2016 Two Vintners Merlot Columbia Valley Washington 750 ml

Washington’s Columbia Valley is one of the few places in the world where Merlot can top Cabernet Sauvignon. Morgan Lee’s 2016 Two Vintners Merlot is Exhibit A—a big, bold, beautiful Pacific Northwest red that deftly balances juiciness with clarity, tannic cut, and acidic freshness. It’s an under-$30 powerhouse with tremendous finesse.

“Another winner from this estate,” raves Jeb Dunnuck in a 93-point review, calling it “a plump, sexy flamboyantly style Merlot” with “a rocking bouquet of blueberries, toasted spice, lavender, and incense.”

Following in the steps of Duckhorn’s Three Vineyards Merlot, which was Wine Spectator’s #1 wine of the year in 2017, this bottling nails varietal typicity with exquisite precision while also transparently capturing its terroir: in this case, the top sites in Columbia Valley. To do all this for just $29 pushes this bottle into the category of the top Merlot values in the country.

“My sodium intake is pretty elevated during harvest season,” says Morgan Lee, handing us a bag of Owens Meats beef jerky—his savory road snack of choice. We’re in his trusty Chevy SUV, speeding along the tree-lined 405 back to his winery. 

Lee, one of Washington’s most dynamic winemakers, spends a lot of time in his car. During harvest he covers 725 miles trekking between vineyards, working with 13 farmers in six AVAs. The closest vineyard from his winery is 2.5 hours away. These are the lengths he goes to source from the best plots in the state. He’s glad to have our company, he says—he likes to have someone to talk to during long hours on the two-lane blacktop.

We accompanied him on his sojourn looking to get some insight from a leading figure of the Merlot renaissance and an eloquent spokesman for Columbia Valley’s exploding scene.

“I think Merlot out-punches Cabernet Sauvignon in our state—I really do,” he says. “To me it’s like Syrah in that it really projects a sense of terroir more than a lot of Bordeaux grapes. It really takes on a sense of place. “

Indeed, his 2016 is like a liquid roadmap of his sprawling drives across the east side of Washington State, selecting grapes from the best, most expressive sites. From Sheridan Vineyard in the cool-climate Yakima Valley, prolonged hangtime gives concentration and floral aromatics while also producing grapes that hold acidity brilliantly well. The Pepper Bridge grapes from Walla Walla lend the wine its big structure and broad-shouldered tannic power. Stone Tree Vineyard in Wahluke Slope complements the concentration and tannins, and is a favorite of Lee’s for its fruit intensity, with rich blueberry and blackberry notes.

2016 was a vintage that tested winemakers’ proximity to their vines. Rising heat meant vintners needed to be walking the rows daily, testing the grapes with their own eyes and palates to make sure picking happened on just the right day. “The numbers lied,” Lee says. Sugars were accumulating, reading out numbers on paper that might cause winemakers to panic. But if you were tasting the grapes, it was clear that the harvest was still maintaining balance and flavors were still developing.

As a rule, Lee tends not to trust the numbers, preferring to trust the empirical evidence of his own senses and experience, even if it means another stop at the gas station, another bag of Owens beef jerky emptied, another vineyard walked before sunset. “Wine is an art for me,” says Lee.

This wine is a testament to that craftsmanship and dedication that has put his Two Vintners Merlot on the map as one of the most exciting wines on the market.