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32 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 { inside sonoma } "I AM NOT DRINKING any [expletive] Merlot," Miles, Paul Giamatti's character in the 2004 lm Sideways, famously quipped. It's amazing how a work of ction can have such an impact on a variety's standing, but in hindsight, Merlot's momentary decline was also the fault of vintners and growers who chose to plant it at sites where it was destined to fail. On the positive side, there were also plenty of brave souls who believed in the noble grape enough to hold rm when the purge happened. As the inferior, medio - cre, and inconsistent styles began to fade, the ratio of world-class brands started rising—particularly in the luxury category. According to 52-week IRI data released in May, high-end sales of the variety ($20-plus SRP) grew 10 percent over the previous year, while sales for half of the top-ten luxury Merlot producers were up by double digits. To build on these recent gains, a group of condent producers has succeeded in designating October as International Merlot Month. As a result, more than 100 partici - pating vintners will join together with wine merchants, restaurants, and consumers to toast, taste, and celebrate the variety's renaissance at upcoming events—as well as online using the hashtag #MerlotMe— throughout the month. In Sonoma County, an early pioneer of the Merlot movement is Gundlach Bundschu, a historic winery celebrating its 160th anniver - sary this year. After planting the variety and selling fruit to Louis M. Martini in the 1950s and 1960s, the winery bottled its rst Merlot in 1976; by the late 1980s, it had the largest planting of Merlot in the county. To increase the quality of their estate fruit, the Bundschu family began replacing the old vines with improved rootstock and clonal selections between 1999 and 2002. This resulted in a special series of Merlot blocks which still thrive today, illustrated by the impressive 2015 vintage and its lively avors of ripe blueberries, cherry, cocoa, and layered spice. "What I love about Merlot is that what we have planted now is the good stuff," says Gundlach Bundschu President Jeff Bundschu. Another signature style from Sonoma Valley is the St. Francis Estate Merlot from the Behler Vineyard in Kenwood. Made with fruit from vines planted by St. Francis founder Joe Martin in 1971, this single-vine - yard selection features penetrating notes of cranberry and black cherry, as well as bright acidity, silky tannins, and rm structure. "For me, underripe Merlot is not plea- surable," says Head Winemaker Chris Lou- ton, who has worked at St. Francis since 2002. "For that reason, it takes time in the vineyard to develop the avors and acidity instead of being green. Once that happens, we get really nice fruit avors." For more on International Merlot Month, visit merlotme.com. At Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma, the Bundschu family planted their first Merlot vines at the Rhinefarm Estate in the 1950s. The Second Coming of a Noble Grape OCTOBER IS INTERNATIONAL MERLOT MONTH by Christopher Sawyer : PHOTO COURTESY OF GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU