Five great Merlot wines There are countless great Merlot wines on the market today. These five producers, listed alphabetically, are a perfect way to start exploring all that Merlot has to offer. Château Lassègue From their base on the Right Bank, in St.-Émilion, Château Lassegue produces two excellent reds: Les Cadrans and their eponymous grand vin. The flagship wine brings together Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and represents not just excellent fruit and winemaking, but also remarkable value. The current-release 2018 costs around US$60 (Rs 4780), and its brambly berries, plums, and subtle core of savouriness make it excellent for enjoying right now, as well as a great candidate for ageing in the cellar.

The folks at Tenuta Arceno (aka Jackon Family Wines, who bought the property in 1994) sent along their Chianti Classico Riserva, which is brimming with the bright cherry fruit, smoky earth, and herbs that you want from a good Chianti. This one includes 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, which melds quite nicely with the Sangiovese. Aged in neutral oak, this wine has a very nice savory, umami note in the finish.

National Red Wine Day: Our Top Picks to Celebrate
A tried and true classic, you can never go wrong with opening a bottle of Murphy-Goode California Merlot especially for National Red Wine Day.
This Merlot is crafted in a big, confident, style, with intense dark fruit, cherry, plum, herb, vanilla, chocolate and spicy oak.
This versatile wine pairs well with anything, from ribs, burgers and steak to turkey dinners and meat & cheese boards.

National Red Wine Day: Our Top Picks to Celebrate
This Cabernet Sauvignon from Kendall-Jackson has aromas of lush, bright black cherry while blackberry and cassis draw you in.
It has round, rich, seamless tannins that provide a robust backbone and supple mid-palate.
Notes of cedar, vanilla, and a hint of mocha linger on the finish.
Pair with veal chops, rosemary lamb, barbecued ribs in sauce, or chicken cacciatore as smoky flavours tend to balance well with fruiter notes from the wine.

Blending nine vineyard sites throughout Sonoma County, Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc highlights the best of the region with a lively, clean, approachable offering. Each lot is vinified individually and blended after fermentation to ensure the most balanced expression of the wine is revealed. The wine is also very briefly aged in French oak (just 27 days) to round out the expressive palate. The wine opens with bright aromatic notes of white flowers and citrus blossom, followed by a juicy, ripe palate of golden citrus, nectarine and peach stone fruit, honeydew melon, ripe mango, and guava wrapped around a mineral core. An easy wine to enjoy on its own, pair with fresh seafood or shellfish.

I also found a number of California good values. These generally are ebullient, spry with the focus on varietal fruit, but all display the grape’s trademark refreshing character.
2021 Matanzas Creek Sonoma County, fresh, ripe, herbal.

National Pinot Noir Day: Best Wines to Celebrate
If we haven’t managed to win you over and convince you red wine is a great summer wine, La Crema’s Pinot Noir Rosé is the perfect compromise – so you can still celebrate!
The La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir Rosé offers delicate aromas of orange blossom along with raspberry and watermelon.
Subtle mineral notes and flavours of strawberry, Pink Lady apple, and orange creamsicle are present, with a juicy acidity and flinty mineral notes to drive a long finish.
For summertime sipping, enjoy with soft cheese, grilled vegetables, and grilled vegetables.

National Pinot Noir Day: Best Wines to Celebrate
The La Crema Willamette Valley Pinot Noir has savoury notes of oak complemented by initial notes of sweet cherry, raspberry, and roasted plum, which give way to rustic tannins, contributing to a supple overall texture.
Made in Oregon, this wine pairs with fattier foods such as filet mignon, prime rib, nuts like hazelnut and rare fish, such as salmon.
While this may be for those with a higher budget, it is certainly an excellent choice for any celebration.

National Pinot Noir Day: Best Wines to Celebrate
The La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir has aromas of boysenberry, cherry, and sweet tobacco accompanied by flavours of raspberry, blackberry and cherry.
A varietal with more fruity notes, try pairing with salmon or other fatty fish, roast chicken, or pasta dishes to create a beautiful balance.

Promising mass appeal, this Sauvignon Blanc is as aromatic as it is tasty. It offersquiet fruit notes and has a creamy mouthfeel with just a hint of mineralityrunning through it. Priced under $30 and highly accessible, this wine is a steal!

Wines for Father's Day - recommended

Recommended

Looking for a great pinot without spending a bundle? Try this one for less than $20. "Their less interventionist winemaking methodology paired with grapes sourced from cool climate vineyards creates a beautifully restrained but elegant pinot noir," said Mike Reed, beverage director at Tacos Guey in New York City."
[This is] a marked difference from the much fuller-bodied and heavily oak-influenced pinots coming from California that consumers may be used to."

If you see Harford Court Radian Vineyard 2018 from Santa Rita Hills and you love barrel spice, butter and cake with a mix of pear, pineapple and hints of ginger, glom as much as you can afford.

The wine is a succulent, shiny-plump, strawberry-ripe mouthful of juicy charm. It lights up in the mouth and the fruit floods every corner, bringing a squeeze of ripe orange, floral flavours and mace. Barely-there tannins and lifted, lilted acidity give it gentle structure. You could probably keep this a few more years, but I really don't see the point. It's just enchanting right now.

Layers of citrus fruit; lemon, tangerine pith combine with zippy diced ginger notes on the finish.

The citrus in the wine is easy to fall in love with, as apple, pear and a little toasty oak swing in on the finish.

Winemaker Shane Moore loves acidity in white wines, and shows it off here. Iron-like minerality, lemon flavors and an oily texture.

From winemaker Greg Brewer, the 2020 Wine Enthusiast Winemaker of the Year, comes a refreshing white with mossy rock, sea salt, dried apricot and Meyer lemon.