Well, maybe some of it is, and that’s the reason this reasoning has gotten traction. But so many quality Merlots are left out of the conversation. Beringer’s Merlots have been stupendous for years, especially the Bancroft Ranch. Pahlmeyer and Pride have Merlots that easily stand above the crowd. Etude’s bottlings are age-worthy, and Shafer Merlots – earlier to mature – provide instant gratification. I’d push any Pinot Noir off the table to make way for a Château St. Jean Merlot, and Joe Cafaro still makes Merlots that sing.

Then there’s Duckhorn, Havens, Keenan, St. Francis, Château Ste. Michelle, and Matanzas Creek. In fact, during an extensive tasting of Merlots for a cover story in Wine News a few years back, I concluded that almost any Merlot from the cooler climes of Carneros would be a special treat.

Through the years, Merlot styles have changed and, after the initial boom-years in the 1990s, better terroir has been chosen for plantings. Below are a few recent tasting notes that might offer a primer on the grape.

  Beringer 2008 (Napa Valley, $21). A rich ruby red, with coffee and licorice aromas hosting hints on dark berries and milk chocolate, forward flavors and nicely balanced. Score: 87

Beringer 2006 Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch (Napa Valley, $75) Up-front aromas of coffee and dark chocolate, with latent dark berry aromas, soft tannins, sumptuous red fruit, and wonderfully balanced. Score: 93

Charles Krug 2008 (Napa Valley, $24). Deep and dense in color and aroma, black cherry and petrol like Pomerol, hefty body, rich textured and dense fruit flavors. Score: 91

Castello di Gabbiano 2007 Alleanza (Tuscany, $35). Soft red fruit, rich body, tangy acidity, dry impression but fruity finish. Score: 90

Columbia Crest 2007 Reserve (Columbia Valley $30). Delicate aromas but pungent flavors. Score: 88

http://www.pridewines.com/content/default1421.html

Kenny’s latest batch of wines is another example of his consistent quality.  All of them come from fruit grown on a 100 acre hillside vineyard in Alexander Valley, which is covered with blue stones and serpentine boulders.  He bottles the wines at three quality levels.  The entry level Baby Blue is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Syrah, Merlot, and Malbec.  It is truly a wine for everyone; a special occasion bottle for those on a budget or a daily drinker for the collector-types.  It has that soft richness to it that is commonly found in ultra-premium Napa Cabernets that have cellared for 10 or so years.

Kenny’s flagship Cabernets are good candidates for such cellaring.  The elegance of these complex and powerful reds needs time to emerge.  I brought the 2008 and 2009 to a dinner party full of wine-savvy friends and they were a big hit, though one person expressed regret that I was not able to bring vintages from earlier in the decade so that he could get a real sense of the wine’s potential.   I reminded him that with wine, good things come to those who wait.

Italian wines have been great for centuries, and Americans have been buying and bringing home wine from the peninsula since Thomas Jefferson swooned over Brunello di Montalcino in the 1780s.

There are dozens of small importers, but few major players who bring us the best of what Italy has to offer. Neil and Maria Empson have been doing that for over 40 years.

It was during a trip to Milan in 1970 that the vacationing couple fell in love with Italian wines, while bemoaning the fact that most of Italy’s best never crossed its borders. An idea born of their own passion led the Empsons to found Neil Empson Selections and begin a decades-long tradition of introducing Americans to the great wines of the Old World.

  Empson USA now imports wine from Italy, New Zealand, and Chile. From Italy alone their portfolio boasts over 40 superb estates, including perennial favorites such as Einaudi, Bortoluzzi, Il Molino di Grace, Jermann, Cignale, Pieropan, Speri . . . in fact, it’s tough to pinpoint my favorites from such a large portfolio.

So I decided to use the “close your eyes and throw a dart” approach, knowing that essentially any Empson-chosen wine would be a rewarding experience. And I was right. Here are some examples.

Jermann 2010 Pinot Grigio (Venezia Giulia, $30). Scents of honeysuckle and tart green apple, followed by same impression on the palate, refreshing acidity, ripe and full, a great food wine. Score: 87

Pieropan 2010 Soave (Veneto, $17). Lightly sweet aromas, flavors of fresh fruit, with dominant pear notes, simple yet forward, best with cream of crab soup. Score: 85

Bucci 2007 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva (Marches, $57). Subtle, approachable, requires lots of attention from the aroma to the finish, soft textures, voluptuous body. Score: 90

Bellavista 2005 Grand Cuvee Brut (Franciacorta, $69). Beautifully sparkling and clear, soft diffuse bubbles, slight fruitiness balances firm acidic backbone. Score: 89

Stay tuned. There are so many Empson wines they will have to be reviewed in future columns

The highlight of Santiago’s portfolio is a non-vintage still red called Akel Kine.  This wine is currently aging in the bottles before release, and we finished our lunch with a preview of it.   Akel Kine is 90% Carmenere and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, that ages for 16 months in French oak.  Santiago has reserved proportionate blends from the best vintages of the past 10 years to include in the inaugural release.  This wine was thick, with a long, long finish.  Tea and sage grabbed my nose before dense berry, slate and leather grabbed my taste buds.  The last words I said to Santiago before I left the restaurant were, “I’ll take a case of that, regardless of how much it costs.”  He laughed me off, but I was dead serious.

Santiago currently has no plans to sell Akel Kine.  ”This is a showcase product.   At MontGras we are focused on producing high-quality wines at very approachable prices.  We made Akel Kine to show that the same fruit used to make our value wines can be used to make a luxury wine,” he said.

Santiago poured five wines from the MontGras line to pair with lunch at the Sou’ Westerner restaurant in DC’s Mandarin Oriental.  We started with his Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s San Antonio Valley.  The vineyards are 10 kilometers from the pacific, meaning lower temps but lots of sunshine for the grapes.  The wine had a nice balance of acid and sugar, with meyer lemon on the nose and the palate.  The Reserva Camenère from Colchagua Valley was well made, with a balance of firmness and softness.  ”Camenère needs heat, and lots of it to achieve optimum ripeness,” said Santiago.  The Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon was supple and ripe, with strong blackberry flavor and minty overtones.  Santiago’s signature blend, Quatro, was well-rounded, fresh and modern.   A mix of Cab,  Camenère, Syrah and Malbec reflect the tutelage Santiago spent under Paul Hobbs, learning the importance of grape ripeness in avoiding green flavors.

It’s hard to give up on summer, even when Mother Nature threatens another plague or two before nightfall.

In the spirit of summer, before we forsake the patio for the eat-in kitchen, let’s toast the best days and shake our fist at the skies. And I can think of no better wine than the spicy, spirited flavors of a hearty red Zinfandel.

Forget the stories of its origins in southern Italy, or its sojourn in Croatia and Hungary. Zinfandel is as American as apple pie and the stars and bars. Don’t let the summer fade without pulling the cork from a bottle or two. Here are some suggestions.

  Grgich Hills 2008 Zinfandel (NapaValley, $35). Scented with coffee and tobacco leaf, rich succulent flavors and light spice, even a slightly fruity finish. A simply superb wine.

Paul Dolan 2009 Zinfandel (Mendocino County, $25). A standard-bearer for ol’ time Zinfandel, with flavors of raspberry and chocolate accented with pepper and brown spice.

Plungerhead 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, $16). Deep red color, pungent with full-blown fruit, dark cherry and raspberry, a touch of white pepper on finish.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel (Sonoma County, $24). Deep black cherry and blackberry aromas, chewy and highly structured, layers of ripe red fruit and polished tannins, hint of coffee on finish. A perennially superb wine.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel Home Ranch (Alexander Valley, $38). Scents of plums and black currants, followed by flavors of black cherry, plums, and sweet tobacco, with lively tannins but soft finish.

Sledgehammer 2008 Zinfandel (North Coast, $15). Red fruit aromas and flavors, medium body, tart finish.

Among the wines was a fantastic Sangiovese from Maremma Toscana named Le Focaie, made by Rocca di Montemassi.  On the nose were hints of cloves, nutmeg, and figs.  The palate offered mandarin orange up front, a glazed doughnut mouth feel, and chocolate-covered strawberries.  This paired exceptionally well with seared pork loin with mushrooms and a Marsala-rosemary demi-glace.

I also enjoyed Zonin’s Ripasso Superiore.  Ripassos might be my favorite style of wine.  If you are ever stumped by a wine list in an Italian restaurant, look for that word and you will not be disappointed.  This specimen offered ash, currant, allspice, and iron in the mouth and had a long finish.  On the nose:  Fruit Cake, chalk, and licorice.  It is a great home-made pizza wine.

Each step fueled Winiarski’s curiosity, so he moved his family from Chicago to California, where he apprenticed under Lee Stewart at Souverain, then worked for Robert Mondavi at the latter’s new winery in Napa. From Mondavi’s estate to independent wine consulting, Winiarski continued his transformation from classics professor to winemaker, and it was in 1969 that he discovered his future, in a glass of wine made by Nathan Fay from the Stag’s Leap district in Napa Valley.

“The minute I tasted it,” Winiarski recalled, “I knew this grape, grown on that land, could provide the style I wanted to achieve.  I could hardly contain myself.”

Winiarski bought the land next to Fay’s property, later buying Fay’s own vineyard, and established Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, whose 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon would serve up an ace on the world wine scene in 1976 by beating the best of French wines in a blind tasting – with French judges! The event, now known as the Judgment of Paris, was a seminal event in the history of American wine. It established firmly the reputation of wines from California and left little room for debate that American wines could equal those from the classic regions of Europe.

Fast forward to 2011 and we see that Winiarski has sold the property to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and another, very talented crew is in place. Vineyard manager Kirk Grace and winemaker Nicki Pruss are able heirs to Winiarski’s dream, producing wines that once again are drawing rave reviews from the press and consumers.

  I recently had the opportunity to taste three recent cabernets, all 100% varietals from the 2008 vintage. The Fay Vineyard ($95) shows cocoa, plum, and black cherry aromas, with black cherry, tobacco, light spice, and soft tannins on the palate. The SLV ($125) exhibits plum and blackberry aromas, with flavors to match, with edgy anise and cedar notes. Richly textured and full-bodied, this is one to savor now or to lay down for 6 – 10 years.

The Cask 23 ($195) is exuberant in its aromas, even at this age. Highlighting aromas of dark chocolate, nutmeg, and fresh berries, and flavors of black cherry and plum, this wine weaves a touch of cola and mint throughout. Full and rich on the palate, it’s a treasure worth holding onto for a decade.

We had reached Atlas Peak, the mountain but also the former name of a winery. Founded originally by a partnership between Marchese Piero Antinori, Bollinger, and Whitbread, Atlas Peak Winery was host to newly planted Italian varietals as well as the first ever Sangiovese Symposium in 1997.

The Italian grapes struggled to survive and, now, the new enterprise called Antica has returned to Napa Valley’s preeminent grapes: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, though some Sangiovese is still vinified by winemaker Nate Weis on the property.

Antinori’s style shows through in the wines, the estate, and the layout of the vineyards, green lines of lush vines that cascade down the slopes from this aerie. Hidden from Napa’s busy commerce on Route 29 and surrounded by lazy hills and cultured vineyards, the landscape below us seemed snatched from a photographer’s rendering of the bucolic beauty of Tuscany. So it is no surprise that the wines should show elegance, respect for tradition, and bountiful flavors. 

The 2009 Chardonnay ($35) has scents of pear and apple, with luscious textures and layered flavors, interwoven with a racy thread of minerality. It would be a perfect pair for trout almondine. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) shows black cherry fruit and, while still a little closed, seems to be coming out of hibernation.

 Founded in 1973 by Bill and Kathy Collins, Conn Creek was designed to produce wines that fit its owners’ palates: Bordeaux-style wines based on cabernet sauvignon but filled out with accents of merlot, malbec, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. For a while, Bill and Kathy trucked the grapes home to Los Altos and produced wine only for themselves, but it wasn’t long before they realized that they had a classic property, one capable of making classic wines.

They sold the winery in the 1980s and, today, it is one of the sterling properties in the portfolio built by Château Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, a portfolio that includes many properties throughout California, the Pacific Northwest, and elsewhere.

What makes Conn Creek special is its dedication to the Bordeaux blend of grapes; what makes a trip to Conn Creek special is the opportunity to try your own hand at blending.

On our visit, we were introduced to fifteen barrels of cabernet sauvignon representing the fifteen vineyard sources used by Conn Creek Winery. Then there were additional barrels of merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot. After sampling from each, we played the role of winemaker and tried to assemble a blend that was balanced, layered, and – well – “drinkable” as one of the participants in this vintner’s challenge commented.

The base of most wines is usually a large quantity of a single grape or a single source of the grape; in this case, cabernet sauvignon. So the first step is selecting a barrel or two from the various wines to “set up” the blend. Then we turn to the other barrels – and other grapes – to add accents or nuances to the base grape, calling on other barrels in what winemakers call their “spice rack” of flavors to add hints of herbs, earth, tea, chocolate, mint, and myriad other flavors to the final product.

The complexities of the winemaker’s art were abundantly clear in this exercise. Often the winemaker will taste through dozens of wines, each fermented and aged separately according to plots of the vineyard, and conduct “bench blends” to achieve a harmonious wine.  Winemakers do this every day, and practice for years, to solve the riddle of the perfect blend, and we had only one afternoon.

My final assemblage included 45% of the Oak Knoll cabernet, a juicy and dynamic wine, and 35% of Atlas Peak cabernet, with its brilliant fruit and tangy back palate flavors. I threw in another 10% of the cabernet from the Clos du Val Vineyard from the Stags’ Leap District to add a chocolate accent, 5% from Spring Mountain’s Crowley Vineyard, and lastly, 5% of the cabernet franc from the Stagecoach Vineyard. So 95% of my finished wine was cabernet sauvignon; not a Bordeaux blend by any means but one that hit just the right notes for me.

Of course, we only had to satisfy our own palates while the winemakers have to satisfy a thirsty – and knowledgeable – public.

There are just a handful of wines that have the acidity and fruitiness to truly refresh us. Pinot Grigio, Torrontes, off-dry Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc are the first to come to mind.

The bright breezy flavors of Sauvignon Blanc are the highlight of many wines. In the U.S., Australia, and South America, the wines are known by the name of the grape, but in France, where some of the most elegant wines are made, “SBs” are labeled as Sancerre, a Loire Valley wine with herbal, flinty characteristics, or Pouilly Fumé, also from the Loire Valley and featuring a hint of smoke on the palate. White wines from Bordeaux are also made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Here are some recent finds, all worthy or our attention before fall sets in and we abandon the delicious white wines of summer.

  From Loire Valley:
Michel Redde 2007 Pouilly-Fumé La Moynerie ($30). Rich and smooth, yet zesty, with lemon peel accents on finish.

Michel Redde 2007 Sancerre Les Tuilieres ($30). Fresh and delightfully fruity, pineapple, grapefruit, green apple accents, and a light flinty touch. A mouthful of zesty, spirited wine.

Others:
Dancing Bull 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (California, $12). Refreshing and forward, with pineapple and mango on nose and palate.

Emiliana Natura 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Chile, $11). Brisk and lively, easily quaffable, highlighting lemon/lime flavors.

Girard 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley, $23). A distinctive wine, with accents of herbs and lime, soft and approachable.

Merry Edwards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley, $30). Beautifully structured, flavors of kiwi and ripe citrus, hint of lime, just a touch of sweet white fruit.

Paul Dolan 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Mendocino County, $18). A bright beautiful display, with lemon citrus and orange peel flavors, medium body, modest finish.

Plozner 2007 Sauvignon (Fruili, $17). Slight grapefruit and citrus on nose, softly fragrant and zesty, apple and grapefruit flavors, nectarine accents.

Robert Oatley 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Western Australia, $17). Lime, citrus and green grass on nose, limey flavors, tropical fruit on finish.