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by Fred McMillin
for September 2003
Do Young Merlots Taste
Better Than Young Cabs?
Prologue
"All that marketing hype about Merlot's early-drinking attributes isn't worth the price of a bottle."
—Jeff Morgan
Wine Spectator
The Rest of the Story
Is young Merlot more pleasing to drink than young Cabernet Sauvignon, or not? To get an answer, we paired eight Merlots with eight Cabs, all only two years old. Each set was of the same price range, and was tasted blind. Here's the winner of each match. The highest rated wine is listed last. That is, the further you read, the better the bottle.
The Winners
| Rank | Winner | The Wine | |
| 8th | - | Cabernet | $12, Beringer Founders' Estate Cab, California |
| 7th | - | Cabernet | $16, Tobin James Cab, Paso Robles |
| 6th | - | Cabernet | $14, Sagelands Vineyard Cab, Columbia Valley, Washington |
| 5th | - | Merlot | $17, Geyser Peak Merlot, Sonoma County |
| 4th | - | Cabernet | $10, R.H. Phillips Cab, Dunnigan Hills |
| 3rd | - | Merlot | $13, Sterling Merlot, Vintner's Collection, Central Coast |
| 2nd | - | Merlot | $9, Dunnewood Merlot, Mendocino County |
And here's the best...
| 1st | - | Merlot | $18, Chateau Souverain Merlot, Alexander Valley |
The Answer
Cab boosters say: We won half the matches.
Young Merlots are NOT more drinkable.
Merlot boosters say: Our Merlots had higher ratings than your Cabs.
Young Merlots DO taste better.
Conclusion—buy the varietal you prefer, even if it's young.
Credits
Thanks to Ophie Mercado for much help, and to the 22 tasters for this article,
including John Christensen and Dr. Linus Hollis.
 |
About the Writer
Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at either San Francisco State University or San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468. |
This page created September 2003