Gravel Bar Red Mountain Merlot 2021 is a distinguished wine that captures the essence of the Red Mountain terroir. This Merlot offers a delightful blend of black cherry, plum, and cocoa, complemented by notes of vanilla and dried herbs. The palate is rich and round, with chewy tannins leading into a long, fruit-driven finish, making it a perfect pairing for dishes like cassoulet, dauphinoise, and chèvre with herbs.

Composition: 100% Merlot
Winemaking: Traditional fermentation techniques with a focus on preserving varietal character
Aging: Aged in oak barrels for 12 months to enhance complexity and structure

Wine Critic Reviews

Wine Review Online (92): 2021 Vintage: Known for producing powerful and rich fruit-driven wines, Red Mountain is one of my favorite AVAs in Washington. Gravel Bar’s name is a nod to the historical glacial flooding that delivered topsoil, rocks, and other debris across much of Washington and Oregon. Established in 1985, Gravel Bar has been tirelessly producing wines from around the region with a goal of making wines that are of high quality, representative of the region, and affordable. Winemaker Joshua Maloney hit all three of those marks with his Red Mountain-sourced Merlot. This wine’s big red and black fruit power is supported by vanilla, clove, cocoa, and sweet tobacco notes. Its versatility makes for easy pairing with options ranging from pepperoni pizza to venison ragu. Even better, an under-$25 price tag puts it in my Washington hidden gem category, doubly so for a Red Mountain wine.