Tamarack Cellars

Columbia Valley Merlot

8.854 ratings
8.814 pro ratings
Columbia Valley, Oregon/Washington, USA
Merlot
Beef, Venison, Salami & Prosciutto, Chili & Hot Spicy, Potato, Exotic Spices, Lamb, White Rice, Baking Spices, Herbs, Pasta, Chicken, Mushrooms, Pungent Cheese, Turkey, Tomato-Based, Soft Cheese, Pork, Beans & Peas, Hard Cheese, Duck, Onion, Shallot, Garlic
Top Notes For
Brandon Ford

Mineral and rich

Mineral and rich

Apr 9th, 2015
Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.0

Young, concentrated, long, minerally.

Young, concentrated, long, minerally.

Mar 29th, 2014
Eric Hwang

Rich and concentrated with loads of black fruit and blueberry. Nice long finish but a little hot.

Rich and concentrated with loads of black fruit and blueberry. Nice long finish but a little hot.

Mar 19th, 2014
Scott Cunningham

Owner/Importer Bottleneck Wines

8.2

A really nice Merlot that's rich and complex, good use of french, american and Hungarian oak. Given that Merlot as a varietal is still out of vouge it's hard to justify the $30 price tag.

A really nice Merlot that's rich and complex, good use of french, american and Hungarian oak. Given that Merlot as a varietal is still out of vouge it's hard to justify the $30 price tag.

Feb 24th, 2013
Bill Morgan

Complex dark fruits

Complex dark fruits

Dec 27th, 2023
Dimes

Very tasty

Very tasty

Jul 6th, 2022
Jason Brater

Took a good 4-5 hrs to open up. Absolutely singing once it fully opened. Great balance. Delicious.

Took a good 4-5 hrs to open up. Absolutely singing once it fully opened. Great balance. Delicious.

Jun 19th, 2022
Tree Kilpatrick

Label is well done if a bit standard. Like the cone and needle border. Tamarack is my brother’s middle name (aka larch), so I had to buy this one. Dark plum skin color. Aromas are good. Dark fruit juices and sauces mixed with woodsy freshness. Slightest hint of red meat too. Flavors are chewy, fleshy and earthy. Cherry Coke and blackberry pastry. Maybe a purple mulberry too. A little anise/fennel/licorice root. Or maybe that’s sarsaparilla. Plenty of tannin to keep the fruit flavors from running wild. Just enough wood to give it a forestry feel. This is a nice structured Merlot from WA. Not quite as dynamic or complex as the weighty bottle implies, but it’s still a great bottle.

Label is well done if a bit standard. Like the cone and needle border. Tamarack is my brother’s middle name (aka larch), so I had to buy this one. Dark plum skin color. Aromas are good. Dark fruit juices and sauces mixed with woodsy freshness. Slightest hint of red meat too. Flavors are chewy, fleshy and earthy. Cherry Coke and blackberry pastry. Maybe a purple mulberry too. A little anise/fennel/licorice root. Or maybe that’s sarsaparilla. Plenty of tannin to keep the fruit flavors from running wild. Just enough wood to give it a forestry feel. This is a nice structured Merlot from WA. Not quite as dynamic or complex as the weighty bottle implies, but it’s still a great bottle.

Apr 28th, 2022
Michael Seely

This is a great Merlot. Lots of creamy body. Smooth full palette. Very nice. Glad I found and opened it!!

This is a great Merlot. Lots of creamy body. Smooth full palette. Very nice. Glad I found and opened it!!

Dec 11th, 2018
Mike Walker

Very soft with smooth flavors that linger and keep your attention. A good addition to your cellar

Very soft with smooth flavors that linger and keep your attention. A good addition to your cellar

Jun 25th, 2018