The Petrolo 2023 Val d'Arno di Sopra Galatrona stands among Italy’s benchmark expressions of Merlot. This organic wine comes from nine hectares of gently sloping vineyards with medium-rich soils marked by rocks and clay...

Gutsy yet refined, this red balances a broad-shouldered structure with rich, multilayered flavors of blackberry and currant. Offers accents of licorice and espresso while building tension toward big yet balanced tannins...

This red is both well-structured and framed with new oak nuances of vanilla, toast and resin, setting the stage for plum, blackberry, fruitcake, mineral and tobacco flavors. There’s a salty element interwoven throughout...

Made with 100% Merlot, the Castello dei Rampolla 2021 Liù shows a note of spice and dried herb that frame a dark core of fruit. The wine is rich in appearance, but the mouthfeel remains elegantly slender and polished...

Plums and cherries accented by chunks of dark chocolate and a spiced finish, build a richly flavored and mouthwatering Merlot with a velvety textured, balanced acidity and a lot of persistence. Savory and satisfying. —...

Another beautiful wine as well as a smoking value, the 2021 Merlot Blueline Estate (75% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and tiny amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec) has lots of up-front plum and black cherry fruits...

The 2021 Galatrona is a rich, deep, expansive wine endowed with striking textural depth and structure. Dark fruit, sage, lavender, mocha and grilled herbs are all amplified in this potent Merlot. Readers will have to be...

A 70-30 blend of fruit from Napa and Sonoma, the 2019 Merlot includes 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose offers up hints of mint, cherry tomatoes and redcurrants, plus some riper notions of cherries and raspberries, while...

A core of cherry, raspberry and violet is surrounded by mineral and herb notes in this crisp, well-delineated red. A bit compact and dusty on the finish, with a beam of acidity keeping this persistent. Drink now through...

The 2022 Merlot is remarkably pretty, as a bouquet of violet flowers, lavender, hints of sweet spice and sugar-dusted blackberries wafts up for the glass. This is soothingly round and pure in style, with a perfumed mix of...

The 2014 Enclos Tourmaline is 100% Merlot from a tiny parcel in Peter Kwok’s property located on the plateau of Pomerol, between Chateau Clinet and Chateau Feytit-Clinet. This beauty is a terrific success in the vintage...

Rich, exuding blackberry and black cherry flavors, with accents of fresh herbs, green olive and smoky oak. Fleshy and firm at once, it resonates on the lingering finish. Charming, classy and confident. Drink now through...

The 2019 Galatrona is a gorgeous wine. It possesses striking depth, but with the freshness and delineation that is a signature these days. Blue/purple fruit, mocha, incense, espresso and lavender build in this potent...

The 2020 Galatrona is stunning. In fact, the 2020 is one of the best vintages of the Galatrona I can remember tasting. I am especially impressed by its vertical intensity and explosive energy. All the elements are so...

The 2021 Galatrona is a rich, deep, expansive wine endowed with striking textural depth and structure. Dark fruit, sage, lavender, mocha and grilled herbs are all amplified in this potent Merlot. Readers will have to be...

This red is packed with blackberry, black cherry, plum, iron and tobacco flavors. Though vibrant and backed by a dense matrix of tannins, overall this ends with an elegant feel and excellent length. Merlot. Best from 2027...