Some wines are so ubiquitous that it strikes me as interesting to check in with them from time to time. My purpose in doing this is two-fold. On 
the one hand I’m just curious to see how a wine is tasting from vintage to vintage. And on the other I’m always interested to taste something that has mass popularity; looking at that as a bit of a barometer of the general tastes of the average consumer. While not particularly scientific, it does fascinate me. Blackstome Merlot is such a case. For quite a number of years now this wine has been incredibly popular on store shelves, and in restaurants. I know that for many years this wine was the most popular Merlot in restaurants, it may still be the case but I’m not sure.
The 2006 Blackstone Winery Merlot carries a California designation. Fruit was sourced in a number of counties, Monterey at 58% was the most represented. The fruit is a blend of Merlot (85%), Syrah (9%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Cabernet Sauvignon (2%), Malbec (1%), and Petite Verdot (1%). French and American oak barrels were used to age 30% of the wine. While the suggested retail price is $12, this wine is widely available for between $8 and $10.
Ripe berry with a little lilt of jam fills the nose of this Merlot along with subtle violet and vanilla notes. Throughout the palate dark fruit notes such as blackberry, black cherry and plum are prominent. The medium length finish brings out white pepper spice and a touch of sour cherry. Overall this wine is approachable with a soft mouth-feel and gentle tannins. A grilled burger is the classic match for this wine.
The bottom line for me with the Blackstone Merlot is that it’s widely available and very reasonably priced. I find it to be a step up from the Yellowtails of the world in terms of varietal correctness and overall drinking pleasure. The fruit is perhaps a bit brighter than what I find in my favorite Merlots. But those aren’t available for $8 and aren’t necessarily made to satisfy a large gathering. For me that’s the appeal of the Blackstone Merlot. if you have a BBQ or party a lot of people who will drink a glass of wine but don’t necessarily spend countless hours obsessing over it are going to enjoy it. And the ones that do obsess over it, they’ll be glad it does in fact taste like Merlot.
Over the last several years the prominence of Malbec has grown in the United States. South American wines in general get more shelf space than they used to; Malbec is one of the leading growth categories within that. I for one am pretty happy about it. South America has long been a place to look towards for value. The increase in selection also means we’re getting more wines in every price range and that makes for more interesting choices. Today I’ll look at a value priced Malbec.
In theory I’m a huge fan. In fact if you force me to choose a favorite varietal, Pinot Noir is in the running, with a fighting chance to win. Sadly though there are a lot of Pinot’s from California, especially in the under $20 category that don’t live up to what this great grape should be. These subpar examples often have other varietals blended in to darken the hue or add something. The trouble is they take away more Pinot character than anything they add. So when I find an example in this price range that acquits itself nicely, I find it a reason for a minor celebration. Today I’ll look at one from 
Today’s recommendation for a Father’s Day gift of Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Napa Valley. Travel to Napa and you’ll get to taste many different varietals, but one fact will quickly take hold; Cab is King. And with Dad being King on Father’s Day it’s only natural that a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon would make a nice gift. Today’s selection is from 
Paso Robles Wineries. They’re one of the larger producers and make a broad selection of offerings. They also manage to maintain a high level of quality across those offerings. It’s unlikely to love every selection from a winery, particularly one that makes as many releases as Martin & Weyrich does. The bottom line though is that by and large I find their wines, well made, appealing, and interesting. More often than not they are also priced fairly. All that said, when I decided to taste through about a dozen Cabernet Sauvignons so I could find a handful I felt comfortable recommending as Father’s Day gifts it seemed natural to check in with the latest one from Martin & Weyrich.
The second Cabernet Sauvignon I’m going to recommend as a Fathers Day gift is from 
wondering what to get Dad this year. I can tell you, I’m pretty certain Dad does not want a tie. Somehow neckties have come to symbolize the classic bad Father’s Day gift, or at the very least the default one. This year get your Dad a bottle of wine. In particular I think you should get him a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the next few days I’m going to present several Cabs that I recommend at different price points. Depending on your budget and Dads taste there should be one in there that works for you. The first one up is from 
Today I’ll look at the third wine in a row from
regularly. All that said there are a few that I’ve never had. The wine I’m looking at today, Petite Petit is one of them. I’m a huge fan of Petite Sirah which makes it surprising to me that I hadn’t gotten to this one before now. But that’s been corrected.
A number of years ago someone poured me a glass of Seven Deadly Zins, that was my first experience with the 
