Anyone thinking about ignoring Merlot because of the movie Sideways or because of any other nonsensical reason should give it up. True, much of Merlot and not just those produced in California is mediocre. As editor Randy Sheahan wrote in the Summer 2007 issue of “Best of The Best,” “Merlot is not easy to grow ... it requires the right environment and considerable vigilance ... otherwise, it can easily get away from the grower ... resulting in jammy, ill-knit wines.” That said, it didn’t stop Sheahan and his tasting team, who blind tasted 80 examples, to come up with eight splendid bottles of this varietal. (Results of the tasting can be found here.) To that list should have been added another Merlot made by Heller Estates – the 2003 vintage. It arrived, however, too late for the tasting. QRW’s policy is to taste late arrival wines invited to the Best of The Best. We tasted eight and felt that Heller Estate Merlot deserved recognition as “Red Wine of The Quarter.”

The Heller Estate 2003 Merlot, $35, is big, lush, slightly sweet upfront (nearly Port-like, but without the alcohol, which in the Heller Estate Merlot is a very reasonable 14.5%); there’s a nice cedar-wood-oak and vanilla note in the aroma; it’s rich, opulent, and mouth-filling; the blackberry has wonderful texture, which is full and generous, as is the chocolate/mocha in the back palate; the finish is long, rich, and luxurious. Heller Estate wines are a bit pricey but worth it. They are 100 percent certified organic.

The 2003 Heller Estate Merlot is clearly one of the best Merlots we tasted in 2007. It is better than the 2002 Heller Estate Merlot which, in fact, made “Best of The Best” in 2006. Heller Estate has 120 acres and its production is slightly above that of a boutique California winery – about 40,000 total cases. It’s a wine that must not be missed. We have our regrets writing this because in Massachusetts the wine cannot be purchased because there is no distributor; incredibly, two distributors we know passed on the opportunity to distribute Heller Estate in Massachusetts. We also have regrets because interstate shipping is not allowed because of Prohibition attitudes that still plague this state. However, much of the country can find it at retail and in restaurants. Otherwise, call the winery: 831-659-6220; fax 831-659-6226; info@hellerestate.com