Happy “Wednesday” you thirsty little alliance of drifters.
What better way to celebrate this Independence Week (TRUST US, IT’S A WEEK) than with a category of wine that “we” basically stole from Europe and called our own?
Indeed, just like our wonderful melting pot of a nation universally referred to as “America the beautiful,” the humble Meritage blend draws inspiration from European traditions while boldly asserting its own American flair (THE GOOD KIND!).
Bordeaux-style blends and their more strictly regulated subdivision, “Meritage” blends (pronounced like “heritage” but with an “m”), have become an integral part of the American wine “landscape,” offering a unique expression of Bordeaux-style wines with a distinctly New World character (LIKE TODAY’S YOUTH).
Meritage red blends, pioneered by intrepid California vintners in the late 1980s, pay homage to their French roots while angrily declaring their American “character.”
DID YOU KNOW… The concept of Meritage originated in 1988 when an absolutely unhinged group of Californian winemakers formed the so-called “Meritage Association” (now pretentiously known as the “Meritage Alliance”) to promote blended wines that didn't meet the 75% single-varietal requirement for labeling in the United States.
The term "Meritage," a combination of "merit" and "heritage," was chosen to reflect the “quality and history” behind these noble red blends. Red Meritage blends must include at least two of the following grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Saint-Macaire (never heard of it) and Gros Verdot (alsonever heard of it, but it sounds gross). No single variety can comprise more than 90% of the blend.
This composition is similar to traditional Bordeaux blends, allowing winemakers to create complex blended red wines that showcase the best qualities of each variety to achieve a well-balanced and harmonious little “beverage.”
These wines are typically full-bodied and age-worthy (LIKE ME), exhibiting rich flavors of dark fruits, complemented by notes of cedar, tobacco, and spice. American Bordeaux blends and Meritage wines are known for their structure, balance, and well-integrated tannins, often representing a winery's flagship offering. While Bordeaux-style blends and Meritage wines can be produced throughout the United States, certain “regions” in our embarrassingly pompous red, white and blue nation are particularly notable for these unassumingly “patriotic” wine styles:
Napa Valley and Sonoma County: As pioneers of the Meritage concept, these regions continue to produce excellent blends, with Napa often focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon-driven Bordeaux blends.
Paso Robles: This Central Coast region in California has gained recognition for its Bordeaux-style blends, often featuring higher percentages of Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
Washington State: The Columbia Valley is producing outstanding Meritage blends that showcase the region's unique terroir. Particularly Yakima Valley and Walla Walla, where widely planted Bordeaux varietals thrive.
Virginia: The state's growing wine industry has embraced Meritage blends, often featuring a higher percentage of Merlot due to the local climate.
We found it fairly difficult to find officially “Meritage” labeled wines at any of our local zeus juice retailers (guess the ole’ alliance runs a tight ship), so we decided to more broadly showcase the American “Bordeaux style” red blend including one genuine bargain Meritage wine from none other than your local “Trader Joes.”
Now let’s dive into the juice!
… AND NOW FOR THE REVIEWS (IN ORDER OF PRICE):
2021 Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Meritage Lot #129, Paso Robles, CA / 86 Points / $13
Decent as all heck for the price, would not have expected this quality for $13. Really all around a solid wine, but the finish was short and there wasn’t too much complexity there. That said, if you like a bargain, go fill up your cart with a gaggle of these puppies and drink away.
86 points.
2017 Spring Valley “Frederick” Red Bordeaux Blend, Walla Walla Valley / 94+ Points / $28 (VALUE PICK!!)
Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, full body, long finish
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah
A beautiful Walla Walla Bordeaux blend that drinks like a top notch Left Bank Bordeaux with a bit more ripeness. The tertiary flavors from 7 years aging in bottle really take this “puppy” to “another level.”
Another 2017 vintage from Washington state, but this one hails from Red Mountain. Really layered and complex with lots of evolution in the glass, but slightly lacking in concentration and length. If you like a wine with plenty of tertiary characteristics, you won’t be disappointed, and minute by minute you’ll discover new flavors in the glass. If you shy away from earthy and aged profiles, then this probably isn’t the wine for you.
Profile: Black currant, black cherry yogurt, ripe plum, violets, chocolate, cigar ash, soil
Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, full body, long finish
Blend: Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Very nice wine with pronounced, incredibly concentrated flavors, a nice long finish. Super ripe black fruit and some floral and earthy characteristics to add a bit of complexity. Must love ripe fruit profiles.
Profile: Black plum, black cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar, slate, chocolate
Palate: Dry, high acid, fully body, high tannin, long finish
Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 11% Malbec, and 11% Merlot
A really rich, concentrated and structured Bordeaux blend with some well integrated oak spice adding complexity. This will likely improve with additional years of bottle age (LIKE TODAY’S YOUTH). Wonderful stuff!
Fake blueberry and blackberry syrup (IHOP style), maple, vanilla, toasted oak chips, brown sugar.Dry to off dry, medium acid, full body (but who cares), medium- tannin, medium finish (but wish it were shorter)
Blend: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot, 14% Merlot, 12% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Franc
This is an absolutely unhinged effort of a wine at any price point, let alone half a Benjamin. F*******CK!!!! Biggest rip off on the planet for 50 dollars. I’ve had many more “enjoyable” 5 dollar wines than this plonk. It’s worth noting that the 2022 vintage in Napa was not exactly spectacular, so perhaps the innovative winemakers needed to use some “recipe winemaking” shortcuts to hack their way to something with concentration, albeit, fake tasting. Pair with a bad time.
Great week to exercise those civil liberties, folks.
Second the "shout-out" for "Pair with a bad day". And yet another bizarre masterpiece of AI-generated "Art". But likening the Chappellet "beverage" to IHOP syrups might have been unnecessarily harsh ... to IHOP.
Very enjoyable read with a couple LOL moments: “Pair with a bad day,” and the comment about Gros Verdot. Looks like the sentence about Washington State was put in the Paso Robles section by mistake?
Second the "shout-out" for "Pair with a bad day". And yet another bizarre masterpiece of AI-generated "Art". But likening the Chappellet "beverage" to IHOP syrups might have been unnecessarily harsh ... to IHOP.
Very enjoyable read with a couple LOL moments: “Pair with a bad day,” and the comment about Gros Verdot. Looks like the sentence about Washington State was put in the Paso Robles section by mistake?