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5 of the best supermarket Merlots
The experts at Wotwine pick their best value merlots from the Supermarket shelves.
International Merlot Day is on 7 November, so expect lots of promotions in your supermarket to celebrate. But how do you tell which are genuinely good value?
At its best, merlot is an attractive and approachable wine with ripe plum and dark berry aromas, a velvety texture and soft tannins. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of poor quality merlot around, which can be diluted, under-rip. So, to find which are worth pouring, we turned to the experts at Wotwine to find us some great tasting merlots that won't break the bank.
Myton Hill Merlot
First up, and definitely at the bargain end of the market, is an unpretentious Merlot from California. A blend of more than one year, it doesn’t carry a vintage on the label but is well-priced quaffing wine.
Myton Hill Merlot
Stockist: Morrisons
Price: £4.00
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £6.00
Light, fruity wine with candied strawberries and red cherries, dill and cut herbs.
Hardy’s Nottage Hill Merlot 2016
The team tend to steer away from the major brands but this, from Australia, is fairly priced and a relatively simple but solidly-made wine with a bit more weight than the Californian.
Hardy’s Nottage Hill Merlot 2016
Stockist: Asda
Price: £5.00
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £5.00
Simple, manufactured wine, feels a bit older than its age. Sweet cherries and vanilla oak
Ferngrove Reserve Merlot 2013
Also from Australia, but something of a step up in quality, this has a little bottle age to develop some extra complexity.
Ferngrove Reserve Merlot 2013
Stockist: Morrisons
Price: £6.75
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £8.00
Ripe, balanced, interesting wine with restrained bramble fruit and a touch of spice.
Wairau Cove Merlot 2016
Wotwine has also picked out a Merlot from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand that delivers above its price point.
Wairau Cove Merlot 2016
Stockist: Tesco
Price: £7.50
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £8.00
Nicely made, fresh wine with juicy red cherries and red currants. Easy drinking, refreshing wine.
Chateau Saint Rémy, Fronsac 2017
Finally, a Merlot-dominated blend from its spiritual home on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Fronsac is a less fashionable village but one that often delivers extra value as a result and this is a very decent example.
Chateau Saint Rémy, Fronsac 2017
Stockist: Lidl
Price: £6.99
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £7.50
Soft, round, balanced wine with ripe fruit and spicy oak.
Food and wine enthusiast Alex joined the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2015 following seven years in the wine trade. In addition to her passion for oenology and Diploma in Wine & Spirits, she is a dedicated home cook and baker with skills learnt whilst working alongside the likes of Michel Roux Jr and Antonio Carluccio.
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