Ferrari-Carano Merlot 2019
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This is a medium-bodied Merlot, displaying aromas of black cherry, cola, rubbed
sage, English Toffee and vanilla. On the palate, plum galette and leather are
complemented by toasty clove imparted by its time in barrel.
The fruit forward, easy-drinking qualities of this Merlot make it the perfect wine
to pair with any red meat course, Italian entrées and fragrantly-spiced roasted or
grilled poultry dishes.
Blend: 84% Merlot, 11% Syrah, 5% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Vivid red fruit and licorice on the nose. Full-bodied with silky, smooth tannins. Very good depth and intensity. Vibrant ripe fruit is grounded by notes of iron and espresso. Best in 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
This taut wine lifts focused red cherries and raspberries with vivid acidity and bracing tannins. The wine is lively, balanced on a high wire, but also offers some calming chocolate and plummy notes that build on the palate and finish.
Other Vintages
2021-
Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Spectator
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Spectator
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.