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	<title>Merlot &#8211; Gus Clemens on Wine</title>
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	<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com</link>
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		<title>Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/duckhorn-vineyards-merlot-napa-valley-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[gusclemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2025 03:44:21 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Duckhorn Vineyards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[wine and food pairing]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/?p=20800</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Deep ruby color; black cherry, redcurrant, plum, raspberry, chocolate, licorice, baking spices on the nose and palate. Dry; mild, velvety tannins and acidity (3.65 pH; 5.60 g/L TA). Full body. Blend of 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon, 2% cabernet franc. Aged 15 months in French oak, 40% new, 60% neutral. Exceptionally smooth easy drinker, fully <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/duckhorn-vineyards-merlot-napa-valley-2022/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<item>
		<title>Mayacamas Vineyards Merlot Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/mayacamas-vineyards-merlot-mt-veeder-napa-valley-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[gusclemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:01:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayacamas Vineyards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/?p=20559</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Deep ruby color; raspberry, plum, dark cherry, blueberry, black fruits, spice, lavender, lilac on the nose and palate. Dry; soft tannins; amiable acidity. Smooth, silky texture; medium body. Thanks to generous percentage of cabernet franc, darker and deeper than anticipated with merlot. Blend of 76% merlot, 24% cabernet franc. Hand harvested, cluster sorted, destemmed and <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/mayacamas-vineyards-merlot-mt-veeder-napa-valley-2022/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Château du Taillan Haut-Médoc 2012</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/chateau-du-taillan-haut-medoc-2012/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2017 00:03:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bordeaux]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Haut-Médoc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oenology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine and food matching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[winemaking]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=3224</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Intense ruby-garnet color; black fruits, coffee, toast on the nose; blackberry, red currant, dark cherry, plum on the palate. Clean expressions of 70% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc. In the first glass, there is some bite on the finish from red currant from the cab and sour cherry from the cab franc, but <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/chateau-du-taillan-haut-medoc-2012/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Château Penin Grande Sélection Merlot 2012</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/chateau-penin-grande-selection-merlot-2012/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2017 03:19:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bordeaux]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oenology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine and food matching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting notes]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[winemaking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winery]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=3160</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Bright red-garnet color with some translucence; cherry, plum, vanilla, cedar on the nose; red and black cherry, oak, pinch of pepper on the palate. Dry, medium-full body, plush in the mouth, soft tannin, some tobacco and acidity come on during the finish. Very easy drinker with distinctive mellow merlot softness; 100% merlot. Grande Sélection comes <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/chateau-penin-grande-selection-merlot-2012/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Merlot 2010</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/masciarelli-marina-cvetic-merlot-2010/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2016 00:49:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oenology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine and food matching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting descriptors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winery]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=2899</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Intensely dark color, virtually black; dark fruits, earth on somewhat subdued nose; massive red cherry, blackberry, red plum, raspberry on the palate. This is really big for a merlot, more tannin and grip than you expect (especially in first glass), nice acidity (3.55 pH); a year in new French oak delivers vanilla but thankfully not <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/masciarelli-marina-cvetic-merlot-2010/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Toad Hollow Merlot 2014</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/toad-hollow-merlot-2014/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2016 18:33:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oenology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toad Hollow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toad Hollow Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine and food matching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting descriptors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winery]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=2138</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Crimson color, less intense than the 2013 tasted at the same time; lighter nose than the 2013, cranberry comes through; raspberry, strawberry, plum on the palate. The 2014 merlot, which did not benefit from grape sourcing exclusively from Russian River Valley, is exceptionally smooth, but simpler, less sophisticated and distinctive than the 2013, which had <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/toad-hollow-merlot-2014/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Toad Hollow Merlot 2013</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/toad-hollow-merlot-2013/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2016 18:30:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frankie Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oenology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toad Hollow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toad Hollow wines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine and food matching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting descriptors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winery]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=2133</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Dark crimson color; black fruits, cranberry, black olive on the nose; dark fruits, dark cherry, blackberry, cranberry, toasty oak on the palate. Almost sweet with fruitiness, balanced by outstanding red wine acidity (3.35 pH), spices in mid-palate through the finish; a tingle of tang/blackcurrant on the finish, too. Plush in the mouth, smooth texture, and <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/toad-hollow-merlot-2013/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bourassa Vineyards Merlot Reserve Napa Valley 2006</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/ourassa-vineyards-merlot-reserve-napa-valley-2006/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jun 2016 04:17:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tasting Notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bourassa Vineyards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Napa Valley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vineyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viticulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine and food matching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting descriptors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine tasting notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winemaking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winery]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=2120</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Inky, almost black color; cherry, lavender, spice nose; powerful cherry, dark fruits, plum, chocolate, toasty oak, vanilla on the palate. Serious tannins (improves with air—almost mandatory decant, there also are sediments, which add to the depth of flavors but need to be left in the bottle), nice acidity for this sort of big CA red. <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/ourassa-vineyards-merlot-reserve-napa-valley-2006/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cab-merlot</title>
		<link>https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/cab-merlot/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gus Clemens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2016 08:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Facts About Wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine & Grapes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bordeaux]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cabernet sauvignon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merlot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Old World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tasting notes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine humor]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gusclemens.com/wine/?p=1484</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Cab or merlot—vino version of “Ginger or Mary Ann?” Cabernet sauvignon and merlot are America’s most popular red wines. Each has its own set of characteristics. Differences not only fuel debate about which is best, differences complement each other—which is why Bordeaux blends (usually with help from other grapes, especially cabernet franc) rank among the <a class="read-more" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/cab-merlot/">Read More</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
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