Having fun this Marathon yet?

Hoping some of you have already received and witnessed its gorgeousness, we went on a buying frenzy for this crazy value Merlot, something we had not come across even after a year of searching for one. 400 DAYS is exactly how long it has been since we featured: “a gorgeous, intellectual Merlot packed with baking spices and built like a Cabernet.” per Decanter.

Not that we don’t try, you know. Maybe dozens come and go through the sample stash. It happens to be one of those varieties that has to be just right to blow our little minds. Like this one.

Of course it’s a Medlock Ames, and of course it too is made by one of our favorite wine wizards Jean Hoefliger whose Chardonnay (by GrapeHeart) just created a small vortex on our site on Saturday. The man comes with his own (tech sheet!) if you want to see how prolific he is and The Wine Independent explains why: “One of Napa’s most famous consultant enologists is Bordeaux’s Michel Rolland, who works for Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Dalla Valle, Bryant Family, Realm, etc. Rolland has worked with and mentored many of the top winemakers in Napa Valley today, some of whom have become consultant winemakers themselves. One of his most gifted protégés is Jean Hoefliger.”

If you don’t remember the story of Medlock Ames from their previous wines, let us remind you of the awesomeness. Chris Medlock James and Ames Morison are college best friends who left the hustle of Manhattan for the rolling hills of Sonoma. They knew what they wanted from the very beginning. Driving around Chalk Hill, their vision was realized at Bell Mountain Ranch, that charming spot where Russian River Valley meets Alexander Valley. Ames is the winemaking force here, reaching for hillside Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties that exude power without excess. To that end, they have taken organic viticulture and sustainability to a whole new level.

The press came soon after their launch when Food & Wine declared Nirvana in Sonoma! announcing that “up on Bell Mountain, Medlock Ames winery produces amazing wines in a utopian setting.”

Merlot loves this rugged mountain terroir. Decanter is right, it’s truly “built like a Cabernet” while revealing an irresistible seductive silkiness rarely seen in this grape. The original $70 is a fair price for this level of quality no doubt, but this deal is just too crazy to pass. Their neighbor Vérité gets $500+ a bottle for theirs. You can buy 15 bottles with that kind of budget today, compute that for a minute.

We cleaned them out of all they had - barely enough. Trust us with this one, thank us later.

93 Points – Decanter “Such a gorgeous, intellectual Merlot packed with baking spices and built like a Cabernet. Alluring aromas of spiced plums, thyme, rosemary, liquorice and cinnamon give way to a medium to full-bodied palate plush with ripe cherry cordial notes, spiced fleshy pluots, and chocolate shavings dusted with crushed clove. Very fine powdery tannins build to a heady herb and dried floral finish. Drinking window 2023-2033.”