Making No Apologies Anymore

“I’m sorry. This might not be what you expect,” said the nice lady as she poured me a sample of her merlot at recent tasting in Atlanta.

Folks, has it come this? People who make fine, upstanding merlots now have to apologize that it’s not the generic, jam-laden, boring American merlots that have dominated the wine scene for the past 15 years?

No doubt about it, merlot as a category has become the Jerry Lewis to the “more serious” Dean Martins of the red wine world, such as cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. Its rampant popularity spurred winemakers to plant, harvest, ferment and bottle merlot just about anywhere. Taste had little to do with this successful business model. In 2008, merlot eclipsed white zinfandel in number of cases sold in the U.S., according to A.C. Nielson.

Despite this ocean of humdrum merlot sold every year, we may be turning a corner (or reaching a saturation point). Merlot plantings have slowed in recent years as wine drinkers discover more interesting malbecs, sangioveses and tempranillos for the same price.

Through it all names like Gainey, Rutherford Hill, Simi and Markham made spicy, perfumey merlots with tart fruit flavors and intriguing hints of cola nuts. Winemakers such as Chateau Ste. Michelle and Blackstone somehow were able to make decent, enjoyable merlots for under ten bucks. And they all still do.

What was the wine the lady apologized for because it didn’t taste like a strawberry lollipop? It was the Bonterra Merlot from Mendocino, Calif. Besides having smoky, dark cherry aromas and a steely, tart fruit character, it’s made from organic grapes. What’s to apologize for?!

2006 Bonterra Merlot, Mendocino, Calif.

• $15

• Two Thumbs Way Up

• Serious, smoky aromas of dark cherry and blueberries. Tart red berry fruit flavors with a lot of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg spices and notes of caramel, tobacco and earth. Complex but enjoyable.