MerlotMe: Time to Start Drinking Your Fu**ing Merlot Again

The self-proclaimed Merlot Month of October gives you permission to start drinking Merlot again. Just like the talented child overshadowed by his elder sibling (Cabernet Sauvignon in case you didn’t follow that), Merlot is getting the attention it deserves and the oft quoted, well-known line from Sideways, may never be uttered again.

Hello My Name Is…

Merlot grapes have been around since, some think, the 1^st Century. Who really knows? What we do know is that some French dude in Bordeaux mentioned Merlot for the first time in 1784, the same year in the US that we ratified the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War with Great Britain (I know, right?).

Because of the California Gold Rush and the influx of European immigrants, Merlot cuttings arrived in California sometime in the 1850s but it wasn’t until the late 1980s when planted acreage was increased and Merlot became more significant as a stand alone wine. Now, it’s the second most widely consumed red wine in the US.

2014 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot, Napa

Duckhorn is, without a doubt one of the best and most consistent producers of Merlot in California. Period. Part of that is their decades long attention to Merlot when others shunned it. The other part of that is they are meticulous with their fruit, and it shows. This Merlot is that foolproof wine that balances fruit, wood and age into a terrific bottle of wine. It’s the velvety texture that first grabs you as waves of mature blackberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit cascade across your palate. But it’s also the comprehensive acidity, the proper use of oak as an equal player and the tannic structure that allows this wine to be graceful and self-assured.

($52)

2013 St. Supery Napa Valley, Rutherford Estate Vineyard Merlot, Napa

St. Supery opened their Napa doors in 1989, and Merlot has always been a part of the equation. Elegant and refined this is predominately Merlot with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged for 19 months, roughly half of that was in new French oak barrels. What you get is soft inviting fruit, black cherry, blackberry, ripe plum, dried boysenberry with back notes of wild herbs, Madagascar vanilla, campfire smoke, and hints of anise and mocha. The tannins and acidity are properly aligned in this wine making for a wine of balance.

($50)

2015 Shooting Star Merlot, Lake County

Jed Steele has an amazing knack for finding impressive fruit and delivering that fruit in a structured wine that over delivers in quality yet is underpriced. His Merlot, grown in volcanic soils, represents the minerality and richness these soils are known for. You get subdued blueberry, blackberry, plum boysenberry with some cedar and vanilla from the eight months of oak aging, but also fairly tight tannins. This offers mare mature fruit and if far richer that typical Merlots at this price point. This a wine that is so structured and uniform, that the price belies the quality in the glass.

($14)

2015 Chelsea Goldschmidt Dry Creek Valley Merlot, Sonoma

Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley is bet known for Zinfandel rather than Merlot, yet a few pockets turn out terrific Merlot fruit. This Merlot straddles a line between bright fresh fruit, and undertone of earthiness. Yes there is blackberry, black cherry, blueberry with back notes of plum, sage and wild thyme. But there is also delightful toasted oak giving off vanilla and cedar notes, but this wine has subversive tannins, they seem mild, but they announce themselves mid palate. The acidity rounds this out make for a great food wine. ($19)

2015 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot, Paso Robles

From the El Pomar district of Paso Robles, the J. Lohr team brings you fresh bright fruit as Paso grapes tends to be more ripe and that’s the case here. The fruit is more berry driven, so you’ll taste blueberry pie, boysenberry cobbler, back notes of black cherry, blackberry with mild tannins and mild acidity. The oak is evident but not powerful and it lays a solid framework for the fruit and for an easy drinking Merlot. ($15)

1040 Good Buddy: Taxes, Wine & Those Pesky Deductions

We all know the old saying that nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes. While certainly this is true a good wine can somewhat ward off death, well, maybe not exactly but at the very least makes taxes bearable. I’m not a CPA, so any deductions listed here should be run by your accountant for approval. Time to pair a wine with a given tax deduction.

Lifetime Learning

Our convoluted tax code offers a number of deductions geared toward college students, but that doesn’t mean those of you who have already graduated can’t get a break too. The Lifetime Learning credit can provide up to $2,000 per year, taking off 20% of the first $10,000 you spend for education after high school, all in an effort to give you new or better job skills. This phases out at higher income levels, but it also doesn’t discriminate based on your age – and we should all keep learning! Any Pinot Noir fanatic will tell you it’s a lifetime grape - a wine that educates you about subtly, beauty, nuances and ethereal qualities. The Sonoma Loeb 2014 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir is classic Russian River Valley Pinot with cranberry, pomegranate, strawberry, huckleberry and back note of cola and black cherry, rich yet calm with plenty of acidity RRV is known for. Spending time with this wine is an education in itself. ($40, Sonoma-Loeb.com)

Charitable Giving

You can deduct money or goods given to charitable organizations, which makes giving more fun! Out-of-pocket expenses for charitable work also qualify. So, if you make brownies for a charity fundraiser for example, you might be able to deduct the cost of the ingredients you used to bake them. Always save receipts or itemize the costs in case of an audit. Donations to your local library or the value of goods given to a charity are also considered viable. Of course it helps to be charitable with yourself too, so I think the Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour will give back to you. This a brut rose - a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with delicate hints of strawberry, pomegranate, apricot, peach and lime, a whisper of sweet honeysuckle and with fine pinpoint bubbles. It’s a gift that will keep giving. ($37, domainecarneros.com)

Health Insurance Premiums

Medical expenses can easily kill your budget. Aside from the health benefits of wine (no, you probably can’t write off your expensive Burgundy) for most taxpayers, medical expenses have to exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income to be deducted. However, if you’re self-employed and responsible for your own health insurance coverage (like yours truly), you can deduct 100% of your premium cost. That gets taken off your adjusted gross income rather than as an itemized deduction. Got it? The Magsitrate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (NV) from Sonoma offers an inexpensive, cash-friendly wine, and it’s red so you’re keeping healthy, right? There is muted blackberry, blueberry, resin, dusty cedar, this offers decidedly middle of the road tannins that subdue any overt fruit along with a mild acidity and richness that’s tame and ready to drink now. And given it’s tax time, you’ll want to drink it now. ($17, magistratewine.com)

Unusual Business Expenses

Don’t overlook deductions that seem odd. As a wine writer I push the boundaries of what can be deducted related to wine, all within the parameters of the law, of course. If something is used to benefit your business and you can document the reasons for it, you probably can deduct it from your business income as long as it is a viable part of doing business. I’m able to deduct winery tasting room fees for example because my primary income is from wine writing. Which gets us to the 2014 Patz & Hall Hudson Vineyard-Carneros Chardonnay. I’m not saying you can deduct this lovely wine, but it is unusual in that this straddles the line of Chardonnays out there, not too oaky, not to stainless. Using native yeasts and malo-lactic fermentation in barrel this does not push oak on you, but gives up green apple, lemon lime curd, honey, pineapple and a back note of sweet biscuit and almond. So go ahead, think creatively about your deductions while you sip this. ($55, Patzhall.com)

Job Searching

If you were looking for a job in 2015, you may be able to deduct costs related to your job search – even if you didn’t get a job – because at least you tried! Job search expenses such as preparing and sending résumés (expenses and mailing, if you actually use snail mail), fees for head hunters or temp agencies and even travel related to the job search can be included. But searching for a job is tough so you need a wine that will support the long view. The J Lohr 2012 Cuvee St. E is a St. Emilion homage wine made in Paso Robles crafted from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cab Sauvignon and Malbec. It offers robust black cherry, huckleberry, blueberry and boysenberry with a sharp acidity and a resin note, a hint of earthen vegetable and minerality. The dominate Cabernet Franc holds up against the oak and makes a play for a new world cuvee – bold yet restrained. This is how to reward yourself after a long day hitting the pavement. ($50, jlohr.com)