Burtech Family Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (Sonoma County, California) Merlot 2019

 This is truly first class Merlot, with real guts as one would expect from a grape that can produce the profound, age-worthy wines of Pomerol, but also the relative softness that makes the variety worth seeking out rather than going with the default choice of Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is neither too gutsy nor too soft, and this is evident immediately as well as enduringly.  It isn’t juked up with wood, though some spice and a touch of toast is evident.  It isn’t overly thick, though it is far more substantial than $30 supermarket Merlot.  As it avoids the opposite extreme of being too “domesticated,” it displays deep color and even deeper flavors, with dark berries and black plums coming to mind, with enough tannic backbone to enable it to pair beautifully with, say, a ribeye steak.  Charming in terms of styling, and skillful in making the style work.  A Platinum Award winner at the 2022 San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge.