of Seinfeld and later in the movie Sideways.

To be fair, merlot did deserve some ribbing back when it was at the pinnacle of wine fashion. With demand far greater than supply, many vintners were tempted to overcrop merlot vineyards, sacrificing flavor intensity in each glass for the chance to sell just a few bottles more. But now, decades later, the reverse is true. Perceived as passé, merlot grapes don’t command the prices they deserve and much of California’s crop is disguised in anonymous “red blends.” Wines like this one show what this ultra-sexy grape can do though, when grown in a suitable climate like that of Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. Loaded with luscious flavors of black cherries, vanilla, and chocolate, it tastes like million bucks and demonstrates clearly what the merlot grape is all about, regardless of whether it gets its due respect.

$18.99; 14.5% alcohol

PLCB Item #8849

Sale price through Feb. 28 – regularly $22.99

Also available at:

Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington - $17.99

https://www.krestonwines.com/

West Deptford Super Buy Rite in West Deptford - $18.99

https://westdeptfordbuyrite.com/

Hopewell Super Buy Rite in Pennington, N.J. - $22.99

https://buyrite.wine/