FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF 24 BOTTLES OR MORE (24, 30, 36, 42, etc.)     Dear Friends, Merlot doesn’t get as much love as it used to for various reasons – critics don’t pay as much attention to it, overplanting in the 90s for cheap commercial labels has given it a bad rep, and there’s also the matter of a certain film about two buddies in wine country that had a very memorable line about Merlot…but make no mistake – Merlot at its best deserves just as much attention as Cabernet. A lot of folks don’t know that Merlot is the primary grape featured in the priciest Bordeaux superstars from Pomerol, Pessac-Léognan (a personal favorite for the varietal), and Saint-Émilion as well as the “Super Tuscans” of Italy. It’s also prominently featured in some of the most famous red wines in Napa Valley (though you might not know it because it’s not written on the labels). A bit more plush and approachable in its youth but with all the stuffing and complexity of great Cabernet, Merlot is incredibly easy to pair with food and is a perfect glass of wine to have when you don’t feel like drinking something as bold as a Cabernet or delicate as a Pinot. Due to the market’s demand for Cabernet at just about any price in Napa Valley and the need to “extend” Cab blends as much as possible (a final Cabernet blend can contain as much as 25% Merlot), much of the Merlot we have traditionally had access to over the years has disappeared. To that end, we only have one Merlot release of the year; however, it’s a special one. Lot 460 2013 Oakville Merlot Vintage: 2013 Appellation: Oakville (Napa Valley) Grape: Merlot Alcohol by volume: 14.9% Price: $16   BUY NOW   Lot 460 2013 Oakville Merlot is sourced from vineyards a stone’s throw away from where the grapes for Lot 600 were grown, and is another outstanding selection from Oakville. As I have said ad nauseum over the past months, Oakville is, pound for pound, Napa Valley’s greatest AVA producing fruit for the most expensive “cult” wines of the Valley. Opaque purple with a crimson rim. Tightly wound at first, with hints of cherry, black fruit and earth but opens up with a few swirls to reveal acacia flower laced with earth, plum and bramble. The palate is plush with a core of fleshy red fruit, fine grained tannins, and a brooding grace indicating there is a lot more to come here. Profoundly aromatic and faceted at this point in its young life, the mid-palate of this wine is just resolving and will play out beautifully over the coming years. Compare at $50. As a New Release special offer, go ahead and take 15% off any purchase of one case or more through Thursday night at midnight (Wine Club members get 20% Off) as long as it includes one bottle of Lot 460 (mix and match the whole store!).   As always, if you have any questions or need assistance with your order, please don’t hesitate to email us or call 800-805-1971. Cheers!     Cameron Hughes   Shop New Releases CHWINE.COM CAMERON HUGHES | 800.805.1971 (MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. PST)       *Free shipping on 24 bottles or more. Must order in increments of 6 (24, 30, 36..) This email was sent to <<Email Address>>. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails! Manage your subscription preferences or unsubscribe.   Having trouble viewing this email?   Click here to view in your web browser.