2021 Fossil Canyon Yakima Valley, Washington Merlot

The Bordeaux appellation of France and California’s Napa Valley are Merlot strongholds, and one of the reasons Merlot from Washington’s Yakima Valley is so revered is that Yakima is located on the same parallel as Bordeaux.

It turns out that the Yakima Valley provides a nearly perfect setting to grow wine grapes. The valley was sculpted by a number of ancient wrinkles formed in the land when volcanoes cooled and sank, leaving behind a large basalt layer in the earth. Prehistoric floods also aided in creating optimal soils for growing grapes, layering the ground with soils such as silt, loam, loess and cobble — each offering the proper drainage necessary to keep the vigor of vines under control.

The 2021 Fossil Canyon Merlot is slightly higher in alcohol than its Bordeaux cousins and higher in acidity than Merlots from California — a delicious middle ground for a very popular variety.