Maybe the next popular wine movie will feature a couple of guys on a search for the perfect Merlot. If they start with this one, it’ll be a short movie. A round, luscious, satisfying wine.

Look for the hint of anise under boysenberry and milk chocolate flavors. You might even try putting a little chill on it to get an entertaining evolution in the glass.

Here’s more proof that you can have a big, lush, ripe wine without an over-the-top alcohol level. At 13.5% alcohol, this is a wine you can stick with during dinner. Here’s living proof that Merlot deserves its place as America’s favorite red wine.

Merlot lovers will be right at home with the ripe flavors of dark fruit, blackberry and black cherry, with a bit of spice and a velvety finish that really zings.

We can’t figure out if this wine is satin or silk. Round, full, rich – the whole Merlot vocabulary in a bottle. Soft comes to mind, but not flabby. Blending batches from different Sonoma County vineyards puts some backbone in it. Early aromas of blueberry pie urge you into the glass.

Wild berries run onto the palate, jammy and delicious. A little creamy vanilla, almost spicy.

Winemaker Cal Denison got the grapes for this Merlot predominantly from Lodi in the San Joaquin Valley. It has all the makings of a rich, velvety Merlot: black cherry, blackberry, plum and jammy fruit flavors. The oak influence comes through with notes of mocha, brown spice and vanilla.

Cal blended in Cabernet Sauvignon to round out the structure and body of the wine. The result is a rich mouthfeel set against a cornucopia of dark fruit flavors. Goes perfectly with grilled meats or fresh salmon.