Today’s Napa Valley Merlot from Materra was an Agent tasting panel favorite. Winemaker Michael Trujillo absolutely floored us with a complex, aromatic, interesting and delicious Merlot - and the Wine Enthusiast agreed! 2009 was a spectacular vintage and this wine is absolutely singing right now!

This wine has a bright red ruby center with a very thin lip of brick around the edge. Magnificent Merlot! It will knock your socks off as soon as you stick your nose in the glass with fragrant aromas of tobacco, lilac, cardamom, passionfruit, and dates. Wow! The flavor profile is just as impressive with mocha, plum, starfruit, blueberry and cigar box. With all that richly layered flavor, it’s easy to forgive Merlot for being lighter bodied. Drying tannins do add some structure to hang the phenolics off though. This food-friendly wine would be well suited to a pot roast, with golden mini potatoes and onions cooked alongside it, seasoned generously with rosemary.

This wine was made by the powerhouse team of Michael Truijllo & Bruce Regalia, both of whom boast serious pedigrees. Michael Truijllo, who’s early winemaking tutelage came from winemaking legend, Andre Tchelistcheff is the current President and Director of Winemaking for Sequoia Grove Winery. Bruce Regalia led the multi-year award-winning Pinot Noir legacy at Goldeneye Winery. This formidable team now brings their collective experience to bear on the wines of Materra.

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Here’s what the wine press has to say.

Wine Enthusiast - A very good Merlot, representing a huge increase in quality over the 2008, and a return to the charms of the 2007. It’s ripe and tasty in fruit, currants and sweet oak, and earns extra points for the fine structure. Ready now.