Winemaker Notes
Luke Merlot reveals the hallmarks of great Washington Merlot – dark red fruits, rounded tannins and an opulent, smooth finish. Born on the Wahluke Slope, Luke Merlot's fresh flavors of plum, cherry and blackberry dominate the midpalate while earthy flavors of tobacco, cedar and clove marry the spices of vanilla and mocha to extend the wine's long lingering finish.
Blend: 91% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and generous, with appealing cherry and red currant flavors accented with tobacco and dusty spices.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2022 Luke Merlot is a medium ruby color and opens with aromas of sandalwood and delicate chalky notes. On the palate, this wine delivers ripe blackberry flavors framed by a silky, seamless texture. This polished Merlot should pair beautifully with a grilled Washington pork chop topped with a Bing cherry-red wine reduction. (Tasted: October 31, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Distinguished by a broad, south-exposed, uniform slope and landlocked by the Columbia River to its south and Saddle Mountains to its north, the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington holds 15% of the total vine acreage of the state and takes its name from the Native American word for “watering place.”
Incidentally the Wahluke Slope AVA has one of the hottest and driest climates of the state so irrigation is not only essential, but also allows complete grower control of vine vigor. On top of its arid and warm environment, strong summer winds blow across this broad slope and ensure both smaller leaf size and grape clusters. The result is top quality wines with great concentration, phenolic ripeness, body and depth of flavor.
Vineyards cover the AVA from 425 to 1,480 feet along the slope. Its deep soils of wind-blown alluvium and sand with a depth, on average, of more than 5 feet along the continuous grade allow optimal drainage for the vines.
Thriving varieties include Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
Merlots are rich in sweet, ripe cherry, red currant, raspberry and cocoa. Syrahs tend to express black and blue fruit along with savory notes. Wahluke Cabernets are rich in stewed red and black berries.