Blackstone Winemakers Select Merlot 2016 California, USA 75cl

Blackstone built its reputation on Merlot, and this Winemaker’s Select bottling is the wine most drinkers picture when they hear the name. It was designed to be soft, welcoming and endlessly easy to pour, the kind of red that keeps a crowd happy without demanding much attention.

Fruit is sourced from vineyards across California, blending warmer inland sites with cooler coastal parcels. That spread of growing conditions is what gives the wine its rounded, fruit-forward character without tipping into heaviness, and it helps keep the style consistent from one vintage to the next.

The 2016 vintage has had time to settle, and a few years in bottle have smoothed the tannins further. It is drinking in a mellow, generous style now rather than waiting for anything more, so there is no need to hold it back.

Expect ripe blackberry and plum, a note of red cherry and a soft edge of vanilla and mocha from oak. The palate is medium-bodied and gentle, with supple tannins and a clean, fruity close. Nothing about it is challenging, and that is very much the point.

This is a friendly, all-purpose red for everyday meals. Pour it with burgers, pizza, a midweek roast, a bowl of pasta or a mild cheese, and serve it just cool of room temperature. It asks for nothing more than good company and a decent glass. There is no need to decant or fuss over it: this is a wine that simply gets on with the job of being enjoyable, glass after glass, night after night.