Milbrandt 2020 Wahluke Slope Merlot

Butch Milbrandt and his son, Buck, received a lot of attention when their delicious Cabernet Sauvignon landed on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list back in 2018, but this example of Washington Merlot warrants attention, too. In fact we like it even better and that's why we've chosen to feature it instead of the Cab, despite Merlot's current "persona non grata" status among wine snobs these days. Three of the family’s vineyards along the Wahluke Slope — Clifton Hill, Northridge and Ravenscliff — come together and create a marvelous mix of dark cherries and cassis amid rich barrel notes of toast, vanilla bean and roasted coffee. Touches of Malbec and Petit Verdot add bright purple tones and structure.