It’s October! And that means the Wine Pairing Weekend group of writers, in collaboration with the #MerlotMe producers will be singing the praises of Merlot. According to Jeff Burrows who will be leading the charge again this year…” we’ll continue our quest to raise the visibility of this fine grape in wine drinker’s consciousness“. You can see his invitation post here.
I’ve always been a fan of well-made Merlot. I love it for its approachability and affinity for food.
And speaking of its affinity for food, you’re bound to find Merlot and food pairing inspiration in Jeff’s recap of the group’s posts from 2015-2020 here.
I’m featuring a Merlot from one of my favorite producers – Ridge Vineyards. This one has been in my cellar for five years. I can’t think of a better time to enjoy it than the Wine Pairing Weekend MerlotMe event!
2012 Ridge Merlot Estate
The 2012 vintage is 100% Merlot from the sustainably farmed Monte Bello Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains between 1,300 and 2,700’. Fermented on native yeasts. Raised in 95% air dried American oak, 5% French oak; 18% new, 82% one year old.
Opaque crimson color with exuberant black currant, black cherry, violets dried herb, vanilla and creosote aromas. On the palate, it medium-bodied with mouth-watering fresh acidity and well-integrated supple, sweet tannins with black cherry, black currant, plum, leather, mocha and dried herb flavors with a hint of graphite minerality. Long savory finish. 92pts|13.5% abv.
I think this is an exceptional wine!
I paired with this great recipe from Vindulge, including Perfect Roasted Potatoes, which were indeed pretty much perfect!
It was my first attempt at reverse-searing, and I have to say it turned out great! The wine was excellent paired with our meal!
About Ridge Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery with two estates, Monte Bello in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Lytton Springs in Sonoma County. They are best known for their world-class “Monte Bello” – a single-vineyard premium Bordeaux style Cabernet Sauvignon Blend ), single vineyard Zinfandels, and estate Chardonnay. Ridge was established by three engineers from nearby Stanford Research Institute (SRI). They produced its first commercial wine in 1962 after purchasing the winery in 1960.
Great wines have always been determined by their site – by nature, not by man – Paul Draper
It wasn’t too long after that, that Ridge gained an international rep when the Ridge Monte Bello, under the direction of winemaker Paul Draper , took fifth place in the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976 against nine other French and California wines. Here’s what’s really cool though, the 1976 Monte Bello unanimously took first place in The Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary when it was tasted against the same wines thirty years later!
Ridge is a member of the International Wineries For Climate Change(ICWA), an organization committed to taking collective action to decarbonize the global wine industry.
They are currently the largest grower of organic grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, with nearly 380 acres of organically certified vines. They have a very comprehensive and impressive set of sustainability practices.
Here’s What We Have Planned for #MerlotMe 2021
Join our group on Oct. 9, 2021 for a new set of foods paired with Merlot wines. Check out the list of new posts below. Then, join our Twitter chat all about Merlot on October 9 at 10am CDT. Just search for the #WinePW and #MerlotMe tags on Twitter.
- Bonterra and Creamy Lasagna Soup by Our Good Life
- California Dreamin’ for #MerlotMe Month, Part I by My Full Wine Glass
- Celebrate #MerlotMe with a Wine that Hits the Mark by Supporting Veterans by Exploring the Wine Glass
- Experiments with Salmon and Merlot by Somm’s Table
- Ground Beef and Kale Recipe with #MerlotMe Wine by Cooking Chat
- I Melt for Merlot and Chocolate by What’s in That Bottle?
- Kicking off #MerlotMe with 2 Rutherford Hill Merlots and Decadent Burgers with Chocolate! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
- Merguez Sausages and a Debut #MerlotMe Wine from Gürbüz by The Quirky Cork
- Merlot with Chicken in a Mushroom Wine Sauce by Vino Travels
- #MerlotMe and Meaty Asian Sandwich by Chinese Food & Wine Pairings
- Mushroom Madness Paired with Merlot by Always Ravenous
- October Means #MerlotMe Paired With Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Merlot Chicken by Wine Predator……..Gwendolyn Alley
- One of the Oldest Foods on Earth + 2019 Bonterra Organic Merlot by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Tri-Tip Steak and Duckhorn, a #MerlotMe Classic by Food Wine Click!
- Won’t You Please #MerlotMe? by A Day in the Life on the Farm
That rib eye looks delicious! I’ve heard great things about that Merlot, but have yet to try it.
Thanks Jen! I hope you can find a bottle, I think it’s a great Merlot – quite different than the Duckhorn (no criticism of the Duckhorn, it too is great, but this bottle has a more Old-world character.
Now there is a Merlot to look out for! The reverse sear sounds delicious!
The Reverse Sear Rib-eye did turn out great! We don’t eat a lot of beef, but when we do, we’ll be using the reverse sear technique going forward. I bet you’d love the Merlot Robin
2012 Merlot, I am impressed and with Ridge Estate’s bio. You have peaked my curiosity I need to try a bottle of Ridge Merlot, probably won’t find a 2012.
It would be great if you could get a Merlot from their library, but they’ve been making them every vintage the last 7 or 8 years I think.
I always think of Ridge for their Zin. Will need to be on the lookout for their Merlot!
I understand. I know them first for their Geyserville and Lytton Springs field blends (which are mostly Zin), but their claim to fame is the Monte Bello Bordeaux blend, so their estate Cab and well as this Merlot are great wines in their own right.
Oh It has been far too long since I had Ridge Merlot. I must fix that right away!