Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/86618
WORLDS AWAY Cono Sur 2010 Bicicleta Merlot, Valle Central, Chile ($12) Porcupine Ridge 2011 Merlot, Boekenhoutskloof, South Africa ($11) Adolfo Hurtado, Cono Sur´s chief winemaker and GM, has been work- ing with Merlot for a long time. He knows what attracts consumers to the grape: "A deep reddish-purple color that almost appears black. In the nose a bit of chocolate and sweet, fresh fruit such as black cherries and plums. Finally, a concentrated mouthfeel with rich, bold tan- nins." These qualities perfectly describe his 2010 Bicicleta Merlot from Chile's Central Valley. Chile isn't the only place outside of the U.S. where wonderful, reasonably priced Merlot is crafted with care and sensibility. South Africa delivers the spicy, red-cherry focused Boekenhoutskloof Winery 2011 Porcupine Ridge Merlot. Boekenhoutskloof sources fruit from various vineyards within the Coastal Region that consistently produce top-quality wines, thus ensuring a wine with exceptional complexity. According to winemaker Jean Smit, a lack of international expo- sure is South African Merlot's biggest weakness. He is working to change that. "We've got long-term relationships with our growers to ensure consistency, but even more importantly, we've now identifi ed specifi c vineyards with top-quality fruit with which we'll work more closely in the future." Vineyard Brands CALIFORNIA VIA POMEROL {Noble Vines} 2010 181 Merlot, Lodi ($14) {Noble Vines} is a project of DFV Wines, the California producer founded as Delicato Winery in 1924 by Gaspare Indelicato. Today, the family is in its third generation and owns two sustainably- farmed vineyards in California: Clay Station, in Lodi, is planted with Merlot clone 181 and Cabernet Sauvignon clone 337, while San Bernabe, in Monterey County, consists of Pinot Noir 667 and Chardonnay 446. The success of the company's marketing strategy thus hinges on getting these highly differentiated wines into the hands of the proper consumers. James Ewart, winemaker at {Noble Vines}, says that the greatest strength of the strawberry-tinged 181 Merlot is the wine's approachability. "It is made with clone 181, originally from Pomerol, which offers ripe fruit without any green or vegetal fl avors. Tannins are pillowy soft, and there's just a hint of minerality in the fi nish." Ewart is from Australia's Adelaide Hills, where his father was a professor of enology at Roseworthy Agricultural College. "I grew up on a small hobby farm with three acres of grapes. As kids, we spent most weekends in the vineyards, pruning, leaf-pulling and harvesting." As befi ts his globetrotting status, Ewart believes that taking the time to travel is hugely important, "not just for fun, but to really understand the wine business, especially since it is becoming so global. If you are a young winemaker-to-be you should take advantage of any opportunity to work harvest in other regions and countries." DFV Wines october 2012 / the tasting panel / 101