Fleur du Cap Merlot 2008

Bought this on a whim. I've had Fleur du Cap wine before and thought it was good so this seemed a safe choice.

I do like it. It's rich, fruity, and well-structured. The bottle has been open for a while now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. It's matured in small oak casks, which surely imparts some of the structure. It also has a pronounced green pepper/sour/zinginess to it which is uniquely South African. Not quite the South Africa rubbery character, but something else. Some might find this a bit full on, but I like it. I would definitely buy this again.

I think the offer may be finished today which is unfortunate or else I would have run out and bought loads of this. It's a bargain. Oddly, the bottle I had was 2008 (which I bought yesterday), and on the Waitrose website they are currently advertising the 2010. Did they skip a vintage?

Fleur du Cap

Merlot 2008

W.O. Coastal Region, South Africa

Waitrose

£5.99 (£7.49)

3.5/5

Grande Reserve Bergerac Cabernet Merlot 2009

This can probably be thrown on to the 'it's only worth it's offer price' heap. I thought it was worth a try because of Bergerac's proximity to Bordeaux and the 2009 vintage being an excellent one.

I didn't like it so much though - forgive the lack of technical terms here, but I just didn't like the taste.

When I think about it, there aren't too many cheap French reds that I like, except the odd one from Southern Rhone or the Languedoc, if it's on offer. They seem to lack the bright fruit flavours that cheaper New World wines have that make them so gluggable. That's just my opinion and taste however.

Grandissime

Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot 2009

Bergerac AOC, France

Sainsbury's

£4.99 (£9.99)

2/5

Dona Paulina Merlot 2009

Both Dona Paulina Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon get rave reviews from Wine Society customers. They are both under £5, and if the reviews are to be believed, ideal candidates for glugging or party wine (at least that's what I would buy them for).

I didn't really like the Merlot. Yes, it's fresh, fruity and juicy, but I just don't like the flavour - a bit of a cheap taste comes through, and my days of buying wine like this are pretty much over. However, considering you can pay £8 for something like this from the supermarket makes it good value. A lot of people like this sort of wine. I don't, not because I'm a snob but because I know I can get something I would enjoy much more for maybe another pound.

Dona Paulina
Merlot 2009
Rapel Valley, Chile
The Wine Society
£4.75
2/5

Isla Negra Reserva Merlot Rosé 2008

I first tried this at a café in Battersea park. I think it was last summer, but it may have been the one before that. It stuck in my mind, I remembered it. I thought it was strange that I liked a Chilean rosé so much. Usually I drink French rosé - Australian rosé is generally horrible, and unless you want to pay £10 - £12 for Pinot Noir rosés from New Zealand, France is my best option.

This is of the darker red style, one I usually don't really like. However it has a very tasty fruit character, with none of the oily bitterness that seems to accompany this style. I won't over-complicate things - it's just really tasty. The price is weird - £9? I got it for half-price, and I'd say that's a good deal. I'd pay £6 for it, but £9 is too much.

Isla Negra

Reserva Merlot Rosé 2008

Central Valley, Chile

Tesco

£4.49 (£8.99)

3.5/5

Craggy Range Merlot 2007

This Merlot comes from the Gimblett Gravels appellation in Hawkes Bay, on New Zealand's north island. Gimblett Gravels is interesting as it possesses a unique terroir that is ideal for producing Bordeaux varieties.

It tastes like a serious wine indeed. Concentrated fruit, very good depth and long gravelly finish. Good tannins. There is some spiciness to the fruit, and the wine struck some of the others as alcoholic (it was 14.5%). It didn't bother me - I felt it was balanced.

Currently this is under £10 on offer. A great choice if you feel like a step up from your everyday wine.

Jamie Goode has excellent write-ups of Gimblett Gravels here, and Craggy Range here and here - well worth a read.

Craggy Range

Merlot 2008

Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Waitrose

£9.11 (20% off)

4/5

Bonterra Merlot 2007

I can't honestly remember the last time I bought a single-varietal Merlot. I don't even have a tag for it. I guess I avoid it because in general it tends to produce soft, easy drinking reds, which isn't really my preference.

I've liked every wine I've tried in the Bonterra range at Waitrose, so I thought I'd try this. I'm glad I did - I really like it. Initially it seemed like an oaky fruit-bomb, but there is more to it than that. It is oaky - at first I was getting notes of sawdust, but after a few sips it becomes more of a creamy characteristic. Great depth of fruit flavour as well, and a finish that lingers. It's a fruit-forward wine for sure, and I'm not sure Hugh Johnson would approve, but I like it.

Hats off to Bonterra. California wines have a reputation for being either plonkish or prohibitively expensive in the UK. This range is neither, especially when on offer at Waitrose, which is frequently.

Bonterra

Merlot 2007

Mendocino County, California

Waitrose

£7.32 (£10.99)

3.5/5