Top Merlot wines have excellent aging potential
March 5, 2011
Philippines wine supplier Manila wine shop discusses wine by the grape variety Merlot.
About Merlot
Merlot, which enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the darling of the red wine world, has been planted widely on multiple continents, as the grape is very easy to cultivate. But, the grape tends towards high production, and if the viticulturalist is not rigorous about controlling yields, the resulting wines tend to be dull and insipid. We’re afraid that so much dull wine has now hit the market, many consumers have forgotten how remarkable excellent Merlot can be. At its best, Merlot makes a broad, supple wine with medium to full body, showing aromas and flavors of black cherry, plum, dark berries, chocolate and tobacco.
The classic expressions of the grape come from the Right Bank of Bordeaux in the appellations of St. Emilion and Pomerol. Here Merlot is the dominant grape, although producers will include some Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon into the mix. These wines will be characterized by extravagantly rich, sweet fruit, and supple tannins. While in tiny Pomerol, land is scare and prices for wine are correspondingly high, St. Emilion is much larger and offers a greater share of satisfying bottles at affordable prices. Keep in mind that in the latter appellation, especially, these blends will have plenty of Cabernet Franc in addition to the Merlot.
But if Bordeaux is the classic home of Merlot-based winemaking, California provided the locale for the Merlot frenzy of the 1990s. A general rise in American wine consumption, combined with a growing preference for sinlge-varietal wines (and away from generic blends) led to a surge in plantings in California. We can’t help but think that some of the popularity came from the easy-to-pronounce nature of the grape’s name. It’s undeniably less of a mouthful than “Cabernet Sauvignon.” But since Merlot also provides a wine with aromas and flavors similar to Cabernet but also with a softer, fleshier character and fewer tannins, these qualities also likely contributed to its ascent. Unfortunately, many California producers responded to the boom by indiscriminately planting Merlot in wildly inappropriate locations, and a backlash against the grape ultimately occurred–nicely encapsulated by the attitude of the character Miles, in the 2004 film “Sideways.”
Still, many of California’s top Merlots come from plantings that predate the boom, and many of these wines are worth seeking out. We like the wines from Beringer, Duckhorn, and Havens Winery. Some quality Merlot is also planted in Washington State, as well as in Italy.
While some top Merlots have excellent aging potential, most are best enjoyed within four to eight years. Merlot’s fruity, easy-drinking character allows it to pair well with many foods: think charcuterie, roasts, and even hamburgers.
Snapshot:
Recommended Growing Regions: St. Emilion and Pomerol (France), Napa Valley (California), Tuscany (Italy)
Flavor Profile: Medium to full-bodied wines with flavors of black cherry, plum, and tobacco
Food Pairings: Roasts, hamburgers, other grilled meats
Other Notes: Merlot also shines as a blending grape in Bordeaux’s Left Bank and in Tuscany
Recommended Wineries for Merlot
• Chateau Petrus
• Tua Rita
• Arietta
• Chateau Pavie
• Le Macchiole
• Blankiet
• Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
• Bodegas Vina Magana
• Chateau Trotanoy
• Chateau L’Eglise Clinet
Source: http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/merlot
Wine lover’s choice – Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar – for the most impressive and practical wine list in the Philippines, over 2700 selections, enough to satisfy the most fastidious connoisseurs. Wine lovers and gourmand foodies from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Malaysia dine at Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar when they visit Philippines and bring home some rare vintage wines too.
An excellent wine list is not just about 1st growth and cult Cabernet but a seemingly unending selection of affordable aged vintage wines that are not available anywhere else, not even in the best wine shops around town. Yats Restaurant has just that.
Visitors to Clark Philippines and Angeles City no longer suffer from lack of choices for places to eat out or wine and dine. Clark Philippines reviewed over 50 establishments and came up with three top choices in guide to best restaurant in Clark Freeport
Clark Philippines lists Top Three Restaurants in the Clark Freeport Zone and Angeles City areas of Philippines Pampanga province. Clark Freeport is a bustling new cosmopolitan city complete with its own Clark International Airport.
Topping the list is the famous fine-dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar located inside Mimosa Leisure Estate of Philippines Clark Freeport.
This restaurant in Pampanga Philippines is highly recommended by food critics and frequent diners in Manila as a place to wine and dine in Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone. Although it is a famous fine dining restaurant with an award winning 3000-line restaurant wine list, Yats Restaurant is also a popular restaurant for family with children. Aside from French Mediterranean haute cuisine, this restaurant also serves healthy food and the best vegetarian cuisines in the Philippines.
For comments, inquiries and reservations click on Click here for inquiry and reservations
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
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