2014 Trentadue “La Storia” Merlot Block 500 Alexander Valley USA 750 ml

Trentadue and the Case for Merlot Burgers

Leo Trentadue was one of a kind. Despite all of his successes, the Alexander Valley legend who passed away three years ago was always an artisanal farmer at heart. If Trentadue’s “Old Patch” Vineyard was the family’s most famous parcel, it was the Merlot Block 500 that turned out one of Leo’s most opulent full-throttle reds. The 2014 Trentadue “La Storia” Merlot Block 500 is a beauty — a black-fruit powerhouse that has brought many a hesitant palate into the congregation of Merlot believers.

Trentadue saw the future in one of the most extraordinary and meticulously farmed Merlot parcels in Alexander Valley — and their Block 500 has never disappointed. If your Merlot palate preference leans toward the firmly structured angularity of Saint-Émilion in cool vintages, the ultra-concentrated 2014 Trentadue “La Storia” 100% Merlot is definitely not your cup of tea. But if your predilection is for massive concentration, silken texture, and round and palate-staining tannins, there are precious few under-$20 Merlots on the coast that can hold a candle to winemaker Miro Tcholakov’s 2014.

We suggest at least a case. The first six bottles will go fast at your next barbecue, especially after you use up almost the entire contents of one bottle just to make Merlot Burgers. Combine diced red onions, generous salt, some pepper, a few pounds of the best grass-fed beef you can find, and one bottle (minus a glass for yourself) of this beauty — and barbecuing will never be the same.