Merlot's Bad Press

Chateau Penin (Bordeaux Superieur, France) "Les Cailloux" 2002 ($18-$20, J. Cambier): A superb wine crafted entirely from merlot, this features complex aromas and deep flavors of dark berries and black cherries, along with accents of smoke and dried herbs. Robust enough to stand up to serious meat dishes, it is nevertheless soft and rounded in texture.

Geyser Peak (Sonoma County, Calif.) 2001 ($17): Although many New World merlots are so soft as to seem formless, bottles like this prove that it is not a necessary outcome.

Impressively concentrated and deeply flavored, this wine balances robust, expressive notes of dark berries and plums against spicy oak that lends complexity without obscuring the delicious core of fruit.

Domaine de Moulines (Vin de Pays de l'Herault, France) 2003 ($9, Dionysos): This would be an amazing bargain at $9 even if it had not come all the way from France in a time of unfavorable exchange rates. But taking those facts into account, it seems downright miraculous. Dark color shows its seriousness from the first glance, and the wine follows through with lovely aromas and deep flavors based on pure, rich, plum-flavored fruit.

Kenwood (Sonoma County, Calif.) 2002 ($14): This well-made wine is a model of balance and integration, with fresh fruit augmented by tastefully subtle oak. The combination of medium body and flavors that are satisfying but not overly assertive will make this a great match for many moderately robust foods.

Trumpeter (Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina) 2003 ($9, Billington): Wines under the Trumpeter label have been a bit inconsistent over the years, but the producer really got things right in this case. Dark, concentrated and full of fresh fruit flavors that are accented with a nice little whiff of smoky oak, it offers outstanding value.

Hogue (Columbia Valley, Wash.) 2003 ($10): Relatively inexpensive and made in quite large quantities, this is just the sort of wine likely to make a merlot-phobe recoil in horror, yet it is delicious and well made, with substantial fruit, fine balance and texture that is soft but not wimpy.

Domaine de Gournier (Vin de Pays des Cevennes, France) 2003 ($9, Kacher): Ripe and intensely fruity, this is bursting at the seams with notes of red and black berries. The juicy fruit notes are effectively balanced by some ripe tannins that contribute structure but no harshness.

Cousiño-Macul (Maipo Valley, Chile) 2004 ($9, Billington): Few at this price show distinct marks of their lead grape or place of origin, but this impressive bottling shows both quite clearly. Plum and cherry notes express nice varietal character, and interesting accents of cedar and dried herbs are characteristically Chilean. Complex and well integrated, this is a great buy.

Bogle (California) 2003 ($12): This is soft enough to exemplify the smooth-as-silk stereotype of merlot made for cocktail purposes, yet it should not be dismissed. The dark cherry flavors are pleasant, and while the structural elements of acidity, oak and tannin are muted, they are notable and very well integrated.

Lawson Ranch (Monterey County, Calif.) 2002 ($9): With chunky, flavorful notes of dark cherries and a moderately assertive dose of spicy oak, this delivers a lot of flavor and fun.