This Red Diamond Merlot is the most fruit-forward of all the Washington Merlot I've tasted. I suspect it may be because it's a blend of Merlot 80%, Syrah 15%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Cabernet Sauvignon 2%. The Merlot is still very present, with a tannic finish. I love, in particular, the aroma. This is also quite attractive in the glass, though not as dark a red as I'd expect from a Merlot. About an hour after my first glass, the aroma has opened up quite a lot, as has the flavor. There's definite plum and blackberry here, and a slightly softer tannic finish than on the first glass.
I'm seriously contemplating picking up a bottle of the Red Diamond Shiraz, the Red Diamond Cabernet, and the Merlot to take to a friends for a group tasting and comparison. The fact that all three of the wines are made with, well, all three of the wines, interests me. I think blending wines has got to be both incredibly challenging and incredibly fulfilling when it works. I note that from what little we have about late Medieval and early Renaissance wine making, blending was all important, so I'm deeply interested in how it works. I may screw my courage up to ask some probably very stupid questions about it at some of the wineries that are known for blending.
I note that at around $7.99, which is a fairly common sale price for Red Diamond wines, this is a reasonable grab-and-go bottle to accompany takeout— it worked quite well with a burger, and I can absolutely see grabbing Red Diamond Merlot on the way to a local park to grill a steak. It also went very well with beef tacos, accompanied with jalapenos, and salsa. I'm not alone in writing a positive review; the Wine miser likes it too.