Wine of the week: a world-class Californian merlot

2021 Rutherford Hill, Merlot, Napa Valley, California

£50.99, handford.net; dvinecellars.com

I have followed the wines from Rutherford Hill for many years. Always tasty, ripe and boisterous in the glass, these wines are accurate and evocative examples of what Napa Valley can do, and that’s about it. That was until I tasted the 2021 Merlot in the unusual surroundings of Abbey Road Studios. The Californians were in town, and this pungently fragrant historic studio’s natural funk did its best, but could not dampen the ardour of this spectacular wine. Rutherford Hill relaunched its operation in 2022 while this wine snoozed in barrels. While the labels have upgraded and the winery has been spruced up, hiring the especially talented winemaker Michael Coode was the most significant advancement.

Michael poured this wine for me, and the transformation felt complete as the flavours were the most impactful and memorable at this Californian gathering. If you have, like me, given up on finding stunning and affordable Napa merlot, then think again – this is not only a great wine from a US perspective, but also a serious global merlot taking every country on Earth into account.

If you would like a white wine, then the most delicious on show was 2021 Cuvaison Chardonnay Napa Valley / Los Carneros (£32, tanners-wines.co.uk; £34.25, christopherpiperwines.co.uk). I have enjoyed the wines from Cuvaison for nearly 40 years, and they have always offered uncommon value for money matched with beautiful restraint. This newly released 2021 is another world-class wine that will impress the most blinkered Europhile.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).